Hydrogen Fuel Cells Under Scrutiny After German Train Crash

On September 17, 2025, up in northern Germany, a train powered by hydrogen fuel cells went off the tracks, leaving one person seriously injured and prompting a full shutdown of the regional line while officials dig into what happened. This wasn’t just your everyday mishap—it landed smack in the middle of growing doubts over fleet reliability and supply issues that have already forced some operators to pull units and switch to backups across Germany’s trailblazing zero-emission technology rail networks.

According to the sources, the train in question was using fuel cells built by Ballard Power Systems. When emergency crews cordoned off the site, technicians started checking everything from track damage to the health of the onboard hydrogen tanks. While investigators haven’t nailed down the exact cause—whether it was a glitch in the fuel cell technology, a leak in storage, or some hiccup in the hydrogen infrastructure—transport officials are running down all the possibilities.

Early Adoption and Growing Pains

Germany’s rail network has become something of a playground for zero-emission technology. Back in 2014, Alstom rolled out its first iLINT trains, and by 2019, 27 of those units—worth around $350 million—were cruising the Taunus line near Frankfurt. More recently, Siemens launched its Mireo Plus H fleet north of Berlin in late 2024, eyeing a move to Bavaria as fresh fueling stations come online.

Not to be outdone, Stadler Rail jumped in with Flirt H2 trains, even making tracks in California while scouting more European routes. But once full-scale operations kicked off in 2023, cracks began to show—shortages of fuel cells, postponed overhauls, and spotty hydrogen deliveries have sidelined chunks of the fleet. The Berlin/Brandenburg Transport Authority (VBB) has had to call in diesel and battery backups just to keep trains running on time.

Technical and Supply Chain Challenges

At the heart of these headaches is the Ballard FCmove-HD+ stack. It’s engineered for heavy-duty rail use, but its complex assembly and need for ultra-pure hydrogen leave almost zero wiggle room for mistakes. Operators are reporting backorder delays and random performance dips—small glitches that ripple across depots, refueling stations, and maintenance yards.

Then there’s Enertrag, the main hydrogen supplier for several regional lines. When logistics slip up—like showing up with less fuel than booked—services get grounded fast. With limited on-site storage, even a brief delivery delay can throw dozens of trips off schedule, making people question if hydrogen really has the muscle to replace diesel en masse.

Strategic Implications for Clean Mobility

For policymakers and investors, this derailment is a stark reminder that bold hydrogen infrastructure ambitions need to match up with real-world robustness. Some carriers are already rewriting contracts, and the VBB has fast-tracked orders for extra battery and diesel backup sets. If Germany’s flagship projects stumble, they could slow the rollout of similar schemes across Europe.

Still, there’s a strong market pull. Decarbonizing rail is central to the EU’s 2050 climate targets, and hydrogen fuel cells remain one of the few practical options for non-electrified routes. “We can’t afford to toss out the baby with the bathwater,” says a regional transport official, pointing to plans for more on-site storage tanks and streamlined servicing routines to shore things up.

Looking Ahead

The coming months will really test whether targeted fixes and fresh investments can win back confidence in fuel cell technology. Germany’s rollercoaster ride is likely to set the benchmark for other nations eyeing hydrogen rail. Expect to see station upgrades with buffer storage, standardized maintenance protocols, and a broader mix of suppliers. If these measures pay off, hydrogen trains could still be key players in Europe’s drive toward industrial decarbonization. But for now, one crash has laid bare just how high the stakes are in this clean mobility experiment.