Fuel cell train makers and market maturity

A supplier list is usually read as a map of market maturity. The material reposted by Mergal Shivaji names Alstom, Siemens Mobility, CRRC, Stadler and Ballard among the leading suppliers of fuel cell trains in 2026.

The cost of running them has already been measured by a public buyer. LNVG, the transport authority of Lower Saxony, has operated Alstom iLint hydrogen units on Weser-Elbe services since 2018. On 26 July 2023 the state transport ministry concluded that batteries offer the lowest overall cost, and LNVG tendered 102 battery-electric multiple units to replace diesel from 2029, keeping the hydrogen trains on Weser-Elbe.

The decision was not about the train, it was about the whole line. Hydrogen requires dedicated production, compression, storage and refuelling, and that set reappears in the monthly bill. Where routes are long and unelectrified, the fuel cell remains the alternative to diesel.

The purchasing criterion moved from rolling stock price to total operating cost, and that is what will rank this list in the next tenders.