{"id":366001,"date":"2025-02-13T17:56:27","date_gmt":"2025-02-13T16:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=366001"},"modified":"2025-02-13T17:56:29","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T16:56:29","slug":"german-rail-operator-switches-back-to-diesel-locomotives-hopes-measure-will-be-temporary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=366001","title":{"rendered":"German Rail Operator Switches Back to Diesel Locomotives, Hopes Measure Will Be Temporary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From NoTrickZone<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0P Gosselin<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Germany\u2019s Blackout News here reports the latest example of what happens when green energy fantasies clash with reality, in this case trains powered by hydrogen.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Symbol image. Source: Alstom\u00a0press release here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to the\u00a0Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund<\/em>\u00a0(RMV), the hydrogen trains on the Taunusbahn have been temporarily taken out of service and diesel locomotives are being used again. The hydrogen locomotives are manufactured by Alstom and are reported to have been \u201cfault-prone\u201d and are currently being improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe project was launched in December 2022 with great expectations. The plan was to deploy the world\u2019s largest fleet of hydrogen trains on the Taunusbahn. But problems arose early on,\u201d reports Blackout News<\/a>.  \u201cEven at the start, Alstom was unable to deliver the promised number of vehicles. Technical defects became more frequent in the following months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RMV was thus forced to put the diesel locomotives back in service but calls the measure \u201ca temporary solution until the end of 2025.\u201d The hydrogen powered operation remains the overall aim. Alstom is currently overhauling the hydrogen trains to make them ready for long-term, reliable operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By returning to the diesel trains, RMV is focusing on reliability while hoping hydrogen will improve enough to be put back in service by the end of this year. \u201cThis measure shows that sustainable technologies continue to pose challenges,\u201d Blackout News summarizes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While green energies can be used in a number of applications, they are proving to be a major technological challenge in the transport sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to the\u00a0Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund\u00a0(RMV), the hydrogen trains on the Taunusbahn have been temporarily taken out of service and diesel locomotives are being used again. The hydrogen locomotives are manufactured by Alstom and are reported to have been \u201cfault-prone\u201d and are currently being improved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":366007,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691833277,691818051,691819349,691821754,691833278],"class_list":["post-366001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-diesel-locomotives","tag-germany","tag-green-energy-fantasies","tag-hydrogen-trains","tag-taunusbahn","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/0-A-hydrogen-train-travels-through-the-early-autumn-fog-in-the-Taunus.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1xdf","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":270115,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=270115","url_meta":{"origin":366001,"position":0},"title":"Rail company grounds electric locomotives following rocketing electricity\u00a0prices","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/29\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"A negative reaction to Britain\u2019s energy cost crisis has short-circuited the environmental ambitions of another rail freight carrier. This time, it\u2019s DB Cargo UK that has has been forced to sideline an electric traction fleet on the grounds of cost.","rel":"","context":"In \"DB Cargo UK\"","block_context":{"text":"DB Cargo UK","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=db-cargo-uk"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/01024_1627651532_IMG_0084.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/01024_1627651532_IMG_0084.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/01024_1627651532_IMG_0084.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/01024_1627651532_IMG_0084.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":266796,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=266796","url_meta":{"origin":366001,"position":1},"title":"More hydrogen hype as new British truck\u00a0unveiled","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/11\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"\u2018Could a truck that\u2019s powered by hydrogen and only emits water help in the climate change fight?\u2019 \u2013\u00a0asks Sky News. Two problems there \u2013 \u2018only emits water\u2019 doesn\u2019t tell the whole story as unwelcome\u00a0nitrogen oxide comes into play, and \u2018climate change fight\u2019 belongs to mythology. Another difficulty (quote): \u2018hydrogen still\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate change\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate change","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-change"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0hydrogen-truck.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0hydrogen-truck.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0hydrogen-truck.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0hydrogen-truck.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/0hydrogen-truck.webp?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":272675,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=272675","url_meta":{"origin":366001,"position":2},"title":"End of the line: first adopter of hydrogen trains last year opts for all-electric\u00a0future","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"08\/10\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Being known as\u00a0the misery line\u00a0didn\u2019t help the case for hydrogen trains, with a third of the train drivers resigning amid various operational difficulties. One German state estimated hydrogen trains would be 80% more expensive to run than electric over a 30-year period.","rel":"","context":"In \"batteries\"","block_context":{"text":"batteries","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=batteries"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/00hydrogen_train_lr-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/00hydrogen_train_lr-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/00hydrogen_train_lr-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/00hydrogen_train_lr-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/00hydrogen_train_lr-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C761&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":443481,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=443481","url_meta":{"origin":366001,"position":3},"title":"Bielefeld\u2019s \u20ac7 Million Hydrogen Garbage Truck Fleet Sits Idle","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/11\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Bielefeld, Germany, has idled its fleet of seven hydrogen-powered garbage (refuse) trucks due to the lack of viable refueling infrastructure. This case, widely reported in early 2026, highlights ongoing practical challenges with small-scale hydrogen deployments for municipal vehicles.","rel":"","context":"In \"90% of the premium\"","block_context":{"text":"90% of the premium","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=90-of-the-premium"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0ChatGPT-Image-90-Subsidized-Failure-Bielefelds-E7-Million-Hydrogen-Garbage-Truck-Fleet-Sits-Idle.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0ChatGPT-Image-90-Subsidized-Failure-Bielefelds-E7-Million-Hydrogen-Garbage-Truck-Fleet-Sits-Idle.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0ChatGPT-Image-90-Subsidized-Failure-Bielefelds-E7-Million-Hydrogen-Garbage-Truck-Fleet-Sits-Idle.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0ChatGPT-Image-90-Subsidized-Failure-Bielefelds-E7-Million-Hydrogen-Garbage-Truck-Fleet-Sits-Idle.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0ChatGPT-Image-90-Subsidized-Failure-Bielefelds-E7-Million-Hydrogen-Garbage-Truck-Fleet-Sits-Idle.png?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":288693,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=288693","url_meta":{"origin":366001,"position":4},"title":"Germany: Green hydrogen project in Heide stopped prematurely","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/26\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The Heide oil refinery has decided to use green hydrogen. However, the \"West Coast 100\" electrolysis plant project was prematurely terminated three years after the project began. Raffinerie Heide, \u00d8rsted Germany and Hynamics Germany have announced that they will not build an electrolyser. More than three years ago, they joined\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"\u00d8rsted\"","block_context":{"text":"\u00d8rsted","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=orsted-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/00csm_ueber-uns-headerbild_Raffinerie_Heide_563b59d6e2-1-1250x625-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/00csm_ueber-uns-headerbild_Raffinerie_Heide_563b59d6e2-1-1250x625-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/00csm_ueber-uns-headerbild_Raffinerie_Heide_563b59d6e2-1-1250x625-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/00csm_ueber-uns-headerbild_Raffinerie_Heide_563b59d6e2-1-1250x625-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/00csm_ueber-uns-headerbild_Raffinerie_Heide_563b59d6e2-1-1250x625-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":291622,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=291622","url_meta":{"origin":366001,"position":5},"title":"Billions To Be Wasted On Inefficient Hydrogen\u00a0Factories","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/17\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"So we are going to spend billions building these hydrogen factories, and in the process will need twice as much gas as we would have needed if we burnt the stuff in the first place!","rel":"","context":"In \"COP28\"","block_context":{"text":"COP28","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=cop28"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0253818cd52fe2b18b937428bb4ea36e.jpg?fit=1200%2C598&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0253818cd52fe2b18b937428bb4ea36e.jpg?fit=1200%2C598&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0253818cd52fe2b18b937428bb4ea36e.jpg?fit=1200%2C598&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0253818cd52fe2b18b937428bb4ea36e.jpg?fit=1200%2C598&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/0253818cd52fe2b18b937428bb4ea36e.jpg?fit=1200%2C598&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=366001"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":366009,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/366001\/revisions\/366009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/366007"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=366001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=366001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=366001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}