Delivery of FNM’s first Coradia Stream fuel cell multiple-unit marks a significant step for the H2iseO ‘Hydrogen Valley’ decarbonisation project, as Toma Bačić explains.
ITALY: Gruppo FNM formally unveiled its first hydrogen trainset at Rovato near Brescia on February 13, along with a new depot and a mobile refuelling station.
Delivered on January 23 following testing at Alstom’s Salzgitter plant, the five-car Coradia Stream fuel cell multiple-unit is the first of 14 being purchased with funding from Lombardia region and the national recovery and resilience facility, PNRR. It is the first hydrogen train to arrive for use in Italy, where various initiatives are under way.
The hydrogen trains and refuelling facility form part of the H2iseO project to decarbonise operations on the Brescia – Edolo line. Built by FerrovieNord, the cutting-edge Rovato depot west of Brescia is the first in Italy to have been specifically designed and built for the maintenance of hydrogen trains. It also has the first hydrogen refuelling installation to be completed; this was delivered by renewable hydrogen supplier Sapio.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by the government’s Under Secretary of State Alessandro Morelli, President of Reggione Lombardia Attilio Fontana, and the region’s councillors for Transport & Sustainable Mobility Franco Lucente, and for Infrastructure & Public Works Claudia Maria Terzi. FNM President Andrea Gibelli and Managing Director Fulvio Caradonna were joined by the President of FerrovieNord Pier Antonio Rossetti, and Trenord CEO Andrea Severini, as well as the CEO of Alstom Italia Michele Viale and Sapio President Alberto Dossi.
‘This is a very important day, which confirms Lombardia’s vocation to be a land of records and excellence’, Fontana emphasised. ‘Both in terms of the H2iseO project and the commissioning of the first train powered entirely by hydrogen. The modernisation process in transport and infrastructure continues in the name of sustainability. In recent years, we have invested €1·7bn for 214 new trains that will give a strong boost to the sector and by next year, Lombardia will have completely renewed its railway fleet.’
Hydrogen Valley
The H2iseO project for ‘hydrogenisation’ and decarbonisation of the Brescia – Iseo – Edolo line has been branded as Hydrogen Valley, as the route runs through the Valcamonica alpine valley, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is being implemented by FNM Group, including its infrastructure manager FerrovieNord and train operating subsidiary Trenord. Construction is being undertaken simultaneously with the preparatory works for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
As well as the commissioning of 14 hydrogen trainsets to replace the entire diesel fleet currently operating on the line, the project includes the construction of a new depot and train maintenance facility at Rovato. It also covers a mobile refuelling plant and three other facilities for the production, storage and distribution of renewable hydrogen. According to local reports, the other refuelling stations are to be built at Brescia, Iseo and Edolo. A later stage of the project will see the commissioning of 40 hydrogen buses to replace those used by FNM Autoservizi in Valcamonica.
Commercial services with the fuel cell trainsets are expected to begin in the first half of 2026. As well as the 102·7 km Brescia – Bornato – Calino – Iseo – Edolo line, the trains will operate on the 5·8 km Rovato – Bornato – Calino branch. Both lines form part of FerrovieNord’s Iseo division. Services on the Marone – Edolo section are being suspended from March 1 to facilitate infrastructure modernisation works; the line is scheduled to reopen from September 7.
The Rovato depot has five outdoor stabling tracks, along with a two-track train maintenance facility equipped with access platforms, inspection pits and overhead walkways. This is equipped with an overhead crane and a bogie drop facility. There is also a covered outdoor platform for washing the trains, while the spare parts warehouse includes a special location for storing spare traction batteries for the trains. Overall investment in the Rovato site is put at €30m, including €1m for the hydrogen refuelling plant, and is being financed from PNRR.
Fleet renewal makes progress
The Coradia Stream fuel cell trainsets are based on the Class ETR204 EMU, branded by FNM as Donizetti after the Italian romantic opera composer Gaetano Donizetti. Similar units operated by Trenitalia are branded as Pop. Alstom has recently completed the delivery of 51 three- and four-car Donizetti EMUs to Trenord as part of an extensive fleet renewal programme. It is not yet known whether FNM intends to apply the Donizetti branding to the hydrogen multiple-units as well.
A standard four-car electric unit is 84·2 m long, with capacity for up to 517 passengers, of which 262 are seated. The hydrogen variants have an extra central power module with a through gangway, taking the overall length up to 96·7 m. This means that the hydrogen module accounts for 12·9% of the overall length of the train. The four passenger vehicles are identical to those in the EMUs.
FNM ordered its Coradia Stream hydrogen trains in two batches of six and eight, while Alstom is also manufacturing four identical units for Apulia region. Each set has seats for 260 passengers, which is two fewer than the standard four-car variant. The maximum speed of the hydrogen trains will be limited to 140 km/h, as opposed to 160 km/h for the electric sets. They are intended to have an operating range of more than 600 km between refuelling.
The 51 Donizetti EMUs now delivered form a significant part of Trenord’s extensive fleet renewal programme, which has a total cost of €1·7bn, financed by Lombardia region. Of the 214 trains being procured, 190 have already entered service and the remaining 24 are scheduled for delivery during 2025.
As well as the Alstom units, FNM has purchased Caravaggio double deck EMUs from Hitachi in three versions: a four-car unit designated ETR 421, and two five-car variants classified as ETR 521 — the S1 variant with a Trenord interior and others with a Trenitalia interior. There is also a build of Stadler Flirt DMUs of Class ATR 803.
In addition to the 14 HMUs for the H2iseO project, there are nine Stadler Flirt trainsets dedicated to the TILO cross-border service to Switzerland, enhancing regional connectivity between Lombardia and the canton of Ticino.
‘The mobility revolution continues’, commented Lucente. ‘A transformation that involves all means of transport, from the introduction of new trains to the renewal of the bus fleet, all with reduced environmental impact, and local public transport on the lake with electrified boats.
‘The first Italian hydrogen train is an important innovation, which responds fully to the need to follow confidently the path of technological CO2 neutrality. We must be able to enhance all energy sources, finding the right harmony between modern, comfortable means and a high level and efficient service, paying particular attention to sustainability. These important projects aim at the gradual decarbonisation of transport.’
The other principal hydrogen initiatives in Italy cover two narrow-gauge railways. Sardinia’s transport authority Azienda Regionale Sarda Trasporti has ordered eight fuel cell multiple-units from Stadler for use on the 950 mm gauge lines from Alghero to Sassari and Sorso, and the Fertilia ‘Riviera del Corallo’ airport service. These 100 km/h trains will be 50 m long with capacity for 170 passengers in two saloons, separated by a large four-axle hydrogen module. The first six sets are due to be supplied by December 2026, while Ferrovie della Calabria in the south of the country has ordered nine very similar trains.
A busy regional railway
Gruppo FNM is owned 57·57% by Regione Lombardia and 14·74% by national railway group Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, with the remaining shares in the hands of smaller investors. Transformed from the former Ferrovie Nord Milano, the business is now structured as a holding company co-ordinating various subsidiaries. FNM also operates as an asset manager, purchasing rolling stock for lease to its operating businesses, primarily Trenord and DB Cargo Italia.
Among the principal subsidiaries, infrastructure manager FerrovieNord runs a 331 route-km network across the provinces of Milano, Varese, Como, Monza & Brianza, Novara and Brescia, serving 125 stations. NordIng is an engineering subsidiary that offers design and construction management services; Malpensa Intermodale is active in freight transport, and Malpensa Distripark manages the intermodal terminal at Sacconago.
Trenord, which holds the passenger service operating contract with the Lombardia region, is a 50:50 joint venture between Gruppo FNM and Trenitalia, founded in 2011. Trenord operates 48 regional and 11 suburban routes, as well as the Malpensa Express airport service. Its 2 300 train journeys carry more than 800 000 passengers per day, making Trenord one of the busiest regional networks in Europe.
