Russia plans to build its first passenger train powered by hydrogen fuel cells by the summer of 2026. It is scheduled to be put into operation by the summer of 2027, according to Alexander Loshmanov, Deputy General Director of Transmashholding (TMH), who is responsible for the development of passenger transport.
We expect it "completely in metal" by the summer of 2026. And then it goes for certification tests. We expect that by the summer of 2027, such a new unique product with all certification tests will be ready for operation. We hope in Sakhalin.
As part of efforts to develop environmentally friendly transport, Russian Railways, TMH, Rosatom, and the government of the Sakhalin Region are jointly working on creating a passenger train that uses hydrogen fuel cells. The development agreement was signed in 2019.
It is expected that the three-car train will be able to travel up to 435 km on hydrogen and another 40 km on battery power. The train will be designed to carry from 551 to 875 passengers and will provide comfortable conditions for everyone, including people with limited mobility.
The hydrogen train is considered a unique product and has no analogues in countries with a 1,520 mm gauge.