Narrow Gauge Test Track For Regional Hydrogen Trains

The railway vehicle manufacturer Stadler has built a 950 millimeter narrow gauge track in Switzerland for testing hydrogen trains. The test infrastructure serves for the preparation and approval of zero emission vehicles for southern Italian regional transport.

Infrastructure and Technical Challenge
In southern Italian regional transport, including in Sardinia and Apulia, the so-called Italian meter gauge with a gauge of 950 millimeters is common. To optimize the development cycles for corresponding vehicles, Stadler has built a specific test track in cooperation with Bahninfra AG and Müller Gleisbau. This infrastructure solves the engineering problem that vehicles for this network previously could only be tested at their future deployment location in Italy.

Technical Solution and System Architecture
The technical solution consists of a nearly four kilometer long narrow gauge track, which runs as a third rail within the existing standard gauge track between the Hemishofen and Ramsen stations. On this infrastructure, the multiple unit trains manufactured for the Italian regions are tested under real conditions. A major focus is on testing the hydrogen drive system, during which the behavior of the tank systems at different fill levels as well as the acceleration and braking dynamics of the vehicles are validated.

Implementation and Test Operation
Operational test operation starts from mid October 2026 with the world's first narrow gauge hydrogen train, which was produced for the Azienda Regionale Sarda Trasporti (ARST) in Sardinia. The spatial proximity of the test infrastructure to the Stadler plant in Bussnang enables immediate system integration and optimization of the technical parameters during the testing phase. Over the next three years, the gradual commissioning and testing of a total of 21 vehicles for Sardinia, Calabria, and Sicily is planned on this track section.

Approval and Operational Process Efficiency
Through advance testing in Switzerland, the subsequent commissioning on the route network in Italy is significantly shortened. Ansgar Brockmeyer, Deputy Group CEO at Stadler, explains that thanks to the test track, the trains can be 'optimized quickly and efficiently', which significantly accelerates the on-site approval process. The General Director of ARST, Carlo Poledrini, confirms that the vehicles arrive in Sardinia 'already thoroughly tested', so that the final trials in the local network can begin without delays.

Edited by Maria Brueva, Induportals editor - adapted by AI.

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