Mireo Plus H hydrogen train from Siemens Mobility. Source: Siemens Mobility
Yashchenko Olga, Editorial Contributor to International Projects, ROLLINGSTOCK Agency
Romania: The country’s Railway Reform Authority, ARF, has awarded Siemens Mobility the contract worth RON 1.6 bln (€317.3 mln), excluding VAT. The order also includes 15 years of maintenance service, with an option to extend it for another 15 years.
As the Libertatea newspaper cites Claudiu Mureșan, ARF’s President, the contract is due to be signed by late April, while the rolling stock is expected to enter service by mid-2028.
The delivery provides for a fleet of two-car Mireo Plus H trains designed for a maximum speed of 140 km/h with an acceleration of 1.1 m/s2. Each train has a range of 1,200 km and can be recharged in 15 minutes. The required passenger capacity is 230 passengers at least, with 110 of them seated.
The first tender for 12 hydrogen trains was launched by ARF in February 2023, but it was cancelled due to the absence of bids. In November 2023, the second tender also failed as the only offer from Alstom appeared to be non-compliant. The third tender attempt attracted no bidders, either.
Finally, the forth tender, announced last year in spring, received the only bid from Siemens Mobility. The customer had previously reduced the technical readiness coefficient of the required rolling stock to 90% (the same requirement in EMU tenders was 98%). It is also worth noting that this order will be the German manufacturer’s first export delivery of its hydrogen-powered trains.
The project was initially supported by funding under Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan. However, the basic condition for securing those funds was the launch of the fleet by the end of August 2026. ARF has thus stated that it is seeking alternative financing to implement the project.