Frankfurt (dpa/lhe) – The regular operation of the new hydrogen train fleet in the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) is only getting started with hesitation. After the official start of the new technology in passenger transport on the Taunus route RB15 (Frankfurt – Bad Homburg – Brandoberndorf) last weekend, buses sometimes had to be used to replace the trains on Wednesday, as the operator, Regionalverkehre Start Deutschland GmbH, announced on request. “The new operating procedures when using hydrogen technology continue to pose challenges for the project partners involved,” it said.

By spring 2023, a network with a total of 27 hydrogen trains is to be built on four non-electrified branch lines in the Taunus. The vehicles are powered by fuel cells.