Hydrogen propulsion in the European railway sector

With this paper CER formulates the needs of the railway operating community for hydrogen propulsion in terms of regulation and standardisation. The paper also outlines the major elements that shall be taken into account when elaborating Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TS) or European standards (EN).

CER supports that additional functional requirements, that are neither covered in TSIs nor ENs, will be laid down in EuroSpecs. Specific guidance for the railway operating community concerning railway operations among others shall be harmonised at European level and laid down in International Railway Solutions (IRS).

The paper addresses the railway system from a railway operator’s point of view and focusses on the needs of railway undertakings (both passengers and freight) and infrastructure managers.