Switzerland – Hydrogen trains are to roll between Stade and Bremervörde.
Will the first regular passenger trains be rolling between Stade and Bremervörde in three years? The most recent meeting of the steering committee set up by the state government for the reactivation of railway lines gives hope. The body, which is scrutinizing disused rail lines across the country for revitalization, has put the so-called Moorexpress route high on the list of possible services for reactivation.
The Moorexpress association was already enthusiastic about the good news from Hanover (the WOCHENBLATT reported). The operator of the route, the railway company EVB, is also euphoric. The highlight: The route is to be operated in an environmentally friendly manner with hydrogen trains. The EVB therefore speaks of “Germany’s greenest route reactivation”.
Commissioning maybe as early as 2026
Christoph Grimm, EVB Managing Director said:
We have worked long and hard towards this decision.
“We will push the measures forward with full vigour.”
Opening the route as early as 2026 is within the realm of possibility. The EVB will work towards this with all its might.
“However, the next steps are part of formal procedures, the timing of which we cannot influence,” says Grimm. He would like to thank the districts of Stade and Rotenburg as well as the volunteers of the association for their commitment to the subject of Moor Express route reactivation.
Very good cost-benefit ratio
The decision of the steering committee to press ahead with the reactivation of the Stade-Bremervörde connection at an increased pace is likely to be based on two important factors: Firstly, the EVB had already done its homework in advance and presented a feasibility study last year, which gave the route a very good rating – Benefit ratio certified.
This relation can be further improved by the possible continuation of the connection on the Deutsche Bahn tracks to Himmelpforten. The Hanseatic city of Stade could benefit immensely from this: If the route were extended, it would be possible to create additional stops at the Riensförde Education Campus (BCR) and in Stade-Hahle near the Elbe Clinic.
The following stops could be set up in the Stade district: Mulsum-Essel, Fredenbeck, Fredenbeck-Ost, Deinste and in the Stade urban area Hagen, Riensförde (BCR), Bahnhof and Hahle (Elbe Klinikum). There are plans to create park-and-ride spaces at these stops.
According to the study, Mulsum-Essel, Deinste and Riensförde in particular offer plenty of space for a P+R facility. With a route from Bremervörde to Himmelpforten, the new connection would have a total length of 42 kilometers. The journey time would be 46 minutes, of which nine minutes are planned for the stop time at the twelve stations. The trains will run every hour.
Railway track is in good condition
And secondly: In contrast to other railway lines, the line always remained in operation. In addition to the seasonal Moorexpress trips, there are occasional freight trains and regular trains from Start Unterelbe, which are serviced in the Bremervörder EVB workshop. According to the EVB, there are four to twelve trains on average there.
Tracks and infrastructure are correspondingly in good shape. “Investments are mainly needed in signaling technology and platforms,” says the EVB. The railway company has now been commissioned by the steering committee to tackle further planning, update the benefit analysis and submit funding applications.
The EVB has formed a project team for this, which has already been put together with the responsible local public transport company. It is also about operating the route sustainably with hydrogen trains – as is already the case with the Buxtehude-Bremervörde-Bremerhaven connection. EVB boss Grimm: “With just two additional fuel cell trains, we could continue the Lower Saxony hydrogen train success story.”
District Administrator welcomes decision
District administrator Kai Seefried, who campaigned for the reactivation of the Moorexpress route when he was a member of the state parliament, welcomes the good news from Hanover: the efforts of the districts to finance the studies have paid off.
Kai Seefried, said:
The fact that the experts are of the opinion that the route can possibly be put into operation as early as 2026 is really good news for our region.
The interest in extending the route to Himmelpforten is particularly pleasing. “The future rail connection is a great opportunity for the entire region,” emphasizes the district administrator – not least with a view to the desired turnaround in mobility.
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Hydrogen trains are to roll between Stade and Bremervörde, June 16, 2023
