The wire-free future of trams

The tram is getting an update: goodbye pantographs, overhead lines, cables criss-crossing streets – hello hydrogen power. That may sound like science fiction, but it is already set to become a reality in Görlitz by the end of 2026. With the HyTraGen project, a consortium from Saxony is launching Europe’s first hydrogen tram. By Sigrid Riewe-Scholz

Also on board is Chemnitz University of Technology, where the Department of Advanced Powertrains is working on everything necessary to prepare H2 trams for day-to-day operations. How often will they have to be refuelled? How long is such a powertrain likely to last? And how will the fuel cells behave before being installed in these trams? Essentially, the researchers are driving the future forward.

The idea behind hydrogen trams is as simple as it is smart – rather than replacing conventional trams, they are intended to be used where overhead lines are costly, impractical or just unsightly. New urban districts, suburbs and longer stretches – all can be opened up far more easily with this quiet, emission-free form of transport.

However, hydrogen is no lightweight. The tanks add weight that has to be eliminated elsewhere. But that’s precisely the appeal of the project – the opportunity to reimagine technology, instead of simply prolonging old solutions.

With funding to the tune of around EUR 8 million, HyTraGen is demonstrating that visions of the future don’t have to remain lab projects. In Saxony, they’ll soon be rolling on the tracks. And who knows, maybe in a few years it’ll be “Please refuel” instead of “Please stand back”.