Key takeaways
- The iLINT is a LINT with a different drive: the body and interior come from the Coradia LINT 54, but fuel cells work in place of diesel engines.
- Fastest way to identify one: roof-mounted equipment present, but neither a pantograph nor an exhaust – you won't find that on any other regional multiple unit.
- 140 km/h and two car sections make it a classic regional vehicle for non-electrified lines.
- In 2018 it ran as the world's first hydrogen train in regular passenger service, between Buxtehude and Cuxhaven.
- Where it's deployed changes: networks, operators and fleet numbers depend on tenders and on the hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
Contents
Fact file
| Vehicle type | Two-car successor to the diesel railcar, with hydrogen fuel-cell drive |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Alstom, Salzgitter works |
| Basis | Coradia LINT 54 – the same car-body family, a different drive |
| Drive | Hydrogen fuel cell combined with lithium-ion batteries |
| Maximum speed | 140 km/h |
| World premiere in passenger service | 2018, on the network between Buxtehude and Cuxhaven |
| Emissions at the vehicle | Water vapour – no exhaust output in service |
| Areas of operation | Non-electrified regional lines; networks and fleet size change over time |
Identifying features
Is this really the class in front of you?
- Two-car multiple unit with an articulation joint in the middle – layout and windows match the Coradia LINT
- Striking, boxy roof-mounted equipment over the end sections: this is where the hydrogen tanks and fuel cells sit
- No pantograph on the roof and no exhaust – the key difference from diesel and electric railcars
- Very quiet when pulling away, no engine noise and no exhaust plume
- Often carries eye-catching branding pointing out the hydrogen drive
- Runs on non-electrified regional lines, never in long-distance service
Updated: August 2026 – A regional multiple unit with no overhead line, no exhaust, and yet with striking roof-mounted equipment: this is the Alstom Coradia iLINT, the world’s first hydrogen train in regular passenger service. This page shows you how to tell it apart from its diesel-powered sister model, what the drive means in practice, and what to look out for when photographing it.
Spotted new drive technology?
Hydrogen and battery vehicles are spreading fast – note down when and where you saw which vehicle.
What is the Coradia iLINT?
The Coradia iLINT is a two-car regional multiple unit with hydrogen fuel-cell drive, built by Alstom at its Salzgitter works. It’s based on the Coradia LINT 54, a widely used diesel railcar for branch lines, and takes over its body, door layout and interior concept. What was replaced is the drivetrain: instead of diesel engines, fuel cells generate electrical energy from carried hydrogen, which, together with lithium-ion batteries, feeds the traction motors.
The maximum speed is 140 km/h – a typical regional-service value. In 2018, the first vehicles entered passenger service on the network of Eisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser (evb) between Buxtehude and Cuxhaven, making the iLINT the world’s first hydrogen train in scheduled service. Exactly where it runs today – for a time, for instance, with Hessische Landesbahn (HLB) in the Taunus network – depends on tenders and the availability of hydrogen filling stations, and changes accordingly.
The three checks that are enough to identify it
You don’t need detailed knowledge of fuel cells to place this vehicle. Three observations are enough, and all three work from the platform.
Look at the roof
Boxy equipment over the end sections, but no pantograph: that's the core feature. An electric multiple unit would have a pantograph, a pure diesel railcar noticeably flatter roof sections.
Look for the exhaust
If there's no exhaust pipe at all, a diesel drive is ruled out. Combined with the roof-mounted equipment, that leaves practically only a vehicle with a fuel cell or a battery.
Listen for the sound when pulling away
The iLINT pulls away almost silently. If a multiple unit accelerates on a non-electrified line without engine noise, the matter is settled.
If you want to apply this approach to any vehicle, the guide to identifying rolling-stock classes helps. If any uncertainty remains after that, the vehicle number decides – how it’s structured internationally, and how to use the check digit, is explained in the article on the UIC number.
The fastest elimination check: the line
Hydrogen vehicles run where there's no overhead line. If there's a contact wire over the track and the train still has no pantograph, a second look is especially worthwhile – that's the classic case of an alternatively powered vehicle on a partly electrified route.
Where the iLINT fits into the network
The vehicle answers a very concrete question: what runs on lines where an overhead line doesn’t pay off, but a diesel engine is no longer wanted? That puts it in direct competition with other drive concepts.
| Drive concept | Needs overhead line | Typical range without recharging | Area of operation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric multiple unit | yes, continuously | unlimited on the overhead line | Main lines, S-Bahn networks |
| Diesel railcar | no | large, a filling station is enough | Branch lines of all kinds |
| Battery multiple unit | partly, for recharging | limited, depending on the section | Gaps between electrified sections |
| Hydrogen multiple unit like the iLINT | no | large, needs a hydrogen filling station | Long non-electrified lines |
The interesting observation for spotters: competing concepts are now appearing on the same lines. Alongside the iLINT stand the Siemens Mireo Plus H as another hydrogen vehicle and battery-electric concepts like the Stadler RS ZERO. Historically, this is actually not a new idea: Class 515 already ran as a battery railcar without a contact wire across West Germany.
See which vehicles are being reported right now
Especially with new drive types, deployment changes fast – community sightings are faster than any list.
Photo tips for the hydrogen train
The iLINT has a photographic advantage that hardly any modern vehicle offers: it runs on lines without an overhead line. No masts, no wires, no shadows crossing the roof.
Look for open stretches of line
Without a contact wire, elevated viewpoints and landscape shots work noticeably better than on electrified lines. Make use of that – shots like these are hardly possible with electric multiple units.
Show the roof section
The equipment is the actual recognition feature. A slightly elevated viewpoint or a shot from a bridge makes it visible, while it often stays hidden from the platform.
Be ready for a quiet arrival
Because no engine noise announces that the train is coming, it's easier to miss than a diesel railcar. Have your camera ready earlier and keep looking down the line.
Document the branding
Many vehicles carry advertising or notices about the drive. This branding changes over time – a shot where it's fully legible gains value over the years.
The fundamental technique – choosing a viewpoint, shutter speed, composition – is covered in the guide to good train photos.
Safety comes before the shot
Track areas, platform edges beyond the marking, and operational railway land are off limits – even on quiet-looking branch lines. Quiet vehicles make the risk bigger, not smaller: a hydrogen train barely announces itself acoustically. Stay on publicly accessible ground and keep your distance.
Why the drive matters to spotters at all
Drive technology sounds like a subject for engineers, but it has very concrete consequences for observers. If you know how a vehicle is powered, you can predict where it will turn up and how it will behave.
The drive determines the area of operation
An electric multiple unit is tied to the overhead line, a hydrogen vehicle to a filling station, a battery vehicle to charging infrastructure. So the technology tells you directly which lines to look on.
The drive gives itself away on the roof
Pantographs, cooling equipment, tank housings and exhaust pipes are all visible from outside. If you can read the roof, you identify vehicle families faster than by front shape or livery.
The drive changes how you photograph
Without an overhead line, masts, wires and their shadows disappear. Lines with alternatively powered vehicles are therefore often more rewarding photographically than electrified main lines.
The drive helps you date a vehicle
Hydrogen and battery vehicles are a young generation. Wherever they appear, diesel railcars used to run before – and that changeover is happening right now.
The last point is the most interesting one. The switch from diesel railcars to alternative drives is happening right now and will be complete within a few years. Anyone documenting today which vehicle runs on which line is capturing a transition that won’t happen a second time. That’s exactly why it’s worth noting not just the vehicle number but also the line and date with every sighting.
Common mix-ups
It points to the iLINT if …
- the multiple unit is two-car and looks like a LINT
- boxy equipment sits on the roof
- neither a pantograph nor an exhaust is present
- it pulls away quietly on a non-electrified line
Look more closely if …
- you can't see the roof – difficult from the platform
- the vehicle is fully wrapped in branding
- several drive concepts are in use in parallel on the line
It's not an iLINT if …
- a pantograph sits on the roof
- an exhaust plume becomes visible when pulling away
- the train has three or more car sections
Conclusion
The Coradia iLINT is one of the few vehicles where the drive can be read from the outside – if you know what you’re looking for. Roof-mounted equipment with no pantograph and no exhaust is a combination you won’t find anywhere else. Otherwise it remains a perfectly ordinary regional multiple unit: two-car, 140 km/h, for lines with no contact wire. That was exactly the idea.
In short
Two-car, LINT shape, boxes on the roof, no pantograph, no exhaust: that's the iLINT. Areas of operation shift with tenders and refuelling infrastructure – check before your trip where hydrogen vehicles are currently running.
Keep a record of new vehicle generations
Anyone documenting today where which drive runs will have a chronicle in a few years that exists nowhere else.
Summary
- The Coradia iLINT is a two-car regional multiple unit from Alstom that draws its drive energy from hydrogen fuel cells and buffer batteries.
- Visually it's close to the diesel-powered Coradia LINT; it's mainly told apart by its roof-mounted equipment and the missing exhaust pipe.
- Its territory is non-electrified regional lines, where an overhead line wouldn't pay off.
- Fleet size and areas of operation shift with tenders and the expansion of hydrogen filling stations – current sightings beat any older list.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alstom Coradia iLINT?
The Coradia iLINT is a two-car regional multiple unit with hydrogen fuel-cell drive from Alstom's Salzgitter works. Technically it's based on the diesel-powered Coradia LINT 54, but replaces its engines with fuel cells and batteries. In service, only water vapour is produced at the vehicle.
How do I recognise an iLINT reliably?
Look at the roof. The iLINT has boxy equipment over the end sections, housing tanks and fuel cells – but neither a pantograph nor an exhaust. An electric multiple unit has a pantograph, a diesel railcar an exhaust pipe. If both are missing but equipment is still present, you're looking at the hydrogen vehicle.
How fast does the Coradia iLINT run?
Its maximum speed is 140 km/h. That matches the usual value for regional railcars on non-electrified lines. In everyday service, the timetable with its stops sets the pace anyway, not the technical limit.
Since when has the iLINT run in passenger service?
Since 2018. That's when the first vehicles entered service on the network between Buxtehude and Cuxhaven – the world's first regular passenger service with hydrogen trains. Since then further networks have been equipped, though scope and operator change with each tender.
What's the difference between the iLINT and the LINT?
The difference lies almost entirely in the drive. The LINT is a diesel railcar with combustion engines under the floor, while the iLINT uses fuel cells and batteries. Body, door layout and interior are closely related, which is why the two are easily confused from a distance.
Why build hydrogen trains instead of electrifying?
On lightly used branch lines, an overhead line is often uneconomical. Hydrogen and battery vehicles are one way to run there without a diesel engine all the same. Which technology will prevail is still open – battery vehicles and overhead-line expansion stand alongside as alternatives.
Where can I photograph an iLINT?
On non-electrified regional lines where it runs to schedule. The big advantage over electrified lines: no overhead line, no masts, no contact wires in the shot. Which networks are currently served by hydrogen vehicles is something you should check afresh before every trip.
Can you hear the difference from a diesel railcar?
Clearly. A diesel railcar becomes loud when pulling away and visibly emits exhaust. The iLINT pulls away very quietly – you mainly hear rolling noise and auxiliary equipment. For video recordings on the platform, that's a noticeable difference.
Log your sighting of the Alstom Coradia iLINT
Date, location and vehicle number logged in seconds – and visible to the community.
Related classes
Siemens Mireo Plus H
The Mireo Plus H is the hydrogen variant of Siemens' Mireo platform: fuel cell plus battery, no pantograph, used on lines without an overhead line.
Steam/specialStadler RS ZERO
The Stadler RS ZERO stands for lightweight local trains with zero-emission traction. Here's how to read the designation and vehicle number – and classify the vehicle correctly.
Steam/specialClass 515 (ETA 150)
Class 515 was the Bundesbahn's battery railcar: 232 vehicles, built from 1953, in service until 1995. Today you'll only encounter it in heritage operation.
Steam/specialClass 01.10
The Class 01.10 was the three-cylinder development of the 01: 55 engines, streamlined from the factory, rated for 150 km/h. Today only seen as a heritage vehicle.
Steam/specialDR Class 01.5
The Class 01.5 was created by rebuilding the old standard Class 01 at the Meiningen works: new boiler, modernised cab, some engines converted to oil firing – today they are museum vehicles only.
Steam/specialDRG Class 03
The Class 03 was the lighter sister of the 01: same wheel arrangement 2'C1', same top speed, but a lower axle load – so it could run on far more lines.
Who is behind it
Groups, brands, manufacturers and operators – who owns whom and how to recognise them out in the field.
Alstom
After taking over Bombardier Transportation, Alstom is Europe's broadest vehicle manufacturer. Diesel railcars, freight locomotives, trams – much of it comes from the same house, recognisable not by the logo but by the platform names and their body styles.
BrandEisenbahnen und Verkehrsbetriebe Elbe-Weser (evb)
Behind the lower-case badge evb sits not a single service, but an umbrella brand: passenger trains, freight, bus routes and its own infrastructure in the Elbe-Weser triangle. Understand it, and you understand how regional railway companies in northern Germany are really put together.
GroupHessische Landesbahn (HLB)
The Hessische Landesbahn is a group of several companies: one for passenger services, one for freight, one for its own infrastructure. The train usually just says HLB or a brand name – you only find out the operating company from the data panel.
Brandnordbahn
nordbahn is the brand of a joint venture: a Schleswig-Holstein heritage railway and an international transport group run it together. Its network sits between Hamburg and the west coast – and in Hamburg it usually doesn't end where outsiders expect.
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