The first of 25 hydrogen-powered locomotives that the Polish company Pesa is building for Väte Rail is coming to Sweden and Train & Rail. The locomotive will be on display at the Årsta Terminal May 6–8, 2025, for specially invited guests.

Hydrogen Rail, which will be exhibiting at Train & Rail at Stockholmsmässan on May 6–8, 2025, plans to eventually replace all of the diesel locomotives the company uses for switching and at freight terminals.

“We will eventually replace all of our old locomotives. We currently have 20 locomotives in service, and all of them will be replaced,” Jan G. Forslund, co-owner and chairman of the board at Väte Rail, told the news site Järnvägar.nu last fall.

“Our vision is to be the greenest freight company in Sweden and to be completely carbon-neutral by 2030. This is how we’ll make it happen,” says Jan G. Forslund.

The hydrogen-powered locomotive will be on display at Train & Rail

The first hydrogen-powered locomotive will arrive in Sweden from Poland via the train ferry to Ystad and will be on display at the Årsta Terminal in Stockholm during the Train & Rail exhibition May 6–8.

“There are three of us organizing this together. We want to give our customers and partners a chance to see the locomotive during the trade show,” says Adrian Lindqvist, CEO of the locomotive rental company Hankavik.

Hankavik, in collaboration with Väte Rail, plans to order 25 hydrogen-powered locomotives from the Polish locomotive manufacturer Pesa.

“If you’d like to see the locomotive during the trade show, please contact us, Väte Rail, or Pesa, which is also exhibiting at the trade show,” he says.

After Train & Rail, the locomotive will embark on a two-week tour of Sweden, stopping in Oxelösund, Gävle, Borlänge, Gothenburg, Malmö, and Trelleborg, before being transported back to Ystad for shipment by ferry to Poland, where it will be prepared for service.

“This is incredibly exciting news for us at Stockholmsmässan, especially since hydrogen was one of the big trends at Innotrans in Berlin this past fall,” says Monika Johannesen Widholm, project manager for Train & Rail.

About the SM42-6Dn Hydrogen Locomotive

  • The SM42-6Dn is a four-axle locomotive with four traction motors, each rated at 180 kW, and a maximum permitted speed of 90 km/h. The locomotive is equipped with radio control.
  • The locomotives can also be supplied with pantographs and are designed to operate as conventional electric locomotives on tracks with overhead wires.
  • The electrical energy is generated by two 85-kW hydrogen fuel cells. The fuel cell system consists of two assemblies, each containing 16 tanks, mounted in a steel frame. In total, the 32 tanks hold 175 kg of hydrogen. Refueling takes about 30 minutes.
  • The locomotives are also equipped with a high-capacity battery based on LTO technology, with a total capacity of 167 kWh.

 

About Train Rail

Train & Rail is the Nordic region’s largest trade show for sustainable rail transport and a meeting place created by the industry—for the industry.

The trade show will be held May 6–8, 2025, by Stockholmsmässan and Swedtrain in collaboration with the Swedish Railway Contractors Association, the Swedish Train Operators Association, the Swedish Tramway Cities Association, Swedish Public Transport, NJS – Forum for Nordic Railway Cooperation, NRSA, and NI – Nordic Infracenter.