PESA receives funding to develop Poland’s first hydrogen train
Polish manufacturer PESA Bydgoszcz will develop Poland’s first hydrogen passenger train with financial support of over PLN 36 million (approx. EUR 8.4 million) from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (KPO).
The project has a total value of over PLN 108 million (approx. EUR 25 million).
The funding was granted through the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management (NFOŚiGW), under the priority program “Hydrogenization of the economy.”
A tri-mode train: catenary, hydrogen, and batteries
The vehicle, designated HEMU (Hydrogen Electric Multiple Unit), will be equipped with three power sources:
- energy from the contact network (3 kV DC via pantograph),
- hydrogen fuel cells,
- traction batteries.
The control system developed by PESA will automatically select the most efficient energy source depending on the section of the route, reducing hydrogen consumption on electrified lines.
According to the Polish authorities, this will be the first train in Poland to combine hydrogen traction with power from the electricity grid, offering flexibility for operation on different infrastructures.
40% of the Polish network is not electrified
The project is of strategic importance for regional transport, given that approximately 40% of Poland’s rail network is not electrified. Zero-emission trains could become an alternative to diesel railcars on these lines.
Climate and Environment Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska said the investment represents “a new step in the development of hydrogen-powered rail transport in Poland,” stressing that the country must adopt “the latest clean technologies” to consolidate its advantages in the energy transition process.
For her part, NFOŚiGW President Dorota Zawadzka-Stępniak said the project “pushes the technological boundaries of Polish railways” and could turn Poland into a major player in the field of zero-emission rail transport.
From shunting locomotive to passenger train
PESA has been developing hydrogen solutions since 2019. The company has already tested a hydrogen shunting locomotive, and in September 2025 it signed another financing agreement for the development of infrastructure dedicated to the production of hydrogen-powered rail vehicles in Bydgoszcz.
The investment includes the construction of a production facility of over 15,000 m². During the implementation period, the company plans to produce and sell 25 hydrogen shunting locomotives, which could reduce CO₂ emissions by over 7,600 tons compared to diesel traction.
Demonstrator and market potential
As part of the current project, PESA will develop the technical documentation and build a demonstrator vehicle that complies with railway market requirements and safety regulations for the use of hydrogen.
The manufacturer claims that the tri-mode solution offers operational advantages over battery-only trains, with increased range and energy flexibility.
PESA Bydgoszcz is Poland’s largest rolling stock manufacturer and is more than 99% owned by the Polish Development Fund (PFR) Group.
READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central
PESA receives funding to develop Poland’s first hydrogen train, source
