Stadler Rail has built what it calls the world’s first narrow-gauge hydrogen-powered train, and the vehicle is bound for Sardinia, where regional rail links communities far from Europe’s high-speed corridors. The company said in a press release that the train is undergoing tests on a dedicated Swiss track.
A Track Built for Southern Italy
The line runs between Hemishofen and Ramsen stations in the canton of Schaffhausen. Built in the spring, it stretches almost 4 kilometres and includes a third rail laid inside an existing standard-gauge track. That feature matters: regional transport in parts of southern Italy uses a gauge of 950 millimetres, including routes in Puglia, Sicily, the Naples area and Sardinia, according to the company. Stadler built this test track for trains intended for those networks.
The project grew out of an earlier one. Stadler tested the FLIRT H2 hydrogen-powered train built for California on the standard-gauge line. Its success led to the track’s extension.
What Operators Say
For the Sardinian Regional Transport Company (ARST), the new trains mark a concrete step. “The imminent delivery of the new hydrogen-powered trains represents a decisive step for ARST,” said Carlo Poledrini, the railway company’s director-general, according to the press release. “The trains arriving in Sardinia will have already completed a major phase of testing, enabling us to swiftly begin final trials on our network. This will allow us to make concrete progress towards zero-emission transport and greater energy self-sufficiency. This is a significant operational milestone that confirms our excellent collaboration with Stadler Rail,” he said.
Stadler will now test systems on trains built for ARST.
Three Regions, 21 Vehicles
Over the next three years, the Schaffhausen track is expected to play a key part in commissioning the hydrogen-powered fleet Stadler is building for Sardinia, Calabria and Sicily. The programme includes tests on 21 vehicles. Regional lines in Sicily and Sardinia use the narrow gauge, and Calabria has now joined the programme.
The commercial picture looks strong. Stadler Rail’s share price has risen 44% since the start of January and 57% over the previous twelve months.
The Company Behind the Train
Stadler Rail began as an engineering firm founded by Ernst Stadler in Zurich in 1942, 84 years ago. The company is now based in Bussnang in canton Thurgau. It manufactures rolling stock from high-speed and regional trains to trams and metro vehicles, which also run on railway lines in Switzerland and Ticino. Stadler employs 18,000 people, including 6,000 in Switzerland. In 2025, it recorded turnover of CHF3.7 billion ($4.48 billion).
Why This Matters: Regional rail connects people in smaller towns and on islands to work, school and healthcare. Zero-emission trains on narrow-gauge lines in Sardinia, Calabria and Sicily would bring clean transport to places big infrastructure projects often skip. The project also shows what cross-border industrial cooperation can deliver: a Swiss manufacturer, Italian regional operators and lessons carried over from a California project. Delivery is the test. Twenty-one vehicles still have to move from the Swiss test track into passenger service, and zero-emission transport and energy self-sufficiency will count only if commuters and communities benefit. Public investment and fair conditions for rail workers during the transition will help determine whether the promise holds.
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