Daniel Kurucz graduated from the University of Economics in Prague and completed postgraduate studies abroad. Since 2021, he has been the CEO of Alstom Czech Republic, a leader in sustainable mobility and rail transport. Previously, he held management positions in Czech and multinational companies, including, FujiFilm, Sandvik AB, Czech Railways and Vítkovice Heavy Machinery. He also plays basketball and is a coach with a category A professional licence.
Alstom is the first in this country to talk about hydrogenpowered trains. Are they a suitable alternative for Czech lines?
We consider hydrogen trains one of the key components of the future of low-emission rail transport. They can replace diesel propulsion on many of our lines. These are mainly longer nonelectrified regional sections, of which we have identified 16 across the Czech Republic, for example, in the Moravian-Silesian or Ústí nad Labem Regions.
In principle, it is always about efficiency. On bustling backbone lines, electrification makes sense in the end. The efficiency of these lines grows with increasing traffic, and these sections are already electrified. However, many sections are less busy, and electrification would be too expensive compared to building a hydrogen infrastructure or battery-powered trains. Batterypowered trains can work well on short, non-electrified lines and hydrogen on long lines.
Why do you think hydrogen is the best alternative for longer distances?
Our Coradia iLint can travel thousands of kilometres on a single charge. A battery-powered train can travel a maximum of 80–100 km. It can be recharged during the journey if it runs on combined lines.
Hydrogen trains are advantageous in terms of operational efficiency. You only need a few refuelling stations for a railway vehicle on a very concentrated network of lines to operate these trains. In addition, the emissions consist only of water vapour. In the world our hydrogen trains run in Germany and Canada. This makes us the only manufacturer of hydrogen-powered trains with experience in live operation. Of course, like any new technology, hydrogen encounters “childhood diseases” that need to be cured. In the Czech Republic, interest in hydrogen is growing. We are, for example, in contact with the Moravian-Silesian, as mentioned earlier and Ústí nad Labem Regions. Ústí has even developed a strategy for its region that includes hydrogen projects. In addition, there is also interest in the Liberec and Hradec Regions, and we have received positive feedback directly from the Ministry of Transport. In all cases, infrastructure development will be significant.
Alstom recently co-founded the Hydrogen Mobility Initiative. What is its goal, and who are you approaching?
We are convinced that the bet on hydrogen will pay off for the Czech Republic in the long run. Yet, we are significantly behind the rest of the world in this area. Elsewhere, electrolyser factories are already being built, a sustainable distribution network is being developed, and functional legislation is being prepared. Without this, we cannot use hydrogen trains properly yet, for example, which generally hampers the development of hydrogen mobility. This includes trains, buses, trucks, cars, and planes.
The initiative, which is backed by Toyota, Orlen Unipetrol, and Air Products alongside us, seeks to promote a hydrogen infrastructure. All four companies are investing heavily in hydrogen mobility, but the Czech Republic itself is lagging behind in hydrogen deployment. It is necessary to consider hydrogen in making laws, enshrine it as part of the overall energy mix, consider it in subsidy programmes, and support its further scientific development. We also advocate rapid growth of the infrastructure, especially the construction of at least 50 filling stations by 2030. That is why, on the platform of the Hydrogen Mobility Initiative, we offer our experience and a helping hand for consultations to the Ministries of Transport, Environment, Finance, and Industry and Trade, for example.
The construction of filling stations can be expensive, but compared to the electrification of lines, the total cost is still significantly lower in multiple ways. Moreover, it is necessary to think strategically. Filling stations in large cities can serve rail traffic as well as local fleets of buses or trucks. One such facility becomes much more efficient.
Besides hydrogen, Alstom is known in connection with local lines and Pendolino high-speed trains. What other transport solutions do you offer globally and in the Czech Republic?
In the Czech Republic, we employ over 1,100 people at the Alstom plant in Česká Lípa, where we weld and paint steel casings and components for various alternatives of trains, trams, subways, and light rail vehicles. Our local paint shop is one of the world’s leading facilities. In addition to the sets of Pendolino, there are over 100 Traxx 2 MS and new Traxx 3 MS locomotives and Traxx H3 and H4 shunting locomotives on Czech rails. Of course, the hydrogen train is not our only product for conventional trainsets, and we do not consider it the only suitable alternative. On the contrary, we offer carriers a complete portfolio ranging from traditional electric, battery-powered, hydrogen, and hybrid drives, always tailored to the needs of our customers.
Our high-speed trains, which now operate in 25 countries worldwide, are important. In the Czech Republic, we also want to be at the forefront of developing high-speed trains from the very beginning because we believe that we can offer a unique and rich experience in their construction, operation and safety. In addition to traditional train transport, we offer signalling systems, and we are a provider of the modern European Train Control System ETCS Level 2. We are the market leader in the Czech Republic in the supply of these sets. In many of the world’s metropolises, you will find our urban mobility solutions in operation – conventional and automated metros or trams.
Thank you for the interview.
