# Lower Saxony begins the phase-out of diesel-powered trains **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [September 7, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lower-saxony-begins-the-phase-out-of-diesel-powered-trains/186276 "2022-09-07T22:36:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lower-saxony-begins-the-phase-out-of-diesel-powered-trains/186276/1 "2022-09-07T22:36:41Z")
… as it transitions to Hydrogen power: > **[Hydrogen-Powered Passenger Trains Are Now Running in Germany](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hydrogen-powered-passenger-trains-are-now-running-in-germany-180980706/?utm_source=smithsoniandaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20220907daily-responsive&spMailingID=47339251&spUserID=NzQwNDU2MzY2MjAS1&spJobID=2320675390&spReportId=MjMyMDY3NTM5MAS2)** > > They're expected to keep some 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere each year ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 5:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lower-saxony-begins-the-phase-out-of-diesel-powered-trains/186276/2 "2022-09-08T05:43:51Z")
Hydrogen will never work; they will need to import the gas from the planet Saturn. Extra points for being the first doubting Thomas. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 12:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lower-saxony-begins-the-phase-out-of-diesel-powered-trains/186276/3 "2022-09-08T12:02:43Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > Hydrogen will never work; they will need to import the gas from the planet Saturn If they want “green” hydrogen they will… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 1:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lower-saxony-begins-the-phase-out-of-diesel-powered-trains/186276/4 "2022-09-08T13:41:18Z")
They don’t have much choice than to find an alternative to hydrogen-from-methane. Germany will have problems getting enough natural gas until the Ukraine/Russia war is settled and even then the EU may try hard to avoid Russian pipeline supplies. They might be forced to crack water for hydrogen. The author of the Smithsonian article does mention the use of natural gas as a raw material and fossil fuel powered electrical generation to crack the methane. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lower-saxony-begins-the-phase-out-of-diesel-powered-trains/186276/5 "2022-09-08T13:58:31Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > Germany will have problems getting enough natural gas until the Ukraine/Russia war is settled and even then the EU may try hard to avoid Russian pipeline supplies. The EU seems to be doing a pretty good job of filling their future needs for natural gas: [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-08/europe-s-wave-of-floating-gas-terminals-kicks-off-in-dutch-port](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-08/europe-s-wave-of-floating-gas-terminals-kicks-off-in-dutch-port) ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lower-saxony-begins-the-phase-out-of-diesel-powered-trains/186276/6 "2022-09-08T13:59:29Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > They might be forced to crack water for hydrogen That take lot of electrical power. The process is only about 60% efficient and Germany is firing up its coal plants again to conserve natural gas… So not so green a solution. > **[Germany to reactivate coal power plants as Russia curbs gas flow](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/08/germany-reactivate-coal-power-plants-russia-curbs-gas-flow)** > > Parliament approves measures to use mothballed sites to produce electricity and preserve gas supplies ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2022, 2:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lower-saxony-begins-the-phase-out-of-diesel-powered-trains/186276/7 "2022-09-08T14:02:07Z")
I didn’t say it was green, just commenting on the availability of natural gas.