Wiener Linien has announced it will begin converting its 39A line to a fleet consisting entirely of hydrogen vehicles from 01 December, marking the twelfth route the operator has moved to an entirely emission-free solution.
The new vehicles will soon enter service on route, which the operator has referred to as ‘one of the most demanding in the city’, citing its inclines, short distances and high passenger volumes as particularly challenging.
With space for up to 78 seated passengers; the new hydrogen buses from manufacturer CaetanoBus measure in at twelve-metres-long, and offer a combined wheelchair and stroller area, as well as a fully air-conditioned interior.
The buses have undergone a series of intensive tests in recent weeks, with drivers now having been trained on the vehicles, which offer a range of at least 400 kilometres.
Thus far; Wiener Linien has converted twelve lines to operate without any excess emissions, including inner-city lines 2A and 3A, which operate on battery-hydrogen technology, and 17A, 61A, 61B, 64A, 64B, 70A, 71A, 71B and 73B, which operate using electric technology.
The operator has announced that it, alongside both the Ministry for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure and the European Union, is investing roughly 10.4 million EUR into the purchase and maintenance of the new CaetanoBus vehicles.
All new buses will be houses in the Leopoldau bus depot, where they will be refuelled and maintained at the company’s own hydrogen filling station.
