Despite the green image of the largely electrified railroad system in Europe, 20 percent of traffic and around 40 percent of the mainline network is still served by diesel technology today. But this may soon change with the advent of fuel cell and hydrogen (FCH) technology – a flexible, zero-emission, potentially cost-effective replacement for diesel combustion engines. A new study commissioned by the Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking and the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking finds a strong business case for introducing FCH in Europe. All that remains are a number of technical and non-technical barriers, which can be overcome by means of targeted research and innovation projects.