Chełm bus operator faces hydrogen supply and technical issues

The Chełm City Council has reviewed an audit report regarding the operations of Chełmskie Linie Autobusowe (CLA) covering the period from January 2025 to April 2026. The audit revealed significant technical issues with the hydrogen-powered bus fleet, specifically noting that all NesoBus models experienced malfunctions.

In total, 466 faults were recorded, resulting in 684 days where buses were out of service, with an average downtime of approximately 26 days per vehicle. These technical failures led to 450 missed trips, impacting the continuity of public transport services.

Regarding fuel supply, CLA President Mariusz Chudoba stated that a recent service suspension was caused by an electrolyzer failure at their supplier's site. Due to this ongoing issue, hydrogen is currently being transported from western Germany, a distance of over 1,500 kilometers. The supplier expects to increase production capacity in the fourth quarter of the year by activating three additional electrolyzers in Konin.