The article discusses the concept of using a hydrogen fuel cell as the primary energy source for a rail vehicle's propulsion system. The authors presented the idea of a stationary test stand for commissioning and testing of the hydrogen fuel cell, cooperating with a battery energy storage and a traction inverter. At the same time, a modular installation of key components of the propulsion system was proposed, which allows flexible adaptation to different types of rail vehicles. Particular attention was paid to analysing the potential of the above solution for easy application to existing vehicles. The described test stand allows not only testing of hydrogen propulsion control algorithms, but also lays the foundation for the development of a complete propulsion management system for rail vehicles, supporting the development of modern, environmentally friendly transportation solutions.