Germany to test hydrogen fuel-cell train
French rail equipment maker Alstom has unveiled its first hydrogen fuel-cell train at a trade show in Berlin. The Coradia iLint, based on the design of one of Alstom's existing diesel trains, will provide the world's first hydrogen-powered passenger rail service when it enters service in Germany next December. The trains will initially be powered by waste hydrogen produced by the local chemical industry, while on-board lithium-ion battery packs will store any power not used. The hydrogen fuelling stations needed for fuel-cell trains could provide a cheaper alternative to electrification via overhead wires or third rails.

Unlike other forms of transportation, the railroad industry is already fairly familiar with electric power.

Electric trains that use overhead wires or an electrified third rail for power are already commonplace on world railroads.

But the infrastructure demands of electric trains are considerable, limiting where it is practical to deploy them.

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Which is why French rail-equipment manufacturer Alstom is proposing an alternative zero-emission technology: hydrogen fuel cells.

Alstom unveiled its first hydrogen fuel-cell train at the InnoTrans railroad-industry trade show in Berlin last month.

Called the Coradia iLint, it's based on the existing design of one of Alstom's diesel-powered trains.

Alstom Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel-cell train

Each train consists of individual self-propelled rail cars, something known in the rail industry as a "multiple-unit" configuration.

Alstom claims enough onboard hydrogden storage capacity for a 497-mile range, and quotes a top speed of 87 mph.

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Cars are also equipped with lithium-ion battery packs to store any power that is not used immediately.

Alstom plans to provide support services to customers that purchase the Coradia iLint, including maintenance and installation of hydrogen fueling infrastructure.

When the train initially enters service in Germany, it will be powered by hydrogen that is a waste product of the local chemical industry.

Alstom Coradia iLint hydrogen fuel-cell train

The fuel-cell train's initial deployment will be on a 60-mile line linking Buxtehude—a city just beyond Hamburg's southern suburbs—and the beach town of Cuxhaven.

This line is too far off the main network to warrant electrification, and is currently served by diesel trains.

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Installing overhead wire or third rail, and generating enough electricity to power trains, is expensive, which is why large portions of the rail networks in the U.S. and elsewhere aren't electrified.

The hydrogen fueling stations needed to support fuel-cell trains could prove cheaper, potentially making fuel cells a more economically-attractive option.

In 2014, three German states signed letters of intent expressing interest in fuel-cell trains, meaning the Coradia iLint could show up on other rail lines in the country sometime soon.

[hat tip: Randall Hamlet]

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