The first hydrogen train service is now operational in Germany

As part of the fight against global warming, theGermany has just taken an important step. The country has just started offering hydrogen train travel. It’s about world’s first fully hydrogen-powered passenger train service.

The trains in question are Coradia iLint manufactured by the company Alstom. The craft began carrying passengers to Lower Saxony in Germany. Four trains were put into service this weekand we know that 9 more will soon join them over the next few months to replace the 15 diesel-powered trains on the regional railway.

Characteristics of Alstom trains

According to the Alstom company, its trains do not emit carbon dioxide but only steam and condensed water. The machines also operate with low noise levels.

In terms of performance, Coradia iLint trains have a range of 1000 km. This means they can run for a whole day on just one tank of hydrogen. To start, officials set up a hydrogen refueling station on the road connecting Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehude.

The situation in Europe

Alstom started testing its trains in 2018 and the company also has agreements that have been signed regarding the use of its machines in other localities. This includes 27 trains in the Frankfurt metropolitan area. Apart from that, the company has signed two other contracts in parts of France and Italy.

According to Alstom, although electrification efforts are already underway in some European countries, the majority of the continent’s railway lines will rely on the use of non-electrified trains in the long term. Which means that hydrogen is the most practical choice to limit carbon dioxide emissions.

In Germany alone, there are 4,000 diesel-powered locomotives. This is to say that total electrification will still take time, even for Europe. However, functional hydrogen trains already represent an important step forward.

SOURCE: Engadget