The Telegraph / UK: Germany is set to host the world’s first zero-emission, hydrogen passenger train which should kick into gear next year.
The Coradia iLint only emits excess steam into the atmosphere, and provides an alternative to the country’s 4,000 diesel cars currently in circulation in Germany. Testing of the new silent train, which was first presented at Berlin’s InnoTrans trade show in August, is set to be carried out by the end of the year.
The hydrogen, or hydrail, train is set to run on the Buxtehude-Bremervörde-Bremerhaven-Cuxhaven line in Lower Saxony in December 2017, German newspaper Die Welt reported.
The train operates using a hydrogen fuel tank, stored on the roof of the vehicle, that in turn powers a fuel cell to produce electrical energy, its only emission being steam and condensed water while operating with a low level of noise.
Alstom claims enough onboard hydrogen storage capacity for a 497-mile range, and quotes a top speed of 87 mph.
“Alstom is proud to launch a breakthrough innovation in the field of clean transportation,” said Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge, in a statement.
