Germany announced its first hydrogen train called the Coradia iLint, which was unveiled at the Berlin InnoTrans trade show this week. According to a press release, with the Coradia iLint, Germany has found a way to be both efficient and green-energy oriented.
It took about two years for a French company called Alstom to develop the train, which is being sold as the world’s first CO2-emission-free train powered by hydrogen. It is worth noting that the Coradia iLint is based on the diesel train Coradia Lint 54. The experts focused on substituting the diesel traction by a fuel cell technology.
Moreover, the result is a CO2-emission-free regional train that can run at 140 km/h, has the potential to carry up to 300 passengers, and can travel up to 497 miles on a single tank of hydrogen fuel.
The hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen tank are located on the roof of the train. Alstom boasts that the world’s first hydrogen passenger train “can regularly operate long journeys.”
The French company stated that the Coradia iLint works without producing any harmful emissions or noise. Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Alstom Chairman and CEO, said:
“Alstom is proud to launch a breakthrough innovation in the field of clean transportation which will complete its Coradia range of regional trains. It shows our ability to work in close collaboration with our customers and develop a train in only two years.”
He added:
“Coradia iLint is a new CO2-emission-free regional train and alternative to diesel power. It is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, its only emission being steam and condensed water while operating with a low level of noise.”
Travelers will have to wait until December 2017 to start boarding this zero-emission train. Germany, Japan, and China are the leading countries that have been investing in hydrail, a transportation system where the trains and trams use on-board hydrogen as a source of energy.
While this train is a big step toward Germany’s plan to make transportation more environmentally friendly, the country still has a long way to go. There are 4,000 diesel trains in circulation in Germany.
Alstom is hoping that a significant part of Europe’s rail network will be functioning with a new generation of emission-free trains.
