The world’s first hydrogen powered passenger train is slated to be coming to Germany in late 2017. French transit company, Alstom, made the announcement earlier this week at InnoTrans, the railway industry’s largest trade fair.
The new train dubbed, the Coradia iLint is a CO2-emission-free regional passenger train, and will be the clean-energy alternative to passenger trains which are diesel powered.
The Coradia iLint is a breakthrough in green transportation. It is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, and it’s only emissions will be steam and condensed water. The hydrogen fuel tank will be stored on the roof. Another pleasant attribute will be that the train will be operating at a low level of noise.
Alstom hopes to replace Europe’s many diesel-burning trains, which are still in wide use. In fact Germany alone has more than 4,000 cars.
When you consider there are 29 member countries that make up Eurail Pass, a joint project of the national rail companies of Europe (not including Britain), that constitutes a very significant number of trains.
The Coradia iLint passenger train will carry 300 passengers at nearly 90 miles per hour. One tank of fuel will allow the train to travel up to 500 miles.
Alstom’s Chairman and CEO calls it a “breakthrough innovation in the field of clean transportation”
For more info on the Coradia iLint:
http://www.alstom.com/press-centre/2016/9/alstom-unveils-its-zero-emission-train-coradia-ilint-at-innotrans/
