Alstom, a French company, has pioneered a significant breakthrough in using renewable energy for transportation after announcing the Coradia iLin - the world's first all-hydrogen train that recently arrived in Bremervörde, Lower Saxony, Germany.
This regional train runs at a low noise level and only emits steam and condensed water. According to Alstom, this innovation aims to help build the world's greenest rail network.
"Emission free mobility is one of the most important goals for ensuring a sustainable future and Alstom has a clear ambition to become the world leader in alternative propulsion systems for rail," CEO and Chairman of the Board of Alstom Henri Poupart-Lafarge said in a statement.
"The world's first hydrogen train, the Coradia iLint, demonstrates our clear commitment to green mobility combined with state-of-the-art technology,"
World's First Hydrogen Train
As noted by Interesting Engineering, the equivalent of 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg) of diesel can be achieved with just 2.2 pounds (1 lb) of hydrogen fuel.
CNN reported that 14 hydrogen trains were propelled by fuel cells. State-owned subsidiary Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (LVNG) and Alstom have agreed on a $93 million deal for the hydrogen train project.
The project includes the gas and engineering firm Linde as well as the Elbe-Weser Railways and Transport Company (EVB), which is responsible for running the trains.
The 15 trains currently in service will be gradually replaced by the trains that were unveiled on Wednesday.
Only steam and condensed water emit from the exhaust of these quiet, emissions-free trains. They have a 621-mile range (1,000 km), which implies that each train may operate continuously on a single hydrogen tank.
Although the trains can travel at a top speed of 140 kph (87mph), the average speed on the route is substantially lower, between 80 and 120 kph.
Special Features
The Cordia iLint is the first all-hydrogen train in the world, but it also boasts numerous other firsts and special features - including clean energy conversion, adaptable battery energy storage, intelligent motive power, available energy management, and a top speed of 87 miles per hour (140 kph).
It is also worth noting that the Coradia iLint won the German Sustainability Design Award for 2022.
Teams from Alstom in Tarbes, France, and Salzgitter, Germany, created the iLint. The German government supports the initiative, and the Coradia iLint was developed with funding from the National Innovation Programme for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology (NIP) of German government.
The next stop for the trains, according to CNN, will be Frankfurt, where 27 trains have been requested for the city.
They will also stop in France, where 12 trains will be distributed among four districts, and Italy, where six trains have been ordered for usage in the northern Lombardy area.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
