First zero-emission hydrogen train completes test run with passenger trials to begin soon

A zero-emission train, which runs silently on a hydrogen fuel cell and emits only steam and condensed water, has successfully completed its first test run.

The Coradia iLint ran at 80km/h on the test track in Salzgitter, Lower Saxony in Germany on 14 March. The four-week test will confirm the stability of the energy supply system, fuel cell, battery, and braking power is also being tested in the four-week long test.

Extensive tests will be conducted in Germany and Czech Republic in the coming months, to put the train through its paces at a top speed of 140km/h. The first passenger test runs will be conducted in the beginning of 2018.

Alstom, its French manufacturer, claims it is the first low-floor passenger train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which produces electric power for the traction.

The train has other innovative elements including a clean energy conversion, flexible energy storage in batteries and a smart management of the traction power. It is suited for operation on non-electrified network.

The hydrogen used for the test run is the byproduct of an industrial process, but in future Alstom plans to get hydrogen supply generated from wind energy.

The vehicle has completed the static commissioning process and received certification for the safety of battery, pressure tank system and fuel cell.

"This test run is a significant milestone in environmental protection and technical innovation. With the Coradia iLint and its fuel cell technology, Alstom is the first railway manufacturer to offer a zero-emission alternative for mass transit trains," said Didier Pfleger, vice president of Alstom Germany and Austria.

"Today our new traction system, so far successfully proved on the test ring, is used on a train for the first time – a major step towards cleaner mobility in Europe," said Pfleger.