Germany took a step forward in the direction of reducing dependence on fossil fuel as it inaugurated the world’s first hydrogen-powered train fleet.
The French company Alstom has supplied a fleet of 14 trains to the German State of Lower Saxony that will substitute diesel locomotives on the 100 kilometres track which connects the cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde and Buxtehude.
🚆🌱💦 It’s official! The world’s first #hydrogen train, our Alstom Coradia iLint, has reached yet another historical #milestone today in #Germany. It is now in passenger operation with our partners #LNVG, @evb_ElbeWeser and @Lindeplc.
Learn more: https://t.co/DK0kcQA4cY pic.twitter.com/T5v1gdSnL2
— Alstom (@Alstom) August 24, 2022
In a statement the CEO of Alstom Henri Poupart-Lafarge said: “We are very proud to put this technology into operation together with our strong partners as a world premiere.”
These trains have been described as “zero emission” mode of transport as they mix hydrogen on board with oxygen present in the ambient air, thanks to a fuel cell installed in the roof. This mixing produces electricity which is required to pull the train.
This fleet will prevent 4,400 tonnes of CO2 being released into the atmosphere each year.
