First hydrogen fuel-cell train in commercial passenger service

The first hydrogen fuel-cell train to enter commercial passenger service is the Coradia iLint, developed by Alstom (FRA). Two Coradia iLint trains entered service in northern Germany on 16 September 2018, running a scheduled service between Buxtehude (a suburb of Hamburg) and the nearby towns of Bremerhavan and Cuxhaven.

The first experiments with hydrogen fuel cells in trains were made in the mid-2000s. The East Japan Railway Company and Railway Technical Research Institute began operating an experimental hybrid diesel/fuel-cell-powered train in 2006, before switching it over to fuel-cells and batteries around ten years later. Progress has also been made in China, where two companies have built short-range fuel-cell trams. One model runs on a test track in Qingdao with more being produced for commercial use in Foshan, Guangdong Province, while the other model shuttles tourists between heritage sites in Tangshan, Hebei Province. Building a viable commuter train is a much greater challenge than building a tram, however, requiring more powerful engines, higher speeds and greater distances without refuelling.

The Coradia iLint is also the first fuel-cell train to go into commercial production, with 14 more units bound for the Buxtehude-Cuxhaven route by 2021 and other orders coming in from elsewhere in Europe.

Fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction fuelled by Hydrogen (stored in pressurised tanks) and oxygen (typically extracted from the air). The basic technology has existed for over a century, but refining it to the point where it can serve as a viable power source for large machinery has proven difficult. Hydrogen fuel cells produce no emissions other than water (though energy must be expended elsewhere to extract the hydrogen in the first place) and have no moving parts to maintain, making them an appealing alternative to diesel engines. They are not as energy efficient as conventional batteries, but can be refuelled in a fraction of the time it takes a chemical battery to recharge and their performance degrades at a lower rate.