As summer rolled around, the idyllic Canadian countryside became the backdrop for a historic event, North America’s maiden journey of a hydrogen-powered train. Originating from France, this revolutionary passenger train made its debut on the tracks not merely as an innovation, but as a brief yet impactful demonstration aiming to spark intrigue and acceptance of this cleaner technology within North America’s rail system.
Robert Stasko, the Executive Director of Ontario’s Hydrogen Business Council, remarked to CBC News, “I think the most important thing that’s going to come out of it is people’s awareness and comfort with the technology.” His optimism perfectly illustrates the project’s underlying mission: increasing the public’s familiarity and comfort level with hydrogen technology.
On loan from France, this ground-breaking Canadian rail service operates from Montmorency Falls in Quebec City, journeying all the way to Baie-Saint-Paul. The route, which takes a leisurely two and a half hours, runs from Wednesday through Sunday until the end of September.
Capable of reaching speeds up to 140 km/h (or 87 mph), the train provides comfortable accommodations for 120 passengers within its two cars. Alstom, the French company behind the production of this train, assures that the performance in terms of acceleration and braking is on par with conventional diesel-engine trains, except this one comes with the added benefit of zero emissions.
Trains powered by overhead wires or electric rails are the standard in much of Europe. However, for the sprawling expanses and relatively low commuter density of the Canadian countryside (and much of the US, by extension), hydrogen trains serve as an ideal solution.
The same model, the Coradia iLint, has already marked its presence in eight European countries. As many as 14 similar models commenced their service in Lower Saxony, Germany, last year. Alstom, which initiated the testing of these trains in 2018, also has contracts in Italy and France. The company reported that European clients have ordered a total of 41 trainsets.
As for the train’s fuel consumption, it uses approximately 50 kilograms of hydrogen per day, according to Serge Harnois, the CEO of Hanois Énergies, the hydrogen fuel supplier for the train. To put it into perspective, the same journey with a standard engine would consume around 500 liters of diesel fuel. Moreover, the hydrogen-powered train only emits water vapor, a byproduct of the fuel cell reaction that generates its power.
Of course, this three-month demonstration has a few footnotes. The hydrogen fuel requires transportation via a diesel-powered truck, contributing to its carbon footprint. Moreover, the emissions from its presumed transatlantic journey raise a few eyebrows. Despite these caveats, the train is scheduled to visit other North American cities following its Canadian sojourn. The overall objective is to ignite the spark for widespread hydrogen-train adoption across various North American regions, and if successful, it could significantly offset the carbon footprint created by its transportation logistics and its initial voyage across the Atlantic.
