First Hydrogen Train In North America Sets Off, Now Passes Through UNESCO Site
Those living in North America can now hop on the continent’s first-ever hydrogen-powered train, as railway manufacturer Alstom recently launched a two-and-a-half hour trip that’ll take passengers from Quebec City to Baie-Saint-Paul in Canada.
The 90-kilometer (56-mile) journey travels through the heart of the UNESCO-listed Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve along the St Lawrence River. Dubbed the Coradia iLint, the train runs on its own energy via fuel cells and is powered by green hydrogen when stationed at its Quebec site.
With the launch of the train service, the company plans to gather more data from its trips to assess better future steps for how hydrogen propulsion technology can be used in other forms of transportation in North America.
While this is the first time the rail, dubbed the Coradia iLint, is appearing in the Americas, multiple services have already been up and running in Germany since 2018. Since then, the hydrogen system has traveled over 222,000 km (136,701 miles) across eight European countries.
Key features of the train include its ability to convert clean energy, flexible energy storage within its batteries, smart traction, and efficient energy management while on the tracks. Could this be the start of more hydrogen-powered train services popping up across the continent?
“We are very proud to see our Coradia iLint hydrogen train onboard and carry its first North American passengers here in Quebec,” quipped Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas.
“Hydrogen technology offers an alternative to diesel and demonstrates our ability to provide more sustainable mobility solutions to our customers, agencies, and operators, as well as passengers. It will also provide an extraordinary showcase for Quebec’s green hydrogen ecosystem.”
