North America’s first hydrogen train takes its maiden journey on Québec tourist route
Alstom’s Coradia iLint will be powered by green H2 as part of three month demonstration
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The roughly 85km-long route takes around an hour and a half to travel from the provincial capital Québec City along the non-electrified Charlevoix Railway route on the banks of the St Lawrence River to the city of Baie St Paul.
It will continue to operate as a tourist train until late September 2023, as part of a demonstration project launched in February by the Québécois government, railway owner Chemin de Charlevoix, tourist line operator Train de Charlevoix, local fuel retailer Harnois Énergies — which is providing green hydrogen for the project — and global technology consultancy HTEC.
The demonstration project is being funded with the help of C$3m (US$2.3m) in cash from the Québécois government.
Made using an electrolyser on-site, all electricity used to make the hydrogen is sourced from renewables, Harnois claims, without giving further details.
“Running this train with passengers on board will allow Alstom and its partners to better assess subsequent steps for the development of hydrogen propulsion technology and its penetration into the North American market,” tourist operator Train de Charlevoix says on its website.
However, the Canadian debut appeared to go without a hitch, judging by local broadcast footage of the event.
In Germany, plans for a full hydrogen line remain behind schedule.
Two did go into service on the RB15 line on the planned start date, 11 December 2022, and there are now 12 locomotives operating on the line. The full complement of 27 trains operating on four lines are not expected to come into operation until September at the earliest.
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