The World's First Hydrogen Train Launches in Germany

News24xx.com -  Commuters in Germany can now ride the world's first hydrogen train. Germany continues to look for alternatives to replace old diesel engines. Hydrogen trains are more environmentally friendly.

The French-made hydrogen train traveled its first trip from Bremervörde station in Lower Saxony on Monday (17/09). This is the first breakthrough in the world of transportation technology.

Two Coradia iLint engines will replace the diesel train on a 100-kilometer route that connects the cities of Cuxhaven and Buxtehude, with 14 other hydrogen trains that will be applied throughout the state in 2021. The new type of engine is manufactured by the French company Alstom.

"The world's first hydrogen train enters commercial services and is ready for serial production," said Alstom Henri Poupart-Lafarge CEO during the inauguration ceremony at Bremervörde, which will serve as a refueling point.

New trains carry hydrogen tanks and fuel cells on the roof, and produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen. Excess energy is stored in lithium ion batteries. The engine can travel around 1,000 kilometers without refueling and reaches a maximum speed of 140 kilometers per hour, similar to a diesel train.

However, unlike older machines, hydrogen trains only produce steam and liquid water. Manufacturers claim that the new train is not noisy and the operating costs are cheaper.