DutchNews, October
12, 2017
The Coradia iLint train. Photo: Alstom |
The northern provinces of Friesland and Groningen and rail
operator ProRail are hoping to test run a train powered by hydrogen next year,
the Volkskrant said on Thursday.
The parties involved want to determine whether
a hydrogen-powered train will prove to be a cheap and sustainable alternative
for the diesel trains now operating from the provincial capitals of Leeuwarden
and Groningen.
Most trains in the Netherlands run on electricity but there are
no electric overhead lines on the rail network in Friesland and Groningen where
the trains are powered by diesel. To switch to electric trains would cost
hundreds of millions of euros, hence the potential move to hydrogen.
The
hydrogen-powered train is a realistic alternative for tracks without overhead
power supplies, said Wouter Wiersema of engineering consultancy Arcadis which
is conducting a feasibility study of the new train.
But major changes are
needed if the diesel engines are to be retired. Storage facilities for
hydrogen – a very light, flammable fuel
– will have to be created on trains and in stations. Strong safety measures are
vital, said Wiersema.
The French train manufacturer Alstom is experimenting
with a hydrogen-powered train in northern Germany. Once this train, called the
Coradia iLint, has been given full safety clearance, it will also be able to
travel on the Dutch rail network and the trials can take place, the Volkskrant
said.
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