Recently, the arena of hydrogen-powered aviation has seen several promising developments, including a hydrogen fuel-cell passenger plane completing its maiden flight, as well as Airbus unveiling plans to start manufacturing hydrogen-fueled planes by 2035.
But it seems that rail transportation is also tapping into the perks of using hydrogen as an alternative fuel, with the UK recently announcing the beginning of trials for HydroFLEX, the country’s first hydrogen-powered train. The trip took place between the locations of Long Marston and Evesham in the West Midlands region of England.
The train, developed by a team from the University of Birmingham and Porterbrook, is equipped with a fuel-cell that combines hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, heat, and water.
One of the train’s carriage hosts the powering technology, including a hydrogen fuel tank, the aforementioned fuel-cell, and lithium-ion batteries for storage.
What’s more, to enable the train to carry more passengers, the university is now working on making more room in the carriage by upgrading the technology so that it can be fitted underneath the train. It’s hoped that the technology will be available to retrofit trains in use as soon as 2023.
