Up to 100 100 diesel trains are to be converted to run on hydrogen
Credit:Alstom
Rail travel is set to enter a new steam age with up to 100 diesel trains to be converted to run on eco-friendly hydrogen. The fleet, which could be on the network in three years, will have the same speed and range as diesel trains but will be almost silent with their only emissions being water released as puffs of steam.
The fleet, which could be on the network in three years, will have the same speed and range as diesel trains but will be almost silent with their only emissions being water released as puffs of steam.
The conversion programme, planned by French manufacturers Alstom, would make Britain a world leader in hydrogen train technology.
The move is in response to the call by Rail Minister Jo Johnson in February for all the UK’s 3,900 diesel trains to be scrapped by 2040.
There are growing concerns about pollution from diesel emissions at railway stations. The Rail Safety and Standards Board is studying concentrations […]
A complete waste of time and money. We don’t just mine hydrogen, it has to be ‘split off’ from something else. This process requires energy. As far as I know there is no process for creating hydrogen that leaves any net energy which means that hydrogen is effectively a chemical battery that can only be used once.
This just moves the pollution to another location.
No, that’s the point, the only emission of a hydrogen engine is steam. Hydrogen rail allows existing equipment and infrastructure to be adapted, saving hundred of by billions worldwide.