World's first hydrogen train was rolled out in Germany. The train is pollution-free and can run at 140 km per hour speed. (Photo: Twitter/@Alstom) Emission of carbon dioxide beyond a certain limit has been held responsible for global warming and resultant climate change. Means of transport are considered among the worst pollutants for the volume of carbon dioxide that they deposit in the atmosphere every year. Trains are relatively less pollutant compared to buses, cars and similar diesel-powered vehicles. Still, trains release huge amount of carbon dioxide. Now for the first time in the world, a pollution-free train has been rolled out. This train runs on hydrogen power. They have batteries made up of lithium-ion, those similar to used in the mobile phones and many home appliances. The hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity through a chemical reaction involving hydrogen molecules. As exhaust, the trains emit steam and water droplets only. There is no carbon dioxide gas in the emissions from the train. World's first hydrogen train. (Photo: Twitter/@Alstom) Called the Coradia iLint trains, its manufacturer Alstom claims that they can run for around 1,000 kilometres on a single tank of hydrogen. The durability of the fuel is much similar to the range of diesel trains. The excess energy is stored in lithium-ion batteries on-board the train. (Photo: Twitter/@Alstom) World's first hydrogen train was rolled out for passengers' transport on Sunday in Germany. The country will be rolling out 14 more such trains in near future. Demand for hydrogen trains, Alstom says, have come from other countries also including the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Italy and Canada. (Photo: Twitter/@Alstom) Buying hydrogen trains is expensive in comparison to diesel locomotives but its operation in the long run would be cheaper given the rechargeable nature of the lithium-ion batteries. Each train costs over $ 7 million. These hydrogen trains are capable of running at a speed of 140 km per hour. This is a competitive speed for a diesel and an electric-power train. Alstom’s Coradia iLint arriving at Bremervörde station. The world’s first hydrogen train has successfully entered passenger service! pic.twitter.com/Puc36NtD8K Alstom UK (@AlstomUK) September 17, 2018<doc-sep>European railway manufacturer Alstom has launched what it says is the world's first hydrogen fuel cell train. In an announcement Sunday, the French business said that the Coradia iLint used fuel cells that turn hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. In terms of speed, the new train can travel up to 140 kilometers per hour. Two models of the low-noise, zero-emissions train will enter commercial service in Lower Saxony, Germany, today. Fueled via a mobile hydrogen filling station, the trains will run on around 100 kilometers of line between the locations of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervorde and Buxtehude. "The world's first hydrogen fuel cell train is entering passenger service and is ready for serial production," Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Alstom's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement Sunday. "The Coradia iLint heralds a new era in emission-free rail transport," Poupart-Lafarge added. "It is an innovation that results from French-German teamwork and exemplifies successful cross-border cooperation." The European Commission has described hydrogen as an energy carrier with "great potential for clean, efficient power in stationary, portable and transport applications." It is already being used in vehicles around the world. To give just one example, a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell buses is currently in operation in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. Lower Saxony's minister of Economy and Transport, Bernd Althusmann, said that the Coradia iLint's emission-free drive technology provided "a climate-friendly alternative to conventional diesel trains, particularly on non-electrified lines." WATCH: You can now buy the world's first flying car<doc-sep>Germany rolled out the world's first hydrogen-powered train. The French-made train completed its first scheduled trip from Bremervorde a town in Lower Saxony, Germany on Monday. (Image: René Frampe/Alstom) The avant-garde technology will provide a stiff competition to diesel-powered trains, with eco-friendly tech, but will be more costly to acquire. (Image: René Frampe/Alstom) Two Coradia iLint engines produced by French rail transport company, Alstom will replace conventional diesel engines on the 100 km route that links German towns- Cuxhaven and Buxtehude. (Image: René Frampe/Alstom) Germany will introduce 14 other hydrogen train in the Lower Saxony region of the country by 2021. Reports suggest that other states have also expressed interest in the cutting edge commutation technology. (Image: René Frampe/Alstom) The new trains are equipped with a hydrogen tank and fuel cells on the roof and will produce electricity by combining water and hydrogen. The company revealed that the excess energy produced will be stored in ion-lithium batteries. (Image: René Frampe/Alstom) Similar to their more polluting counterparts, the engine can achieve a top speed of 140 km/hr and has a range of 1000 km. (Image: René Frampe/Alstom) Instead of smoke, the trains will emit steam and water. Even though the technology will be more expensive than diesel engines, it will be less costly to operate and will be much quieter. (Image: René Frampe/Alstom)<doc-sep>It uses fuel cells that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, leaving behind water and steam Germany on Monday rolled out the world’s first hydrogen-powered train, signalling the start of a push to challenge the might of polluting diesel trains with costlier but eco-friendly technology. Two bright blue Coradia iLint trains, built by French TGV-maker Alstom, began running a 100 km (62-mile) route between the towns and cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervoerde and Buxtehude in northern Germany — a stretch normally plied by diesel trains. Zero emission “The world’s first hydrogen train is entering into commercial service and is ready for serial production,” Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge said at an unveiling ceremony in Bremervoerde, the station where the trains will be refuelled with hydrogen. Alstom has said it plans to deliver another 14 of the zero-emissions trains to Lower Saxony by 2021, with other German States also expressing an interest. Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, a process that leaves steam and water as the only emissions. Excess energy is stored in ion lithium batteries on board the train. The Coradia iLint trains can run for around 1,000 km on a single tank of hydrogen, similar to the range of diesel trains. Alstom is betting on the technology as a greener, quieter alternative to diesel on non-electrified railway lines — an attractive prospect to many German cities scrambling to combat air pollution.<doc-sep>
A French-made hydrogen train took its first scheduled trip from the station of Bremervörde in Lower Saxony on Monday, marking a world first for the new transport technology. Two Coradia iLint engines will replace diesel trains on the 100-kilometer (62-mile) route linking the towns of Cuxhaven and Buxtehude, with 14 other hydrogen trains set to be introduced across the state by 2021. The new-type engines are produced by the French company Alstom. "The world's first hydrogen train is entering into commercial service and is ready for serial production," Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge said during the unveiling ceremony in Bremervörde, which will serve as a refueling site. The new trains carry a hydrogen tank and fuel cells on the roof, and produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen. Excess energy is stored in ion lithium batteries. The engines can run for around 1,000 kilometers without refueling and reach a maximum speed 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour), similar to diesel trains. Steam, not smoke However, unlike the older machines, hydrogen trains produce only steam and liquid water. The manufacturers claim that the new trains are also quieter and less costly to operate. "Sure, buying a hydrogen train is somewhat more expensive than a diesel train, but it is cheaper to run," Stefan Schrank, the project's manager at Alstom, told the AFP news agency. The state of Lower Saxony will pay a total of €81.3 million ($95 million) for the project, in line with Germany's long-term initiative to drastically cut pollution and increase the use of renewable fuel by 2050. Alstom says that other countries were also looking into buying their trains, including the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Italy and Canada. The French government has already pledged to have its first hydrogen train on the tracks by 2022. dj/rc (AFP, dpa, epd) Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.