Germany has rolled out the world’s first hydrogen-powered train, in a push to give up on polluting diesel trains and replace them with more eco-friendly technology.
The bright blue Coradia iLint train, built by French TGV-maker Alstom, began running a 100km route between the towns and cities of Bremervoerde and Buxtehude in northern Germany.
"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 refueled with hydrogen:
Alstom has said it plans to deliver another 14 of the zero-emissions trains to Lower Saxony state by 2021.
Hydrogen trains are equipped with fuel cells that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, which don't produce any harmful emissions.
The Coradia iLint trains can run for about 1,000km on a single tank of hydrogen, similar to the range of diesel trains.
