Zero-emission cars may be a familiar concept, but expect to hear more about sustainable trains. The first zero-emission, hydrogen-powered passenger train in the US, called FLIRT H₂, will begin service later this year in southern California, the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority announced last week.
The record-holding train will serve as a commuter train on the Arrow line of the Metrolink train. But don’t expect to take it cross-country, or even from one end of the state to the other. The train will travel a 9.6-mile route between San Bernardino and Redlands, California.
FLIRT H₂, manufactured by Swiss company Stadler Rail, has already set a world record even before welcoming riders onboard. In March, it set the record for the longest distance by a prototype hydrogen fuel cell electric multiple unit train without refueling, making it into the Guinness Book of World Records by traveling 1,742 miles straight on a test track in Colorado. It began running with full tanks on March 20, and stopped once the tanks were empty on March 22.
“Stadler is consistently focusing on the future of rail transportation with alternative drive systems by continuously developing innovative technologies,” Stadler US CEO Martin Ritter said in an article posted on the company’s website. “By using hydrogen as a clean energy source, we are actively contributing to environmental protection and shaping the sustainable and zero emission travel of tomorrow.”
The train industry in the US is moving towards sustainability. In an April release, Amtrak stated that the company is aiming to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2045. And in its statement, Stadler says it’s the first train manufacturer in the world to produce narrow-gauge hydrogen trains, and that the company has been contracted to supply a total of 15 hydrogen-powered vehicles in Italy. The ferry industry is on board with similar sustainability efforts as well. The first hydrogen-powered ferry is expected to debut in San Francisco this year.
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Besides running on zero emissions, FLIRT H₂ will also offer passengers a quieter experience on their rides than the county’s current diesel-powered trains.
“When you’re on the [FLIRT H₂] train, you can sit across from one another, either at a table or facing seats on the train and have a very quiet, pleasant, normal conversation uninterrupted by what typically we experience with train noise,” Tim Watkins, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s chief of Legislative and Public Affairs, told LAist.
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