Coradia iLint, the hydrogen train that emits only water
Mobility — di Rudi Bressa
Presented in Berlin by Alstom, it will replace diesel trains, producing zero CO2 emissions and making rail travel even more sustainable.
Coradia iLint, the hydrogen train that emits only water
Presented in Berlin by Alstom, it will replace diesel trains, producing zero CO2 emissions and making rail travel even more sustainable.
It is not a step back in time, even though the first trains ran on steam. Coradia iLint is the ecological evolution of the early rolling stock that revolutionised mobility in the 19th century: it will be powered by hydrogen and will emit only water vapour.
Officially presented by the French company Alstom at InnoTrans in Berlin — the international trade fair dedicated to the world of rail — it is the first fuel-cell train. "Alstom is proud to launch a revolutionary innovation in the field of clean transport, which will complete the Coradia range of regional trains," said Henri Poupart-Lafarge, chairman and CEO of Alstom. "We will develop the train in less than two years."
The first hydrogen train
The new train, designed for regional transport, is equipped with a hydrogen tank used to generate the electricity needed to power the train. Its only emissions will be water vapour and it will be characterised by very low noise levels.
The company, in addition to supplying the trains, will provide all the necessary maintenance and will also manage the entire hydrogen supply infrastructure, in collaboration with the other partners involved in the initiative.
Still too many diesel trains
A technological innovation that could help the rail sector reduce its environmental impact, in Europe and beyond. Germany already signed a letter of intent in 2014 to renew its fleet and aim for a zero-emission non-electrified network.
In Europe, even today, 20 per cent of rail traffic is hauled by diesel locomotives. According to data gathered by the European Commission, in 2013 53 per cent of the network across the EU-33 was electrified. This means that just under half still runs on fossil fuels.
In Italy, according to the snapshot provided by Rfi (Rete ferroviaria italiana), of the 16,726 kilometres of railway line in operation, 4,783 kilometres are non-electrified (approximately 28 per cent), and diesel locomotives run on these. Who knows whether the innovation might also attract the attention of the Ferrovie dello Stato Group.