Hydrogen Trains - Hydrail
It's clean, economical and plentiful. What is
it? It's water, the key component in hydrogen
power. Hydrogen and oxygen combine to create an
electrical current that has the potential to provide
enough power to light up a building. So, why not
harness the same energy to run a train?
Benefits of Hydrogen Trains
Trains have been for generations the main transport
for crucial goods. Tracks spanned the landscape
and during WWI and WWII, helped to mobilize nations.
Although the glory days of trains have faded there
is a new resurgence of interest in trains, especially
those powered by hydrogen. This interest is sweeping
the world. The potential for hydrogen power is
largely untapped, with only a handful of vehicles
and contrivances currently on the market. Hydrogen
trains, or hydrail as some are calling it, have
the potential to provide benefits to the environment
and, once setup, are economical to operate.
The Hydrogen Train, Hop on Board
Farsighted entities from local governments to
nations have been exploring the potential of hydrogen
trains. For example, in North Carolina, there
is a campaign to fund and promote the use of hydrogen
trains. The Department of Commerce is sponsoring
an initiative to make the technology accessible
and feasible. In Denmark, there is a full-scale
push to establish a working hydrogen train system
as part of their efforts to convert to renewable
fuels. The Danes are aggressively promoting the
development of the hydrail system, with an eye
on being the first in Europe to do so. The Railway
Technical Research Institute is also racing ahead
with aggressive plans to put a hydrogen fuel cell
train on the tracks by 2010.
Why Not, Indeed?
Not only are hydrogen trains more environmentally
friendly than others, the byproduct is water,
and there are other practical reasons to pursue
this technology for trains.
- Hydrogen is renewable
- Reduces the need for fossil fuels
- Economical
Hydrogen will allow communities to be independent
from foreign fuels. The ability to manufacture
and utilize available resources is practical on
many levels, socially, economically and politically.
Socially, there can be a great sense of pride
knowing that that a community is free from the
dependence inherent in fossil fuels, and in knowing
that the community is resourceful and proactive
in addressing the eminent issues of global warming
and diminishing resources.
Economically, entities that invest now in the
technologies to manufacture and to establish the
infrastructure for hydrogen trains, will realize
savings on fuel costs for generations.
Politically, reducing dependence on foreign oil
will go a long way to diminishing the conflict
inherent in the manufacture and distribution of
fossil fuels. Also, offering clean air to constituents
is a popular platform for many politicians.
The first hydrogen trains in the hydrail industry
have been used successfully in mining operations.
Since hydrail wouldn't need a vast hydrogen infrastructure
built around it as is required of the automotive
industry, hydrogen-powered trains make sense.
Japan is also moving forward in building and
promoting commuter hydrogen trains. Of note is
East Japan Railway (JR East), which has just demonstrated
the world's first commuter hydrogen hybrid train.
This train will replace both diesel and electric
trains in the area which travel to remote regions.
The JR East New Energy Train boasts two 65kw PEM
fuel cells and two 95kw electric motors. Regenerative
braking recharges the lithium-ion battery pack.
JR East has been competing with Tokyo's Railway
Technical Research Institute (RTRI) for bringing
Japan's first hydrogen commuter train to market.
The New Energy Train is supposed to go live for
commuters in the second quarter of 2007.
Isn't it time you got started and hopped aboard
the hydrogen train? If not now, you'll be hopping
aboard just a few years from now.
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