First hydrogen-fuelled passenger train in the Americas running in Quebec

Alstom's Coradia iLint hydrogen-fuelled passenger train in use on the Train de Charlevoix in Quebec. (Alstom)

Much of the discourse on transitioning to zero-emission vehicular public transit currently centres on electrification, including overhead catenary wires for trains and battery-electric models for buses.

To date, the use of hydrogen-powered vehicles has taken the backseat behind electrification solutions.

Even the permanent adoption of a public transit bus fleet in British Columbia was short-lived; 20 new hydrogen-powered buses for BC Transit’s fleet serving Whistler were put in service at a cost of $90 million in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics, but they were shelved in 2014 due to high operating costs largely from the lack of a local hydrogen fuel supply, and replaced with traditional diesel buses.

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A decade later, on the other side of the country, in Quebec, a hydrogen-powered passenger train is now being used in a pilot project to demonstrate the feasibility of its operations. In fact, according to French train manufacturing giant Alstom, this is the first hydrogen-powered passenger train in regular use not just in Canada but in all of the Americas.

Since the middle of last month, Alstom’s Coradia iLint model of train — billed as the world’s first passenger train powered by hydrogen — has been running on the Train de Charlevoix tourist railway service along the scenic edge of the St. Lawrence River between Quebec City and Baie-Saint-Paul, a distance of 90 km.

Regular operations using the Coradia iLint train from Wednesday to Sunday will run throughout the summer, until September 30, 2023.

Train de Charlevoix Coradia iLint Alstom hydrogen train

Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen-fuelled passenger train in use on the Train de Charlevoix in Quebec. (Alstom)

As announced early this year, the Government of Quebec is covering $3 million of the total $8 million cost of the four-month-long pilot project, which temporarily replaces the normal use of diesel-powered trains for the service. The hydrogen used for this service is produced locally by Harnois Énergies.

With the use of hydrogen, the train emits water vapour and is quieter for both passengers and the communities along the railways. This particular model of train has a top speed of 140 km/hr and carries 120 seated passengers.

Each train is also equipped with lithium-ion batteries to store some of the extra electricity produced by the hydrogen fuel cells and the kinetic energy recovered during braking. The batteries are used during normal operations and can be used to boost the acceleration of the train.

“Hydrogen technology offers an alternative to diesel and demonstrates our ability to provide more sustainable mobility solutions to our customers, agencies, and operators, as well as passengers. It will also provide an extraordinary showcase for Quebec’s green hydrogen ecosystem, which is under development,” said Michael Keroullé, president of Alstom Americas, in a statement.

According to Train de Charlevoix’s operators, they hope the hydrogen-powered train will return to their service following the conclusion of the pilot project, and run along the entirety of their 125-km-long route between Quebec City and La Malbaie, instead of short-turning at Baie-Saint-Paul.

Alstom is using the commercial operation of this train in Quebec with paying passengers to enable the company to better understand how it can introduce and expand the use of hydrogen train propulsion technology in the North American market.

Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen-fuelled passenger train in use in Germany. (Alstom)

The Coradia iLint model of train first entered commercial service in Germany in 2018 and has since travelled over 220,000 km in eight European countries. It is currently operating regularly on two different networks in Germany. And so far, a total of 41 train sets have been ordered by European operators.

Last year, Alstom’s hydrogen-powered train travelled a record distance of 1,175 km without refuelling.

Proponents of hydrogen-powered solutions state this type of energy source essentially stores electricity not dissimilar to a battery, given that electricity is vital for some methods of creating hydrogen fuel. It potentially provides a way to diversify energy sources for transportation beyond both fossil fuels and overhead-wired electricity, and it is even greener when the electricity for fuel production is clean, such as from the hydroelectricity of Quebec and BC.

But hydrogen fuel production and such unique trains currently lack economies of scale for wider adoption.

Train de Charlevoix Coradia iLint Alstom hydrogen train 7

Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen-fuelled passenger train in use in Czech Republic. (Alstom)

However, there are potential major cost savings when it comes to converting a diesel-powered train system to a zero-emission train system using hydrogen-powered trains, as it completely avoids the major capital costs of installing overhead catenary wires and other supporting power infrastructure to run electric trains.

For example, the Government of Ontario is in the midst of a multi-billion dollar project of expanding and improving Southern Ontario’s GO Train commuter rail network, with a substantial portion of the cost going towards electrifying over 600 km of existing track with overhead catenary wires. The 23-km-long Union-Pearson Express train service linking Union Station in downtown Toronto and Toronto Pearson International Airport could also be potentially electrified with overhead catenary wires, replacing existing diesel propulsion.

Alstom is amongst the world’s largest manufacturers of trains, including vehicles powered by a third rail or overhead catenary wires. In 2021, it acquired Canada’s Bombardier Transportation, which has since become the Americas division of Alstom.

Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen-fuelled passenger train in use in Poland. (Alstom)

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