The University of Birmingham’s Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) and Porterbrook signed a MoU to create HydroFlex, the UK’s first hydrogen powered train. Development work has recently commenced and HydroFlex will undertake testing and demonstration runs in summer 2019.
“This exciting relationship between Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham is a great example of how forward-thinking businesses and our world class universities can work together to deliver innovation that matters. I look forward to seeing the HydroFlex train coming to the UK railway in the very near future,” Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, said, at the signing ceremony.
BCRRE has already undertaken a significant amount of research into the potential application of hydrogen fuel cell technology to railway operations and has worked with a number of global rail businesses to identify potential opportunities to use hydrogen as a clean alternative to diesel.
Under the agreement, Porterbrook will provide BCRRE a ‘Class 319’ electric unit for the conversion into a hydrogen powered train. This will allow both organisations to demonstrate how this fuel-of-the-future might be deployed across the UK’s rail network.
The HydroFlex will retain the ability to operate across existing electric routes (on either 3rd rail or 25kV overhead power) and with the addition of a hydrogen fuel-cell it will also be capable of operating in self-powered mode, without the need for diesel engines.
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