The Alstom Coradia iLint made its first North American passenger trip between Parc de la Chute-Montmorency in Quebec City and Baie-Saint-Paul the other day, a 90-kilometre journey into the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve along the St. Lawrence River.
It is a first in Canada and America, led by Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, with its partners, the Quebec government, Chemin de fer Charlevoix, Train de Charlevoix, Harnois Énergies, HTEC and Accelera by Cummins, according to a release from the French company. On June 17, 2023, one hundred passengers boarded the Coradia iLint for the first hydrogen train ride on the North American continent. The Coradia iLint generates its own power using fuel cells supplied by Accelera by Cummins, which has operations in Ontario and is powered by green hydrogen produced by Harnois Énergies at its headquarters in Quebec.
The province of Quebec will be the first jurisdiction to run a zero direct emissions train powered by green hydrogen. The commercial operation of this train will allow Alstom and its partners to better assess the next steps for developing an ecosystem for hydrogen propulsion technology and its penetration into the North American market.
The Hydrogen Research Institute at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières will accompany Alstom in analysing the results of this demonstration project. The Coradia iLint first entered commercial service in Germany in 2018 and has travelled more than 220,000 kilometres in eight European countries.
Alstom Coradia iLint is currently operating in commercial service on two different networks in Germany. The train is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell that emits only water vapour during operation, while providing a quieter environment for passengers and those close to the tracks.
On 15 September 2022, the Coradia iLint covered a record distance of 1,175 kilometres without refuelling. Coradia iLint has a top speed of 140 km/h, acceleration and braking performance comparable to a standard regional diesel train – but without noise and emissions. Coradia iLint stands out for its combination of innovative features: clean energy conversion, flexible energy storage in batteries, intelligent traction and energy management. Specially designed for non-electrified lines, it enables safe, clean and sustainable operations.
To date, 41 trainsets have been ordered by customers in Europe.
Share on:
