Coradia iLint, Alstom’s hydrogen train, has completed a 10-day period of successful tests on the 65 km of line between Groningen and Leeuwarden in the north of the Netherlands. The latest tests make the Netherlands the second country in Europe, after Gemrnay, where the train has proven itself a unique emissions-free solution for non-electrified lines.
“The tests in the Netherlands demonstrate how our hydrogen train is mature in terms of availability and reliability, providing the same performance as traditional regional trains, but with the benefit of low noise and zero emissions,” said Bernard Belvaux, Managing Director, Alstom Benelux.
In October 2019, Alstom and the Province of Groningen, Arriva, the Dutch railway infrastructure manager ProRail and the energy company Engie signed a pilot project agreement to test the Coradia iLint in the Netherlands. DEKRA, an independent testing inspection and certification company, has been appointed the test leader. This series of tests is being performed at night at up to 140 km/h without passengers. For the purpose of the tests, a mobile filling station has been erected by Engie for refuelling the Coradia iLint with completely green, sustainably produced, hydrogen.
The Dutch railway network has approximatively 1,000 km of non-electrified line on which around 100 diesel trains currently operate daily.
The Coradia iLint has a range of approximately 1000 km, the same as equivalent-size DMUs.
The tests follow 18 successful months of passenger service on the Buxtehude – Bremervörde –Bremerhaven – Cuxhaven line in Germany, where total of 41 Coradia iLint have already been ordered.
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