The world’s first hydrogen-energy urban train with independent intellectual property rights has been produced via a joint venture between the CRRC Changchun Railway Company and Chengdu Rail Transit. Hydrogen-powered trains already exist, but this is the first specifically developed for an urban environment, they claim.
The train officially rolled off the assembly line in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, on Wednesday, the 18th of January, 2023, according to Chinese media.
The zero-emissions train adopted the key core technology of the Fuxing bullet train and is capable of 100 mph (160 km/h), making it the fastest hydrogen train to date. The train has a built-in hydrogen power system, which provides a strong and durable power source with a 373 miles (600 km) battery life.
Hydrogen is considered a clean, zero-carbon energy as it produces heat and electricity with only water vapor as a by-product. It can be produced from a variety of domestic resources, such as natural gas, nuclear power, biomass, and renewable power like solar and wind. Burning hydrogen produces no harmful pollutants or greenhouse gases – such as nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and particulate matter – as for fossil fuel sources, thus reducing pollution and improving air quality as a result.