Photo courtesy of Alstom Cummins teamed with France-based train manufacturer Alstom to produce the first hydrogen-powered passenger train in North America. It’s powered by roof-mounted Accelera hydrogen fuel cells made in Quebec.
Accelera by Cummins announced Wednesday that it has commissioned its first fuel-cell-powered locomotive for freight rail.
The fuel cells are being used to power a light on-track machine vehicle in Austria that used to run on a diesel-electric propulsion system, the company said. The locomotive, which is now emissions free, was developed for the Hy2Rail project, which is collaboration of leading rail organizations and received co-financing from the Austrian Research Promotion Agency.
To power the locomotive, Austrian engineering consultant m.ZERO integrated Accelera fuel cell power modules into the vehicle that were then combined with a battery system to create a hybrid propulsion system that includes power electronics, on-board hydrogen storage technology, a vehicle control unit and software, Accelera said.
Accelera by Cummins is a business segment of Cummins Inc. and is headquartered in Columbus.
“Expanding our fuel cell technology into locomotives for freight reinforces our standing as a premier fuel cell provider in the European market, particularly for the railway sector,” said Alison Trueblood, general manager of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies at Accelera, in a statement. “Alongside our experience with passenger trains, this project enhances our ability to support the dynamic rail market, further demonstrating the viability of hydrogen technology for zero-emissions heavy-duty transport.”
The announcement came several months after Accelera announced that its fuel cells powered the first green hydrogen passenger train in North America.
The train, the Coradia iLint, operated last year in Canada as part of a demonstration project by France-based Alstom and took riders on a trip along the railway of Train de Charlevoix in Quebec.
