U.S. rail agencies are slowly making the shift to zero-emissions trains, which can travel longer distances without refueling and reduce air pollution.
U.S. rail agencies are looking to shift to zero-emissions trains by using battery-powered and hydrogen-fueled trains, and Smart Cities Dive’s Dan Zukowski outlines some of the biggest projects currently underway.
In California, where the state has committed to building a zero-emission passenger rail network by 2050, a hydrogen-powered train is expected to go into service in San Bernardino County in November. The train broke a record during testing for traveling 1,741.7 miles without refueling or recharging. Hydrogen-powered trains emit only water vapor as a byproduct, limiting air pollution in surrounding communities, and are a better solution for longer distances where electric trains might require recharging.
While electrified trains and streetcars are nothing new — in fact, they’re more than a century old — many of the networks that existed in U.S. cities were dismantled or fell into disrepair, and systems using overhead wires or third rails are expensive to maintain. Battery-powered trains can operate on the same rails with less infrastructure, making it possible to extend electrification projects into more areas where the cost of wiring would be prohibitive.
FULL STORY: Where battery and hydrogen-powered trains are coming to US commuter rail
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