An important milestone has been reached in the development of a bi-modal hydrogen electric train project.
The FCH2RAIL project which is currently being developed in Spain by a consortium of European operators and rolling stock manufacturers including CAF, Spanish operator RENFE, Toyota Europe, Clean Hydrogen Partnership and German aerospace company, DLR amongst others has begun mainline testing of its demonstrator train.
In the test, lithium-titanate batteries and the hydrogen fuel cells have been retro-fitted to a CAF Civia Class 463 commuter electric unit train. This then has the ability to create a hybrid powertrain which can run on electrified lines alongside standard lines.
This new stage of the testing is designed to evaluate the competitiveness of the hybrid model against standard diesel engines in commercial environments with aim of confirming that the bi-mode hybrid propulsion solution can withstand the power and energy demands and differing conditions.
The new power system has been integrated into the existing vehicle’s traction system and the current tests on the mainline follow closed track testing and static testing at CAF’s plant in Zaragoza. The mainline testing has taken place across lines in Zaragoza, Madrid and Galicia but the crucial test run for the new unit was on the Zaragoza-Canfranc line where it ran in both electric mode on the electrified line before switching to hybrid mode, combining the fuel from hydrogen fuel cells and batteries where needed.
The FCH2RAIL project is co-funded by a grant from the European Union but if the bi-modal hydrogen electric train is successful, it can be rolled out across further European networks where half of the lines are electrified, including the UK.
The project began in 2021 with a completion date currently targeted for 2024.
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