As U.S. transit agencies increasingly order buses powered by batteries or hydrogen fuel cells, some of these same agencies are beginning to look at trains that use similar technologies. Stadler, an international train manufacturer, already has trains in testing and on order in two states, while other manufacturers of such trains operating in Canada and Europe are eyeing U.S. opportunities, too.
California puts Stadler hydrogen trains to the test
California announced a $310 billion plan in January to develop a zero-emission passenger rail network across much of the state by 2050. A hydrogen-powered passenger train built by Stadler, a Swiss company, began testing on San Bernardino County’s Metrolink commuter line between San Bernardino and Redlands, California, in November. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority expects the train to go into regular service this year.
“We're confident that once that train goes into revenue service soon, that we'll see a lot of positive feedback,” said Stadler’s Martin Ritter, executive vice president for North America. Ritter said California signed a contract with Stadler to provide up to 29 hydrogen fuel cell trains; it had ordered 10 as of a year ago. The state is bundling the procurement contract and will assign trains to different transit agencies, he said.
Prior to its arrival in California, the SBCTA hydrogen train underwent testing at the Ensco Transportation Technology Center in Pueblo, Colorado. During that process, the train set a Guinness World Record for traveling 1,741.7 miles around a test loop without refueling or recharging.
Ritter said zero-emission trains are quieter and produce fewer vibrations than conventional fuel trains as they speed through communities along the line. He noted that the only byproduct of a fuel cell train is water vapor.
Electric trains and streetcars have existed for more than a century. Passenger railroads like the Pennsylvania Railroad and Long Island Rail Road historically have electrified portions of their lines using either overhead wires or a ground-based third rail to provide electricity. However, this infrastructure is expensive to build and maintain.
Caltrain, a commuter rail line that serves the San Francisco Peninsula, electrified 51 miles of its route with overhead catenary wire at a cost of $2.7 billion, not counting the cost of new trains. But a section of the line from San Jose to Gilroy, California, is not electrified. So Caltrain asked Stadler, which made the catenary-powered trains, to build a battery-powered train to travel beyond the wired portion of the line.
Stadler is also supplying eight battery-electric trains for Chicago’s Metra commuter railroad system. In 2019, the railcar manufacturer opened a production facility in Salt Lake City.
Boston-area system seeks battery-electric bidders
Last year, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority approved a $54 million plan to bring battery-electric trains to the Fairmount Commuter Rail Line, which serves an environmental justice community in Boston. Keolis Commuter Services, which operates the MBTA’s commuter lines, followed with a request for proposals on January 23 from qualified manufacturers for seven such trains.
Stadler’s Ritter said the company is “looking at the development in Boston,” while other manufacturers of hydrogen and battery-electric trains haven’t commented on the MBTA project.
Siemens Mobility, which builds electric and diesel locomotives and train sets for Amtrak and high-speed trains for Brightline West, also makes battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell trains. While the company hasn’t yet secured any U.S. contracts for them, it has supplied zero-emission trains to several regional railways in Germany. Siemens is also working with Deutsche Bahn, the German national railway, to develop an advanced hydrogen train and fueling station.
“The technology is ready, and the customers are becoming ready,” Siemens Mobility North America President and CEO Marc Buncher said. He believes that batteries work well for shorter routes, while hydrogen is a better solution for longer distances. Buncher said Siemens Mobility is in talks with “some pretty big customers” in the U.S. and is looking for one to come forward and sign a contract.
Alstom, a French manufacturer, put the first hydrogen-powered train in service in North America as a demonstration project. The train ran in the province of Quebec from mid-June to September 2023, carrying over 10,000 passengers. Alstom’s hydrogen trains are running in Germany and one is being readied for service in Italy, an Alstom spokesperson said. The company’s battery-electric trains are in use or in production for rail operators in Germany, France, Ireland and Saudi Arabia, according to the spokesperson. Its zero-emission trains have racked up over 3 million miles in service to date, but they are not yet in operation in the U.S.
