Spain Builds World's First High-Speed Hydrail Train - Forbes [View all]

Spain Builds World’s First High-Speed Hydrail Train

Forbes | Marianne Lehnis | Sep 27, 2024

Hydrogen-powered railway technology began around 20 years ago with Japanese experiments and a tiny U.S. underground mining locomotive that used a fuel cell so it did not have to be taken out of service to charge its batteries. Since then, hydrogen electrochemical railway traction has progressed to trams, commuter and intercity trains, and switcher and freight locomotives.

Earlier this year, Spanish train building giant, Patentes Talgo S.L. or just “Talgo,” undertook to move hydrail—hydrogen power railway traction—over the finish line. Spain’s Talgo is set to build the first-ever high-speed hydrail trains, named Europe’s most efficient high-speed rail network last November in a report by engineering consultancy, Ineco. This will be another feather in the cap for Spain. Could this be the start of a more widespread transition to hydrogen-powered railway? And what are the cogs that need to turn to make this a reality?

Talgo is not Spain’s first foray into hydrail. In 2006 Dr. Carlos Navas, then Chief Technical Officer of hydrail startup, NTDA Energìa, attended the Second International Hydrail Conference in Denmark. Soon after, he opened an NTDA Energìa office in Raleigh, North Carolina. Later, in Brussels, he headed the European Community’s Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking. In 2008 Dr. Navas organized the Fourth International Hydrail Conference in Valencia. One of the first hydrail trams was demonstrated in Northern Spain by FEVE narrow gauge railways in 2011.

Talgo’s undertaking will showcase the capability of hydrogen-powered transport. In the hydrail world, “high‑speed” marks the equivalent of evolving from hand-wired transistor devices to integrated chips...more
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mariannelehnis/2024/09/27/spain-builds-worlds-first-high-speed-hydrail-train/



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