Eco Travel: Germany to Launch World's First Hydrogen-Powered Train With Zero Emissions

Germany is all geared to launch the world's maiden zero-emission passenger train that will be powered by hydrogen. Built by French rail transport firm, Alstom, the Coradia iLint only discharges excess steam and condensed water into the atmosphere and is a great alternative to the nation's diesel trains numbering about 4,000.

This eco-friendly team can run at a maximum speed of 87 miles per hour and has a storage capacity for covering a distance of 497 miles. Any energy that is not used imminently gets stored in Lithium batteries connected to the bottom of the car. This innovative project isn't so fast but will revolutionize rail travel and bring about dramatic changes.

CityLab stated that the fuel source of the train is effectively carbon neutral since the train consumes hydrogen that comes from waste byproducts gathered mainly from the chemical industry. Typically, the hydrogen gets burnt, so using it as a fuel to power the trains will not in any way place any extra burden on the environment.

Testing will be carried out by the end of this year, and after successful results, it'll be open to the public in the German state of Lower Saxony by December 2017. It's possible for other states in the country to roll out this train later on. Norway, Denmark, and The Netherlands have already shown their interest in the train, as reported by the Independent.

The 300-passenger train was first exhibited in August at the InnoTrans trade show held in Berlin. Aston is proud to introduce a breakthrough innovation in the field of eco-friendly transportation, said Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO of the company. In countries that are pressurized to trim down their carbon emissions, this system will be a no-brainer. Lower Saxony has ordered 14 of these trains and is likely to get more if they turn out to be a success, reported Die Welt.