Alstom, a leading international train manufacturer and maintenance provider, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding‚ with
Eversholt Rail, a British train owner and financier, to deliver the UK’s first hydrogen train fleet.
The two companies have agreed to work together, sharing technical and commercial information necessary for Alstom to design, build, commission and support a fleet of ten three-car hydrogen multiple units (HMUs) which will be built by in Britain. The new hydrogen fleet will be based on the latest evolution of the Alstom Aventra platform and the intention is that final contracts for the trains will be signed in early 2022.
Eversholt Rail and Alstom are committed to taking a leading role in supporting the UK Government’s aim to decarbonise the rail sector by 2040, and the Scottish government’s objective of doing so by 2035. Alstom is a world leader in the provision of rolling stock solutions and was the first company in the world to produce a hydrogen powered train — the Coradia iLint — which is in operational service in Germany.
Nick Crossfield, Alstom’s UK & Ireland managing director, said: “
COP26 is a reminder of just how urgent the need to decarbonise our world is. Rail is already the lowest emission transport mode, but we can do even more, and I am delighted that we have concluded this agreement with Eversholt Rail which will lead to Britain’s first-ever fleet of new hydrogen trains.”
Mary Kenny, Eversholt Rail’s CEO added: “It is important that we start sooner rather than later to decarbonise UK rail if we are to meet the 2050 ‘net-zero’ target. Hydrogen propulsion will play an important role, and this project with Alstom will demonstrate how the private sector can work together to make a difference.”
Alstom and Eversholt Rail have previously collaborated on the ‘Breeze’ project — a hydrogen rolling stock solution for the UK rail sector, through the proposed conversion of an existing electric multiple unit (EMU) to hydrogen power.
Both companies now believe that there is a market for a fleet of new trains for use by train operators around Britain. The breadth, depth of knowledge and experience gained from the Breeze project, together with stakeholder feedback on future fleet strategies, has been invaluable in shaping the product planning.
Building on Alstom’s long expertise in keeping Britain moving, the Aventra single-deck train has been developed for the requirements of mainline train operations, from high-capacity metro systems to intercity services.
Designed to be ‘the fastest, smartest, and most economical platform in modern rail’, Aventra trains are modular, from carriage length to interior layout and design. They can easily be modified for different customer requirements, while retaining core benefits such as a lightweight car body and low lifecycle costs.