Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR), in partnership with multinational rolling stock manufacturer Alstom, will this month (October) be operating and demonstrating the world’s first passenger hydrogen-powered train, the Coradia iLint, in Riyadh. The collaboration between SAR and
Alstom marks ‘a strong focus by the Kingdom to identify and test innovative sustainable mobility solutions to reduce carbon emissions from transport and meet ‘Vision 2030’ targets set by the Kingdom’s leadership’.
Mohamed Khalil, managing director of Alstom in Saudi Arabia, said: “This is a major steppingstone in co-developing hydrogen-powered train systems for operations suitable for and meeting the increasing capacity need of the Kingdom and SAR networks. We are committed to working with SAR in their drive to support the Kingdom’s engagements on clean energy and a ‘net zero’ target by 2060.”
Bashar Al-Malik, CEO of Saudi Arabia Railways, added: “SAR is fully committed to its essential national role, implementing game-changing initiatives in line with our strategic framework, closely aligned with the National Transport and Logistics Strategy (NTLS). Driven by emission-free energy generation, the hydrogen train offers a myriad of benefits, making it a compelling choice for sustainable energy solutions. Its positive impact spans across the environment, economy, and the future of generations to come.”
The Coradia iLint is the world’s first passenger train powered by hydrogen fuel cells that generate electrical energy for propulsion. Last year, the train travelled 1,175 km without refuelling its hydrogen tanks. This first zero direct CO
2 emission train is quiet and emits only water during operation. Alstom has developed hydrogen traction solutions across multiple platforms and has signed several contracts for hydrogen fuel cell-powered trains. The first two fleets started commercial passenger service in Germany last year.