First hydrogen locomotive powered by Cummins tech

The first hydrogen-powered passenger train in North America is being powered by a Cummins system.

Accelera, the zero-emissions business segment of Cummins, is announcing that the train, called the Coradia iLint, is being tested this summer by Alston in Quebec, Canada.

The project is using Accelera fuel cells in conjunction with green hydrogen produced by an Accelera electrolyzer. Mounted to the roof of the train, the fuel cells convert hydrogen into electricity, which powers the train. The green hydrogen is produced by an Accelera electrolyzer, operated in Quebec by project partner Harnois Énergies.

The train is operating with passengers on board this summer on the railway of Train de Charlevoix, a line crossing the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of the Charlevoix region.

Alison Trueblood, General Manager of Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technologies at Accelera said the technology is “driving innovation – providing zero-emission solutions for the urban mobility challenges” facing cities today.