Hydrogen on track for passenger and freight rail

Europe leads way with passenger trains while North America focuses on locomotives for freight

It may be early days in the development of hydrogen-powered trains and locomotives but their future is bright as net-zero emission commitments by governments around the world pile on the pressure to decarbonise passenger and freight rail systems. Diesel continues to dominate global rail transport, accounting for nearly 60pc in 2019, with electricity accounting for the rest. Hydrogen is aimed at rail routes which are difficult to electrify and out of range for batteries. “There are two ways to decarbonise hard to electrify train routes, battery power for distances up to around 120km, although that can be impacted by factors such as topography and number of stops, and hydrogen for routes longe