Saudi Arabia Railways (SAR) and Alstom will demonstrate the first hydrogen-powered passenger train in the kingdom this month.
Alstom’s Coradia iLint hydrogen passenger train will travel 10–20 kilometres on Line 1 or Line 2 of the Riyadh East network.
This will be the first venture of its kind in the Middle East and Africa and follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in September 2022 to develop or adapt hydrogen-based solutions for Saudi Arabia.
The kingdom is looking to identify and test innovative sustainable mobility solutions in order to reduce carbon emissions in transport and achieve the its ‘Vision 2030’ goals.
“This is an important step in the joint development of hydrogen train systems with SAR, both for operations tailored to the specific needs of the Kingdom and in response to the increase capacity of SAR’s networks.
“We’re committed to working with SAR to support the Kingdom's clean energy commitments and achieve the carbon neutrality target by 2060.”
The Coradia iLint is the world’s first passenger train powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Last year, it travelled 1,175 km without having to fill its hydrogen tanks and features clean energy conversion, flexible energy storage and intelligent management of traction power and available energy.
Alstom has developed hydrogen traction solutions on multiple platforms and has signed several contracts for trains powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The first two train fleets entered commercial service in Germany last year.
“Powered by zero-emission energy production, the hydrogen train offers a number of benefits, making it a compelling choice for sustainable energy solutions.
“Its positive impact extends to the environment, the economy and the future of future generations.”
