Scotland has announced that by the end of 2021, the country will have its first hydrogen-powered train. The project is being undertaken by the Scottish government and a group of specialised engineering firms. Ben Todd, CEO of Arcola Energy, the firm leading the program, informed that hydrogen traction power provides a reliable and safe and zero-carbon alternative for the country’s rail network.
He said, “The hydrogen train project is an excellent opportunity for industry leaders in hydrogen, rail engineering and safety to collaborate with Scottish technology providers to develop a deployment-ready solution.” The train is expected to be ready within 10 months.
This is an important step towards saving the environment and, by doing this, Scotland has taken a step towards a stronger stance against climate change. The country is continuously working towards decarbonising its passenger rail services by 2035. Not only this, Scotland has pledged to decarbonise flights within the country by 2040.
Clare Lavelle, Scotland Energy Business Lead at an engineering consultancy, said, “This project is not only a crucial step in helping us understand the practical challenges of using hydrogen traction power on our railways but an example of the type of investment Scotland needs to take advantage of the opportunity to build a secure, flexible, cost-effective and zero-carbon energy network.”
This is a major step towards conservation of nature and saving energy. Since train journeys are quite popular across Europe, travellers look to lessen their carbon footprint and this is an impressive way to do so. In the coming years, new links will connect 13 cities.