SALT LAKE CITY — Rail equipment manufacturer Stadler and the state of California on Thursday signed a contract calling for Stadler to build four hydrogen-powered trainsets for use in the state, with an option for up to 25 more trains.
The contract signed Thursday formalizes an agreement announced as a “memorandum of understanding” in September 2022 at the InnoTrans trade show in Berlin [see “Stadler unveils first hydrogen train for U.S. …,” Trains News Wire, Sept. 21, 2022]. It calls for Stadler to provide the four trainsets for the California State Transportation Agency and California Department of Transportation.
The contract signing comes as the company’s first such FLIRT H2 hydrogen train has been making demonstration runs at the American Public Transportation Association conference in Orlando, Fla. That trainset is destined for use on the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s Arrow service [see “Stadler hydrogen trainset makes debut …,” News Wire, Oct. 12, 2023].
“Stadler’s goal is to help make travel in North America environmentally friendly through the vehicles and services we provide,” Ansgar Brockmeyer, Stadler executive vice president of marketing and sales, said in a press release. “Only very few rail lines in the US are electrified, which is why solutions like the FLIRT H2 are so important here.”
Martin Ritter, CEO of Stadler US, said the contract “is a testament to our relentless pursuit of sustainable, eco-friendly transportation solutions, and we are thrilled to play a pivotal role in California’s journey towards a cleaner, greener future.”
Thursday’s release does not address how the equipment will be used. The original announcement in Berlin indicated the first four trainsets would be delivered by 2027 for use in California’s Central Valley to provide connections to the Cailfornia High Speed Rail project.
Even the diesel-powered FLIRT would be a massive improvement in emissions, not to mention line-haul time. I would love to see something like this on the Pacific Surfliner route, if only UP and the FRA would get out of the way.
An eco-friendly Swiss touch for California rails
Dr. Güntürk Üstün
Jacksonville, Florida is currently planning a service between Yulee and St Augustine. Since they are a major port for LNG, (where most commercial hydrogen comes from) it is very possible they would use something similar to this Stadler design.
I would like to see Caltrans and Siemens follow through on plans for hydrogen-electric Charger locomotive.