North America’s first hydrogen-powered train will soon open to San Bernardino commuters. The pilot project boasts zero emissions, and state officials are hoping more such trains will be available in the future.
Where and when can I ride it?
The train – also known as ZEMU, for Zero Emission Multiple Units – will operate on a nine-mile route between the cities of San Bernardino and Redlands. It’s scheduled to start regular service in early 2025.
A 2019 study by the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority looked at the feasibility of running the ZEMU from Redlands all the way to Union Station — something it can absolutely do with the established world distance record. The train was designed and built to run on existing Metrolink track, and the goal is to have ZEMU trains throughout Metrolink. Metrolink has 547 miles of tracks and 67 stations across six counties in Southern California.
How does it work?
ZEMU runs on hydrogen gas, which combines with oxygen to create electricity in a fuel cell that is stored in a battery and used to power the train. The only thing coming out of the engine is water vapor.
The engine is half the size of a normal locomotive engine. It looks a bit unusual. The hydrogen and the fuel cell are in the middle, and the engine is towards the front of one of the passenger units. You can’t really see any of it, and you can hardly hear it because it’s quiet.
This diagram of the ZEMU train shows its key components. Courtesy of the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority.
The ZEMU train has two passenger compartments that are like a Metrolink car. There is a crew of two — a conductor and an engineer. At the end of each “passenger unit,” there’s a compartment for the engineer, so at the end of the line, the driver can just walk from one end of the train to the other without needing to turn around.
But how is the hydrogen made? Is that process as “green” as the emissions?
There are three basic types of hydrogen: “gray,” “blue,” and “green.”
“Gray” and “blue” hydrogen both start out usually as natural gas, and then high-temperature steam is applied with pressure to separate the hydrogen from the natural gas. That process results in carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
With “gray” hydrogen, the CO2 escapes into the atmosphere. The “blue” hydrogen includes a carbon capture component, with the goal of reusing the carbon dioxide.
“Green” hydrogen uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, with the electricity coming from renewable energy sources like wind or solar.
The hydrogen used to run the ZEMU train is WHAT COLOR?
Currently the ZEMU is using “blue” hydrogen, with the goal of switching to “green” when it becomes available.
Is it safe to use hydrogen as fuel?
To people of a certain generation, if you say “hydrogen,” they think Hindenburg disaster. But the reality is: Compressing hydrogen and storing it in carbon fiber-reinforced containers increases the energy density, which decreases the amount of hydrogen needed to power the train, which also reduces the risk of any issue. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority says in a statement that hydrogen is “safe to store, transport, and handle as fuel.”
Toyota makes a hydrogen fuel cell car — the Mirai — and there haven’t been any issues with hydrogen depots or automobiles since the model first arrived at dealers in early 2015. Since then, they’ve sold or leased over 14,000 of those cars — all in California. It takes five minutes or so to fill up a hydrogen car at a refueling station.
Does anyone else have a train like this or is California leading the way?
The ZEMU is brand new for North America. Some parts of Germany have been running hydrogen-powered trains since 2018.
What’s the price tag?
About $60 million has been spent to reach this point. The state of California put up most of the money so far, with additional funding from local sources. This ZEMU was built in Switzerland, but the next 10 trains that California has contracted for will be built in Colorado. With the money coming from public funds, there is a strong motivation to see the cash being spent domestically.