{"id":4087,"date":"2020-02-02T09:39:39","date_gmt":"2020-02-02T14:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/?p=4087"},"modified":"2025-07-12T16:55:37","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T20:55:37","slug":"usas-first-hydrogen-passenger-rail-san-bernadino-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.respectmyplanet.org\/publications\/fuel-cells\/usas-first-hydrogen-passenger-rail-san-bernadino-california","title":{"rendered":"USA’s First Hydrogen Passenger Rail – San Bernadino California"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

America\u2019s first hydrogen fuel cell train is expected to be operational in San Bernadino California in 2024<\/a> and there\u2019s a cool connection back to Michigan State University<\/a>. Hydrogen fuel cell powered trains are already in public service in both Germany<\/a> & China<\/a>. Hydrogen fuel cell trains create their own electricity onboard by running hydrogen from a tank & oxygen from the ambient air through a fuel cell. That electricity powers a motor that runs the wheels & on-board “right-sized” battery pack that buffers electricity flow and the only emission is potable water. Hydrogen fuel cell trains are being hash tagged on Twitter as #Hydrail<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The San Bernadino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) has begun mainline construction on the Redlands Passenger Rail Project, which is bringing the next generation of passenger rail service to the East Valley. To celebrate this momentous occasion, SBCTA had a Groundbreaking Event on July 19,2019 near the corner of Third Street and Stuart Avenue in Redlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"california<\/a>
The Redlands Rail project in San Bernadino California is already under construction & will be operational by 2021. A hydrogen fuel cell powered train is on order from Stadler that should be operational on the new route by 2024. If you want to see a real world Google map of the rail route, click here<\/a>. (click image to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Redlands Passenger Rail Project<\/a> will add a nine-mile rail connection between the University of Redlands and the San Bernadino Transit Center, a multi-modal transit hub that can provide access to all points west. When completed, the project will house the Arrow commuter line, featuring specially designed zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell powered trains. The zero-emission units will be the first of their kind in North America. The Arrow system is expected to be operational in 2021 & up to date information about construction on the project & road crossing closures as the construction plays out can be<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

found at the project\u2019s official website here<\/a>. The hydrogen train, according to Mass Transit Magazine<\/a>, is expected to go into service in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re thrilled to move the Redlands Passenger Rail Project one step closer to reality with the start of construction.\u201d said Darcy McNaboe, President of SBCTA. \u201cThis project will be a game changer for public transit in San Bernadino County and throughout our region. When finished, this system will represent an important clean-air transit solution in one of the most challenged air-quality basins in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alstom’s Coradia iLint shown in the video clip below is the world’s first hydrogen powered train.  The Coradia iLint went into commercial service in Lower Saxony Germany in September of 2018.  Two pre-series trains, homologated by the German Federal Railway Association, are now running between the cities of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremerv\u00f6rde and Buxtehude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RMP is not against battery technology. Batteries on their own work great for many applications. Batteries & fuel cells don\u2019t work against each other; they work together. Batteries and fuel cells working together complement each other to make a better propulsion system similar to the way your computer stores short term memory as RAM & long-term memory on a hard drive to give you the information you need in the most efficient manner; no waste. No one fights in blogs about only buying a computer with RAM & no hard drive or a computer with no RAM & a only hard drive.   It makes no sense to fight over something like that because everyone knows RAM & hard drives work together to give you the performance & cost needed for a great product. It\u2019s the same thing with hydrogen fuel cells & batteries, they work better together<\/em><\/strong> by capitalizing on the strengths of each technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"hydrogen<\/a>
Matthew Klippenstein created the graph above that superimposes the timelines of megawatts produced from solar, wind, and hydrogen as if each technology started at the same time.  The progression shows that all of these technologies ramped up at about the same pace.  We can infer from Matthew’s graph  that cost drops in solar & wind through the years will happen to hydrogen fuel cells in a similar way.  (click image to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

RMP has been advocating on our blog for the economics of hydrogen fuel cells and the US Department of Energy\u2019s H2@scale initiative since 2015. RMP is hq\u2019d in South Lyon, Michigan and it\u2019s great to see Michigan State University being acknowledged as playing an important role in San Bernadino County\u2019s decision to choose #hydrail over other competing technologies for this city project that will construct new rail & refurbish dormant lines to run 9 miles from SBCTA in the west to University Redlands in the east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to MSU\u2019s official website<\/a>, the SBCTA\u2019s decision to choose #hydrail was heavily influenced by Michigan State University research that considered expansion of the rail service routes by approximately 60 miles \u2014 connecting San Bernadino to Los Angeles Union Station. Michigan State University\u2019s Center for Railway Research and Education, or CRRE, made recommendations based on which low- or zero-emission technology could best cover the 60 mile route rather than just the initial 9 mile route. The researchers examined traditional wayside electrification [catenary], conventional diesel-electric, biofuels, natural gas, batteries, hydrogen fuel cell technology and hybrid powertrain options. MSU\u2019s CRRE final team recommendations proposed a battery-powered train or a hydrogen fuel cell hybrid train, and SBCTA decided in favor of the latter due to easier scalability and the potential larger service expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"hydrogen<\/a>
Diesel trains dominate railways around the world as catenary costs are about $1M per mile & $75k per year per mile to maintain.  Battery only trains cannot cover longer routes in cold climates.  Hydrogen trains can handle all routes that diesel can.  This BNSF train climbing over Stevens Pass in Leavenworth Washington in the Cascade Mountains is an example of a route that hydrogen could handle as economically as diesel with zero emissions where other zero emission technologies just can’t compete.  (Photocredit:  Andrea Capiola via Friends of BNSF Facebook group<\/a> – click image to enlarge)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a result of CRRE\u2019s technical contribution, the SBCTA signed a contract on Nov. 14 with Stadler U.S., Inc., to commission the first hydrogen-powered, zero-emission passenger train to the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMSU research and technical input was paramount in advancing the SBCTA Board of Directors decision to move forward with hydrogen-powered technology,\u201d said Carrie Schindler, director of Transit and Rail Programs for SBCTA. \u201cBeing in one of the worst air quality areas in the nation, projects like this are critical to SBCTA\u2019s mission to improve the quality of life for San Bernadino County residents,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInvestigating alternative fuels and powertrains for railway vehicles is one of our areas of expertise,\u201d said Andreas Hoffrichter, Burkhardt professor in Railway Management and executive director of the CRRE which is housed at the Eli Broad College of Business at MSU. \u201cWe are globally leading in this field with particular expertise in hydrogen fuel cell railway vehicles, so this project was a natural fit.\u201d As Michigan\u2019s reporting authority on hydrogen fuel cell technology, RMP is proud to see our home state\u2019s own MSU contributing to the cutting edge of global clean energy technology; big ups to you Sparty Nation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below is a quick overview of each of the stations that are planned on the 9 mile route from the first station at the west end to the last station in the east end of San Bernadino. It is most likely only one of these stations will have a hydrogen refueling station (HRS) as I would not think you\u2019d need more than one HRS to run train 18 miles round trip. RMP will update our USA H2 map when\/if we learn where the hydrogen refueling infrastructure will actually be built<\/p>\n\n\n\n