photo: Alstom press materials/Alstom and Eversholt Rail sign an agreement 10 new hydrogen trains for UK
Alstom and Eversholt Rail, have this week announced a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at delivering the UK’s first-ever brand-new hydrogen train fleet.
The two companies have agreed to work together, sharing technical and commercial information necessary for Alstom to design, build, commission, and support a fleet of ten three-car hydrogen multiple units (HMUs). These will be built by Alstom in Britain. The new HMU fleet will be based on the latest evolution of the Alstom Aventra platform and the intention is that final contracts for the fleet will be signed in early 2022.
Nick Crossfield, Alstom’s Managing Director, UK & Ireland said: “COP26 is a reminder of just how urgent the need to decarbonize our world is. Rail is already the lowest emission transport mode, but we can do even more, and I am delighted that we have concluded this agreement with our friends at Eversholt Rail which will lead to Britain’s first-ever fleet of new hydrogen trains.”
Alstom and Eversholt Rail have previously worked together on a hydrogen rolling stock solution for the UK rail sector, through the proposed conversion of an existing Electric Multiple Unit to hydrogen power – the ‘Breeze’ project. Both companies now believe that there is a market for a fleet of new trains for use by train operators across Britain.
Mary Kenny, Eversholt Rail’s CEO said: “It is important that we start sooner rather than later to decarbonize UK Rail if we are to meet the 2050 ‘net-zero’ target. Hydrogen propulsion will play an important role, and this project with Alstom will demonstrate how the private sector can work together to make a difference.”
Source: Alstom press release
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