Ontario’s transport ministry has issued a request for proposals for hydrogen-powered trains.
The province is electrifying parts of its GO railway network and is seeking design concepts as an alternative to conventional overhead wires.
The ministry said that recent advances in the use of hydrogen fuel cells to power electric trains makes it important that Ontario assess its feasibility.
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Rolling stock manufacturers will be commissioned to prepare designs and to demonstrate the impact that incorporating hydrogen fuel cells into bi-level electrical multiple units would have on the performance of the GO network. The study is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2017.
Acting president and CEO Robert Siddall said: “This announcement is a critical step to helping us understand the possibilities of using hydrail on our network.
“This procurement process will allow Metrolinx to identify partners with bi-level EMU experience and capacity to integrate a hydrogen fuel cell system into their bi-Level EMU products.”
