Alstom and Snam have signed a five-year deal to develop hydrogen trains in Italy.
The agreement, which comes after the first phase of the feasibility study, aims to develop both hydrogen trains and the related infrastructure.
As part of the agreement, Alstom will manufacture the new hydrogen trains, whilst Snam will develop the infrastructure.
This news comes after the Alstom hydrogen trains have completed a year and a half of testing in Germany.
Marco Alverà, CEO of Snam comments: “This move is a further contribution to the decarbonisation of transport and to the development of hydrogen economy in Italy. Hydrogen produced from renewables will become competitive with fossil fuels in a few years and will play a key role in the energy transition, particularly in industry, heating and heavy transport. It will be a pillar of the European Green New Deal and post-Covid investments. Snam is investing and innovating to make its network compatible with hydrogen, to encourage the development of new technologies and create an Italian supply chain. Our country has the opportunity to be among the world leaders in the sector, reaping the environmental and economic benefits of this climate leadership”.
“We believe in hydrogen. This is the reason why we have signed a partnership with Snam. Coradia iLint, the first hydrogen powered train, is already in passenger service between the towns of Cuxhaven, Bremerhaven, Bremervörde and Buxtehudehe in Germany. We hope that Coradia ILint hydrogen trains will soon become a reality in Italy, too. Thanks to a partner like Snam we will be able to respond to the market by offering a full-fledged solution” – says Michele Viale, Managing Director of Alstom Italy and Switzerland.
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The UK could benefit from having Hydrogen trains that could be ideal to run on smaller branch lines in England and Wales. And with replacing older diesel trains being used such as in the Southwest, The Midlands, the North of England, East Anglia and Southern Counties. And some of the smaller local branch lines in Wales that could benefit from the Hydrogen trains being used and to provide better services to cut down on CO2 emissions.
And perhaps major UK cities like London, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Cardiff, Swansea, Nottingham, Derby and Birmingham might benefit from having Hydrogen trains working on the local and suburban commuter lines.