Charlevoix is ​​preparing to welcome America’s first hydrogen passenger train

The train runs from Wednesday to Saturday between June 17 and September 30. About 60 employees will be assigned to train operations such as customer service, maintenance, operations and housekeeping.

As Train de Charlevoix workers are already used to working with three European trains of similar dimensions to the Coradia iLint, the Charlevoix region is an ideal playground for testing this new technology.

Additionally, the vehicle can travel on a private rail system without sharing a track with other rail carriers.

We have an eye for the whole world Train de Charlevoix general manager Nancy Belli is delighted.

Nancy Belli hopes this article opens the door to similar future collaborations.

“What we want is to be part of the ecosystem for the future,” she sums up. She is pleased with the relationship that has developed between Alstom, the Quebec government and businesses in the region.

The train deployed in Quebec is a demonstrator that has already served notably in France and Germany.

In February, the provincial government awarded $3 million to test the first green hydrogen train in North America.

First milestone

For Alstom, the test is a “flagship project” as well as a “promotional showcase,” sums up Eric Rondeau, director of the French multinational’s Innovation Center for the Americas. The company wants to show that this technology can be implemented in existing networks.

” This presentation of this European train represents the development of our future equivalent trains, but in America »

Eric Rondo is Director of the Alstom Innovation Center in North America

Photo: Radio Canada

Alstom wants the project to pave the way for the development of rail systems similar to those in many European cities.

But does Quebec have enough population density to support such transportation projects? One question is to compare the population densities we have in Scandinavia. It’s like us [au Québec]. It’s social choices. Eric Rondo replied.

Green hydrogen

Hydrogen refueling is provided by Hornois Energies.

Hydrogen trains have been tested in many cities and countries such as Germany. (File Photo)

Photo: Getty Images / AFP / CARMEN JASPERSEN

According to Quebec, about 95% of the hydrogen consumed worldwide is produced from natural gas or coal. But the Charlevoix train runs on renewable energy.

“Hydrogen [produite] At the Quebec station, it is made from water by electrolysis, so it is green,” sums up Catherine Gosselin, senior project manager at Hornois Energie.

The hydrogen is transported to Charlevoix for use by train. The vehicle emits water vapor and condensed water into the air.

In collaboration with Flavy Savago and Pierre-Alexandre Bolduc