Porterbrook’s HydroFlex

Porterbrook and the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) signed an agreement at the InnoTrans trade show in Berlin last year to develop a standard gauge hydrogen-powered train.

This will use a Class 319 electric multiple unit, and should be used for demonstrations this year. The agreement was designed so that both organisations can demonstrate how hydrogenpowered trains could be deployed across the UK rail network.

Known as HydroFlex, the train will operate on 25kV AC overhead and 750V DC third-rail routes, while the addition of a hydrogen fuel cell will enable it to operate in self-powered mode without the need for diesel engines.