Scottish Hydrogen Train test runs
Converted former Class 314 unit moves under its own power on Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway.
THE Scottish Hydrogen Train has begun test runs in hydrogen mode on the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway.
Class 614 No. 614209 (the sole surviving former ScotRail Class 314 electric multiple unit, No. 314209) started trials running between Bo’ness and Kinneil in late August, a journey of just over a mile.
Also fitted with batteries which can provide additional power for traction as well as recharging on the move, the unit was put on static display at Bo’ness in November last year to coincide with the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
Project
Funded by Transport Scotland, supported by Scottish Enterprise, the project is being managed through the University of St Andrews and the Hydrogen Accelerator initiative and has Ballard Motive Solutions (formerly Arcola Energy), a specialist in vehicle fuel cells, as a lead partner.
It is designed to demonstrate how existing rolling stock could be modified to operate on hydrogen, providing an alternative to diesel units in areas of Scotland where electrification and pure battery power are less viable due to the geography and distances involved.