Hybrid train debuts in Japan

News

East Japan Railway has demonstrated an environmentally friendly fuel cell hybrid train it developed, powered by a storage battery and two 65KW fuel cells.

(JR East) has demonstrated an environmentally friendly fuel cell hybrid train it developed, powered by a storage battery and two 65KW fuel cells.

The New Energy Train (NE Train) can run at a maximum speed of 100 kph and it can travel for 50 to 100km between hydrogen refuelling stops, discharging only water. Unlike conventional trains it does not require a constant supply of electricity from overhead wires as it can store the energy that is produced when it brakes.

The train will begin test runs on actual train tracks from next April, according to JR East.

The Railway Technical Research Institute, the JR group’s Tokyo-based research body, has been developing a fuel battery train, but this is the first to use both fuel cells and storage batteries.

Minoru Ogasawara, head of JR East's centre for railway systems development, said, ‘There still are many issues to overcome, such as the cost and the distance it can travel, but it will improve the (city) view as it requires no overhead wires. We hope to make it a commuting train 10 or 20 years from now.’

Register now to continue reading

Thanks for visiting The Engineer. You’ve now reached your monthly limit of news stories. Register for free to unlock unlimited access to all of our news coverage, as well as premium content including opinion, in-depth features and special reports.  

Benefits of registering

  • In-depth insights and coverage of key emerging trends

  • Unrestricted access to special reports throughout the year

  • Daily technology news delivered straight to your inbox

Register
Or continue by

Signing in with your registered email address