- The train set TClass 314 EMU has been reclassified as Class 614.
- It was tested using green hydrogen from an on-site electrolyser funded by Angel Trains.
The Scottish electric multiple-unit retrofitted with hydrogen fuel cells testing has been completed. The project brought minds together from the University of St Andrews, Transport Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Ballard Motive Solutions, Abbott Risk Consulting, ARUP, Aegis and Angel Trains. The train set TClass 314 EMU has been reclassified as Class 614 and was tested using green hydrogen produced from an on-site electrolyser funded by Angel Trains at the Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway.
Gerry Agnew, a senior research fellow, said, ‘This Hydrogen Accelerator project is providing invaluable intellectual collateral that will inform future phases for the decarbonisation of the rail network and play a critical role in helping Scotland achieve its Net Zero targets’. A statement from the university pointed out that a lot had been learnt in identifying significant safety and operability challenges with implementing hydrogen propulsion on vehicles designed to standards set 40 years ago.
The CEO of Ballard Motive Solutions, Dr Ben Todd, said ‘we are delivering a converted hydrogen-powered train in a live rail environment including an advanced pre-production engineering design and green hydrogen infrastructure while developing supply chain capability and new, green jobs.’