FCH2RAIL hydrogen train completes tests on the Portuguese railway network

The FCH2RAIL European project, which developed a bimodal demonstrator train with hydrogen fuel cells, has successfully completed testing in Portugal. Between 3 and 6 April, the H2 train travelled on the Minho Line between Valença and Nine stations, making it the first hydrogen train to operate in Portugal.

(14/05/2024) In Vía Libre

With these tests, the FCH2RAIL project achieved a great milestone, having obtained the authorization to run the demonstrator train in a second European country. To carry out these tests, Infraestruturas de Portugal issued the Special Circulation Authorisation in December 2023, establishing the conditions for the train’s operation on the Portuguese rail network during the testing phase.

The tests are part of the extended testing campaign initiated in May 2023 on the Spanish railway network. Following testing in Portugal, the train has already travelled more than 8,500 kilometres in hydrogen mode. The objective of these tests is to evaluate the behaviour and reliability of the train’s complete hydrogen and battery system, as well as the developed energy management system.

Consortium

In addition to Infraestruturas de Portugal, the project consortium includes Adif, Renfe, CAF, the German Aerospace Center, Toyota Motor Europe, the Spanish National Hydrogen Centre and Stemmann Technik. The project is funded by the European Clean Hydrogen Partnership.

In this stage of testing, the project was supported by other companies such as Stellantis, which provided the use of its facilities in Porriño (Pontevedra) to refuel the train during the testing stage in Portugal; Medway, which provided train drivers for the operation of the train during the tests in Portugal; and Iberdrola, which supplied the green hydrogen for the train tests.