California orders four hydrogen-powered trains from Stadler

Swiss train producer Stadler Rail AG (SWX:SRAIL) will be supplying four hydrogen-powered trains to the state of California under a USD-80-million contract with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

The contract, signed on October 12, includes an option for Caltrans to order up to 25 additional train sets.

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The agreement extends a collaboration between Stadler and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), which led to the creation of “the very first hydrogen-powered train in North America,” according to a statement from Stadler. This vehicle was presented last week at the APTA EXPO in Orlando. It will be launched in late 2024, when it will become part of a service from Redlands to San Bernardino.

Caltrans said its purchase is funded through California’s USD 10 billion, multiyear zero-emission vehicle package, which included USD 407 million for the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) to demonstrate and purchase or lease clean bus and rail equipment and infrastructure. The trains will be based on Stadler’s Fast Light Intercity and Regional Train (FLIRT) concept.

“California is once again leading the country in delivering innovative clean transportation options that benefit people and the planet. These state-of-the-art hydrogen train sets will demonstrate the capability of an emerging technology and will complement our future electrified high-speed rail line for an expanded clean rail network,” said California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin.

“Only very few rail lines in the US are electrified, which is why solutions like the FLIRT H2 are so important here,” commented Ansgar Brockmeyer, executive vice president of marketing and sales at Stadler Group.

(USD 1 = EUR 0.950)