PORTERBROOK AND BCRRE SHOWCASE EMISSIONS-FREE POTENTIAL
HYDROFLEX, THE UK’s first full-size hydrogen-powered train, has been unveiled by Porterbrook and the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE).
The partnership was borne from the centre’s longstanding work into the potential of hydrogen power, culminating in the development of the 10¼-inch gauge loco Hydrogen Hero, which was exhibited at last year’s Modern Railways RVE show.
BCRRE subsequently entered into a partnership with Porterbrook to combine the leasing company’s project management expertise with BCRRE’s academic skills. Porterbrook donated Class 319 unit No 319001 for the project, with the four-car set rechristened as No 799001 and the new class number registered in the rolling stock library.
In the prototype train one of the two intermediate vehicles has been given over to batteries, a hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen tanks.
The two 650V batteries, supplied by Thurso-based company Denchi, work in hybrid with the fuel cell and cater for times of high-power demand, such as when the train is accelerating, but are recharged by the fuel cell when the power demand drops.
The fuel cell from Canadian firm Ballard has an eight-bar p…
