INTERNATIONAL
Russia: first hydrogen-fueled trains will operate on the island of Sakhalin
Russia’s largest rolling stock manufacturer Transmashholding and the nuclear power corporation Rosatom have signed a cooperation agreement to produce hydrogen fuel cells trains that, according to forecasts, will undergo a pilot test at the east end of Russia, on the island of Sakhalin.
The signing of the agreement, which was attended by executives of both companies and leaders of Sakhalin, took place on September 4 at the fifth edition of the Eastern Economic Forum, in Vladivostok.
The national railway operator RZD issued on this occasion a special statement making it clear that “it sees in the project an important and promising vector to increase environmental safety and the efficiency of rail transport.”
“Sakhalin, with the infrastructure available on this island, could host a pilot project to test the organization of rail connections with trains using hydrogen fuel cells, as well as the corresponding maintenance systems, and create a competent center in this area to cooperation with potential foreign partners,” said the companies.