First hydrogen train in Japan to hit the rails for test run
Japan’s largest railway company will begin testing the country’s first hydrogen-fueled train next month in a step toward the nation’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
The two car “Hybari” train — a combination of hybrid and the Japanese word for a lark — cost about 4 billion yen ($35 million) to develop and can travel up to 140 kilometers (87 miles) at a top speed of 100 km/h on a single filling of hydrogen.
East Japan Railway Co., which developed the train in partnership with Toyota Motor Corp. and Hitachi Ltd. plan to use them to replace its diesel fleet and look to export markets. Commercial services should begin in 2030.
