California’s First Hydrogen-Powered Trains Could Be Built in Szolnok

Hungary Today 2023.10.19.

A historic decision was made by the State of California and Stadler, a Swiss railway vehicle manufacturing company, when they agreed to produce hydrogen-powered trains in Hungary for the American state. Hydrogen-powered transport is an important step towards a sustainable, emission-free future, writes Világgazdaság.

Based on the contract, Stadler will supply four high-tech hydrogen-powered trains to the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). In addition, there is the possibility of purchasing a further twenty-five railcars.

The car bodies will be manufactured at the plant in Szolnok (central Hungary).

The partnership between Stadler and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) will see the production of North America’s first hydrogen-powered train (FLIRT H2) in Hungary, which has already been presented to the world at two international events: InnoTrans 2022, and APTA EXPO 2023.

Fact

Stadler Rail is a Swiss manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with an emphasis on multiple regional train units and trams. It is headquartered in Bussnang, Switzerland. The holding company consists of nine subsidiaries with locations in Algeria, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, Belarus, and the United States.

In Hungary, the company established Stadler Trains Hungary Kft. in 2005, after winning the public procurement procedure for the purchase of 30+30 suburban trains. In October 2007, it was decided that Stadler Trains Hungary Kft. will set up a 400-strong aluminum body plant in Szolnok. The plant started production in the last quarter of 2008. In addition, as Hungary Today reported earlier, this year the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced that the company will create more than 170 new jobs in Szolnok with a HUF 17 billion (EUR 44.1 million) investment.

It is not only the U.S. that is interested in hydrogen trains: Denmark has already ordered one, and Germany already has one in operation. Moreover, Alstom Hungary, a railway manufacturing company, is bidding to replace the Hungarian fleet with hydrogen-cell trains as soon as the government adopts a strategy for the replacement of the domestic fleet.

First Hydrogen-Powered Trucks on Our Roads

One vehicle alone can save the environment 80 tons of carbon dioxide a year.Continue reading

Via Világgazdaság, Featured image via Facebook/Stadler