The world's first fully hydrogen-powered（氢动力）train line has officially begun running in Germany. The trains make almost no noise and run without polluting. Germany is planning to replace many of its diesel（柴油）trains with hydrogen trains.
On October 24, 2022, five hydrogen-powered trains began to make the 100-kilometre trip between Cuxhaven and Buxtehude in Germany. The new trains are part of a $ 92. 5 million project by LNVG, which has been testing the hydrogen-powered trains since 2018.
At present, most trains run on diesel power. When diesel fuel is burned, it creates CO2 and other polluting gases. These gases have helped create the climate crisis. That's partly why the LNVG has decided that all the trains on the route will run on hydrogen. The trains, called Coradia iLint trains, are built by the French company, Alstom. And LNVG has ordered a total of 14 of the hydrogen-powered trains.
Hydrogen is a gas that burns easily. Hydrogen can be used to create electricity by combining with oxygen in a "fuel cell". A fuel cell is like a battery that never runs down as long as it has hydrogen. The chemical reaction which takes place creates electricity. The Coradia iLint trains run on electricity created by hydrogen fuel cells. If the fuel cells make too much electricity, it's used to recharge（重新充电）the train's batteries. Because the motor is electric, the trains run almost silently.
There's a hydrogen station on the line to refuel the trains. But since the trains can go about 1,000 kilometres before they need more fuel, they only need to fill up once a day. The trains can go as fast as 140 kph—about the same as the diesel trains they're replacing.
In many places, hydrogen-powered trains are a smart choice for replacing diesel trains. The city of Frankfurt, Germany has already ordered 27 of the Coradia iLint trains. Other countries are also interested. France and Italy have ordered several of the hydrogen-powered trains.
