East Japan Railway, Toyota and Hitachi will develop train with hydrogen-electric traction system

East Japan Railway, Toyota and Hitachi will develop train with hydrogen-electric traction system

JR East, Toyota and Hitachi have signed an agreement to collaborate on the development of a prototype rail vehicle which uses a hydrogen-electric traction system.

The test vehicle is called Hybari. It will use fuel cells developed by Toyota for its hydrogen-fuelled Mirai cars and Sora buses, and a hybrid drive system developed by Hitachi. «Railway Supply» informs that Hybari will also incorporate regenerative braking systems for additional power generation.

Serial production of the brake pads for electric locomotives

The prototype train will be a converted two-car FV-E991 EMU. The operational speed is expected to be about 100km/h, and the train could cover approximately 140km before refuelling.

Testing of the train is scheduled to begin in March 2022 on the 4.1 km Shitte – Hama-Kawasaki Nambu Branch Line in Kanagawa Prefecture.

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