CPKC Completes First Stage of Hydrogen Locomotive Testing with CP 1200

The Canadian-American railway corporation Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) has completed the first stage of testing its hydrogen locomotive model CP Class 1200, as reported by the railway news portal Railway Supply.

This equipment, running on environmentally friendly fuel, is the result of a partnership with the mining company Teck Resources Limited.

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The tests are being conducted to assess the capabilities of hydrogen traction for transporting minerals on an industrial scale.

The first phase of testing involved the hydrogen-powered locomotive, along with three diesel locomotives, transporting 152 railcars between Sparwood and Golden in British Columbia.

After successfully completing the route, the train made the return journey, again utilizing the hydrogen locomotive.

These tests are part of a larger, three-stage plan to verify the locomotive’s performance in various operating conditions.

Originally, the CP Class 1200 was a diesel-electric shunting locomotive built in the 1960s by Brissonneau & Lotz and Sorefame.

As part of a modernization program, the locomotive was converted to run on hydrogen at the CSX Corporation repair shops in Huntington, West Virginia.

A key element of the conversion was the hydrogen fuel cells produced by Ballard, which provide the necessary energy to power the locomotive.

In December 2020, Canadian Pacific announced its intention to become a pioneer in hydrogen locomotives, and the development of the CP 1200 was one of the first steps in this direction.

This initiative was aimed at retrofitting diesel-electric locomotives with hydrogen fuel cells and batteries, which maintained electric traction while significantly reducing carbon emissions.

In the summer of 2023, CPKC and CSX Corporation announced the creation of a joint venture.

Their goal is to develop and implement technologies for mass conversion of existing diesel locomotives to hydrogen and battery traction, which promises to be a real breakthrough in greening railway transport.

Photo: Trains.com

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