Porterbrook has won BusinessGreen’s Transport Project of the Year award for the UK’s first hydrogen train, HydroFLEX.
The HydroFLEX train ran on the mainline tracks for the first time only a few weeks ago following almost two years’ development work and more than £1million of investment by both Porterbrook and the University of Birmingham.
Unlike diesel trains, hydrogen-powered trains do not emit harmful gases, instead using hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, water and heat. The ground-breaking technology behind the trains will also be available by 2023 to retrofit current in-service trains to hydrogen helping decarbonise the rail network and make rail journeys greener and more efficient.
Mary Grant, CEO of Porterbrook, said: “We are delighted to have won BusinessGreen’s Transport Project of the Year for our pioneering hydrogen train, HydroFLEX. The work we have done with the University of Birmingham has been ground-breaking in terms of zero-emissions transport. At Porterbrook we take our responsibility for de-carbonising the railways very seriously and this award only bolsters our motivation to keep innovating.”
HydroFLEX is able to run in bi-mode operations meaning it can use electric overhead supplies as well as run independently on hydrogen.
Looking towards the future, the next stages of HydroFLEX are already well underway, as the University of Birmingham develops a hydrogen and battery powered module that can be fitted underneath the train, which will allow for more space for passengers in the train’s carriage.
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Media Contacts
Porterbrook Leasing
Rupert Brennan Brown, Director of Stakeholder Engagement
Rupert@porterbrook.co.uk or +44 (0)7973 950 923
Financial or corporate PR enquiries can also be directed to:
Maitland/AMO
James Isola, Partner
James McFarlane, Partner
jmcfarlane@maitland.co.uk or +44 (0)20 7379 5151
About Porterbrook
- Porterbrook Leasing Company Limited (“Porterbrook”) is a leading participant in the rail leasing market and has a rolling stock fleet of almost 4,500 vehicles.
- Since privatisation, Porterbrook has invested over £3bn in the UK rail market. The company is looking to invest more than £1bn in Britain’s railway over the coming years.
- We have successfully introduced 2,500 new vehicles into passenger service.
- Porterbrook also spends £3m each week on its existing fleets, supporting almost 7,000 jobs in the UK supply chain.
- In October 2014, the Porterbrook Group of companies was acquired by a consortium of investors including Alberta Investment Management Corporation (“AIMCo”), Allianz Capital Partners (“ACP”) on behalf of certain insurance companies of the Allianz Group, EDF Invest and a consortium of Utilities Trust of Australia (“UTA”), The Infrastructure Fund (“TIF”) and Royal Bank of Scotland Group Pension Fund (“RBS”).
