This train runs on air

Each week, we spotlight a cool innovation recommended by some of the industry's top tech writers. This week's pick is a train that runs on hydrogen.

Germany is rolling out the world's first hydrogen-powered train, said Agence France-Press. The move signifies the beginning of a bid "to challenge the might of polluting diesel trains with costlier but more eco-friendly technology." Two Coradia iLint trains are now traversing a 62-mile route in northern Germany. The trains have fuel cells "that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, a process that leaves steam and water as the only emissions." Leftover energy is housed in lithium-ion batteries to power the train later.

The bright-blue trains can run for about 620 miles on a single tank of hydrogen, which mirrors the range of diesel trains. The company is betting that the technology will be a "greener, quieter alternative to diesel on non-electrified railway lines." The maker promises the trains will not only reduce pollution but also be cheaper to run than diesel.

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