East Japan Railway Tests Fuel Cell Hybrid Train

On October 19, East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) made a test run of its New Energy (NE) Train in Yokohamaês Kanazawa ward. Thirty passengers boarded the train for the test run, which consisted of a series of back-and-forth jaunts along a 300-meter test track. The train smoothly accelerated to a maximum speed of 30mph, providing a ride quality of an ordinary train. Testing of the train on public tracks will begin in April. With two 65kW fuel cells and six hydrogen tanks under the floor and a secondary battery on the roof, the train runs without receiving electricity from power lines. It can travel at a maximum speed of 60mph for 30 to 60 miles without a hydrogen refill. A separate fuel cell train is under development by the Railway Technical Research Institute, but the NE Train differs in that it is a hybrid relying on a secondary battery that stores electricity generated during braking. The secondary battery provides auxiliary power during acceleration or when fuel cell power is insufficient.