Welcome to the International Hydrail Conference
Latest News
The Seventh International Hydrail Conference (7IHC) will be held on 3 - 4 July 2012 at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Our hosts will be the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education whose mission is "providing fundamental scientific research, knowledge transfer and education to the international railway community." Additional details available at www.hydrail.org.
Conference Information
A small-town environmental transit project has reached around the world. History of the Mooresville Hydrail Initiative.
21 June 2011 | Feature Article | www.railway-technology.com
The hydrail concept promises cleaner rail travel in the future thanks to a new breed of hydrogen-powered train. With Japan, the US, China and the EU all having announced research into this relatively new technology, Rowan Watt-Pringle examines the potential for a lean, green new transport sector.
BBC Features The Great Train Race BBC Video | Fuel cell-powered model train wins 10-mile race... Fuel Cell Today 21-June-2011
Hydrogen Fuel Cell-powered Switch Locomotive CNN Report on YouTube | Pentagon Channel News via YouTube | News features on the world's first hydrogen and fuel cell-powered switch locomotive, developed by Vehicle Projects LLC of Colorado.
Nov. 29, 2010 - China has successfully launched its first new energy fuel cell light-rail train. According to the People's Daily Online, the locomotive was jointly developed by the China North Vehicle Yongji Electric Motor Corporation and theSouthwest Jiaotong University. In addition to using hydrogen fuel to provide power using a fuel cell, the hydrail locomotive also uses an advanced permanent-magnet synchronous motor.
Presentations from the conference are available for download (PDF format) at http://hydrail.org/summary6.php.
The Sixth International Hydrail Conference was held on 1-2 July 2010 on the campus of Bahcesehir University in Istanbul, Turkey. The 2010 conference was generously hosted by the International Centre for Hydrogen Energy Technologies (ICHET), a project of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). For more information about the conference or to download presentations...
By: Willie D. Jones (Sept. 2009) Advocates of hydrogen-fuel-cell propulsion have a new target for their technology: trolleys. At the Fifth International Hydrail conference, held 11 and 12 June in Charlotte, N.C., engineers and transit planners concluded that streetcars are an ideal early application for...[More from IEEE Spectrum]
The BNSF Railway Co. and Vehicle Projects Inc. unveiled their hydrogen-powered fuel cell locomotive...[More from Topeka Capital-Journal]
Fuel Cell Today coverage
BNSF Railway Co. Press Release
11-12 June 2009 | Charlotte, NC, USA
Conference Downloads
Conference Presentations
Conference Program [PDF]
Speaker Biographies [PDF]
A conference featuring the latest developments in renewable energy-powered, carbon-neutral mass transit. Hydrogen-powered transit technology (Hydrail) is an energy-independent and low-cost public transportation option that protects local air quality and facilitates the ease of transition to tomorrow's hydrogen-based economy.
9 June 2008 | Valencia, Spain
Presentations now available for download, see the conference web page.
Hydrail in the News
Nov 15, 2011 | FEVE Website
The first hydrogen streetcar is slated to begin operation in 2012 along the Ferrocarriles de Vía Estrecha (FEVE) operated narrow-gauge railway in northern Spain. The Street car H2-Series 3400 has capacity to transport to about 20 or 30 travellers at a speed of 15-20 km/h. [English Translation] Fuel Cell Today Article
Aug 30, 2011 | Mooresville Tribune
We don't know, for certain, what the future holds for running a commuter train between Mooresville and Charlotte. The economy went south...
Aug 28, 2011 | Mooresville Tribune
Mooresville business leaders hope a series of Public Radio spots will bring needed attention - and financial support - to efforts to promote hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Jan 31, 2011 | HydrogenCarsNow
One of the first visionary US manufacturers to "get" the hydrolley concept has been Proterra Inc., the Golden, Colorado, (and now Greenville, South Carolina) manufacturer of state-of-the-art, Green-tech transit vehicles.
Jan 27, 2011 | Bloomberg Businessweek
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Thursday praised an electric bus manufacturer in South Carolina as a shining example of the innovative businesses President Barack Obama trumpeted in his most recent national address.
Jan 29, 2010 | HydrogenCarsNow.com
A Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) hydrogen train (hydrail) rolled into Southern California this week to meet Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The hydrail locomotive is...
Jan 29, 2010 | Orange County Register
Freight trains that run through Orange County could soon be powered by cleaner-burning fuel - hope given by newly emerging technology announced.
Jan 13, 2010 | Mooresville Tribune
China has now joined the U.S., Japan and Taiwan in demonstrating hydrogen fuel cell railway technology; hydrail.
Dec 4, 2009 | The Hill is Home
Capitol Hill Restoration Society resolution unanimously passed in support of streetcars without overhead wires.
Sep 4, 2009 | National Public Radio
"Towards Hydrogen Trains" radio broadcast featuring Robert Remick of the U.S. DOE National Renewable Energy Lab, Alistair Miller of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd., and Melanie Johnson of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Contact
Hydrail Questions:
Stan Thompson, Chairman
Hydrogen Economy Advancement Team (HEAT)
Mooresville/South Iredell Chamber of Commerce
+1 (704) 664-5486
hst2nd@aol.com
Registration Questions:
Jason Hoyle
Energy Center
Appalachian State University
+1 (828) 262-7514
hoylejw@appstate.edu