Did you know that trains can run on nothing but electricity derived from hydrogen and oxygen? For proof, just look at West Sacramento.
According to KCRA 3, the city made history when it converted a diesel locomotive into a fully electric hydrogen powerhouse — the first of its kind in the United States.
This technology is known as a hydrogen fuel cell. It involves splitting electrons out of hydrogen atoms and passing them through a simple battery. The resulting reaction generates electricity, with only heat and water as byproducts.
Powering vehicles with this process is a big deal, primarily because it can replace other fuels that worsen air quality and heat the planet.
West Sacramento's hydrogen train can make all the same stops it used to and top off its fuel cell just like a gas tank. The crucial difference is that instead of burning a limited and toxic resource that endangers humans, all it needs to chug along are two of the most basic elements in the periodic table.
That's promising news for nearby residents, who will enjoy a quieter, less smoggy neighborhood. Plans are in the works to add three more hydrogen trains to the region, which local politicians view as a prime opportunity to create local jobs and boost the economy, KCRA 3 reported.
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"We're looking to see how we can get our community in the pipeline to be that workforce of the future," said West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, per the outlet.
Granted, the costs of producing and transporting hydrogen can make it a more expensive option in certain industries. Not to mention, dirty fuels are often still needed to make the supply chain possible.
Yet the technology's potential for providing clean and cost-effective energy is clearly there, especially as the field advances.
The new addition to Sierra Northern Railway tracks can prevent up to 50,000 gallons of diesel from polluting the air each year. The railway estimates that this is equivalent to nearly 20,000 gas-powered cars being taken off the road, KCRA 3 explained.
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"This is huge," Ken Beard III, president and CEO of Sierra Northern Railway, told KCRA 3 at the new train's ribbon-cutting. "No others exist in the United States."
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