Rail Industry Reducing Emissions & Boosting Energy Savings

Brentwood was in attendance at InnoTrans 2016 in Berlin, Germany, to see the unveiling of Alstom’s new Coradia iLint regional train – a full emission-free train. Based on its successful Coradia Lint platform, Alstom is now offering the iLint, which uses fuel cell technology to produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen. Eliminating the need for diesel, this technology produces emissions in the form of water instead of carbon dioxide.

German Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Alexander Dobrindt (pictured below), and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Alstom Group, Henri Poupart-Lafarge, shook hands and delivered a speech about the iLint and its impact on the environment. Green initiatives such as this one represent a shift in the rail industry – where things can be slow to change – to better protect our environment and reduce energy consumption. The fast two-year development of the Lint spinoff is a point of pride for Alstom as countries around the world push to achieve their goals for big reductions in greenhouse emissions.

As rail authorities increasingly seek energy-reducing solutions, weight savings has become another important design consideration. Thermoplastic options that meet the strict health and safety standards of the U.S. rail industry have become available on a global scale. These materials offer a lighter alternative to traditional fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) parts, and therefore, have the ability to contribute to lighter vehicles and energy savings. With a long history of part and process design experience in the rail industry, Brentwood is partnering with rail transportation companies to help them achieve these goals.