My understanding is that hydrogen storage isn't as space efficient as diesel, so the trains have to refuel more often. Refuelling is also complicated by the high pressures involved, and that likely makes it take longer. It's feasible to 'electrify' a low service frequency line with hydrogen, but not the bread-and-butter 'train every 15 minutes' routes.
Benefits of hydrogen versus conventional electrification:
If 'there shalt be hydrogen' (and that isn't clear to me yet), then ideally the province would go ahead with overhead wires on high frequency routes like Lakeshore East/West, UPX, and the core SmartTrack areas, with Hydrail used on lower frequency runs to the ends of the Milton, Kitchener, Barrie, Richmond Hill, and Stouffville lines.
Of course my ideal would just be to start stringing conventional wires everywhere now -- I think hydrogen is still too speculative for us to bet on while playing catch-up to decades of mediocre public transit.
Benefits of hydrogen versus conventional electrification:
- No wiring required along the entire line, just refuelling stations
- Ability to 'time-shift' energy usage, i.e. use only off-peak electricity to produce hydrogen, or surplus on-peak power that would otherwise be exported at a loss (windy days)
If 'there shalt be hydrogen' (and that isn't clear to me yet), then ideally the province would go ahead with overhead wires on high frequency routes like Lakeshore East/West, UPX, and the core SmartTrack areas, with Hydrail used on lower frequency runs to the ends of the Milton, Kitchener, Barrie, Richmond Hill, and Stouffville lines.
Of course my ideal would just be to start stringing conventional wires everywhere now -- I think hydrogen is still too speculative for us to bet on while playing catch-up to decades of mediocre public transit.
...K