Hydrogen Train Feasibility Study for PTA's Regional Rail Network

Background

A key outcome in the Western Australian Climate Policy is for state government agencies to conduct analysis and prepare plans to reduce their emissions with interim targets and an ultimate goal of net zero emissions by 2050. In October 2021, the Public Transport Authority (PTA) were invited to submit grant proposals to the Western Australian State Government under the Climate Action Fund. The purpose of the Climate Action Fund is to assist state government agencies with pursuing initiatives that will support implementation of the actions detailed in the Western Australian Climate Policy and ultimately achieve the aforementioned key outcome. Subsequently, the PTA submitted a grant proposal to investigate the feasibility of the use of hydrogen fuel cell trains on the PTA regional passenger network as a potential pathway to net zero emissions. It has since been granted and is made up of the following scope.

Scope of Services

This study will advise the PTA as to:

• whether green hydrogen could be a viable pathway to net zero emissions for some or all of its regional train network.
• whether the use of hydrogen fuel cell trains on the PTA regional network are a viable pathway to upskill local workforces (for example, can we build, operate, and maintain hydrogen fuel cell trains in Australia, and specifically Western Australia?).
• whether the use of hydrogen fuel cell trains is a viable way to attract new customers for the PTA regional rail network, and to minimise serious complaints regarding noise and fuel emissions generated by the existing diesel fleet.

Additionally, this study will:

• inform the PTA with developing specifications for the future procurement of regional trains, with particular focus on the Prospector line trains which have an end of design life in 2030.
• inform the WA State Government as part of their bigger strategy to develop a green hydrogen economy (for example, could a trial train be a use case of green hydrogen as a fuel for heavy transport such as freight trucks, buses, and trains in WA or could there be a hydrogen refuelling hub for not only PTA but other operators of the shared network?).

Further information and a detailed scope of the PTA’s requirements is included in the PTA220099 – (Book 4) Services RFT Scope of Services and Specification.