Unlike “switchers,” which are captive vehicles that operate only in rail yards, “road-switchers” can additionally pull short trains across town from the yard to customers’ facilities. Road-switchers thus require higher power and longer operating range than switcher locomotives. Anything a switcher can do, a road-switcher can do.

In this proposed project, we will upgrade the Fuelcell Switcher Locomotive (see above) to a road-switcher, a second-generation locomotive. The two fuelcell-hybrid locomotives will look virtually identical, and in fact they share the same platform, the commercially available diesel-battery hybrid Green GoatTM switcher. At 127 tonne, it will weigh the same as the switcher and share much of its technology, in particular, fuelcell power modules (building blocks) based on the powerplant of the Citaro fuelcell transit bus.

However, its performance and range will be substantially greater: It will employ four modules (versus two) giving twice the power, a more energy-dense, smaller nickel-metal hydride traction battery, and three times the hydrogen fuel storage. These technology enhancements will allow the road-switcher to pull trains across metropolitan areas with zero emissions.