Well hydrogen-powered steam trains anyway..... although they are comparing them vs diesels and not electric per se. Then again, hydrogen is quite light compared to batteries.
One small leak and you got the Challenger '86 explosion though. I think that's all going nowhere. Nuclear power and electric locos will be the only option for the future. There simply isn't anything remotely as efficient. In Germany we're driving "clean" electric cars powered by electricity from burning coal. Ridiculous.
Or the Hindenburg... I'm quite happy with my petrol/electric Hybrid Toyota Yaris. The miles per gallons drops a bit in the winter, currently getting around 62 mpg but in summer up around 77 mpg. That's better than the two motorcycles I rode many years ago ever delivered.
Is Hydrogen that much more dangerous than diesel, though? I remember a crash (I think Ladbroke Grove) where the diesel tank was crushed, vapourising the fuel. The vapour then touched the overhead wires, causing a massive fireball. Hydrogen is more dangerous than Helium, yes, but diesel?
It's not really that much more dangerous. What made the Hindenberg bad was that it was in the air and involved a lot of people who couldn't get out. Trains (especially freight trains) wouldn't have that issue unless we are looking into flying trains =-)
We could. That requires a lot of new infrastructure. Currently they just make it using existing processes that use natural gas. It's more of an accidental byproduct. You'd have to have a large hydrolosis plant. I still say the comparison isn't between diesel and hydrogen but rather between electric and hydrogen for the future. On the face of it, electric is the obvious choice since it's already in use. There are unelectrified areas, but batteries are perhaps a better, more compact choice. On trains weight is less an issue than bulk which is where hydrogen has less of an advantage (unless you pressurize/liquify it which has more added issues) However, then there wouldn't be a cool title like "new steam trains" =-) Although while there's no use for it, you can always have an electric steam train if you really want. Just have an electric boiler.
