Metrolink Unveils First-Ever Zero-Emission Train on Arrow Line in San Bernardino

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The nation’s first hydrogen-powered, zero-emission train rolled out of downtown San Bernardino midmorning Saturday, Sept. 13, carrying its first passengers on Metrolink’s Arrow line.

The train, a Zero Emission Multiple Unit, or ZEMU, is the first of its kind for transit in North America. Manufactured by Stadler, a Swiss train maker, the train will operate exclusively on the 9-mile Arrow route between Redlands and San Bernardino.

Hundreds celebrated the ZEMU’s initial trip as the blue-and-white train left the downtown San Bernardino station and made its way to the University of Redlands, according to the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority. The train has seating space for 116 passengers plus standing room for 104 more.

SBCTA began testing the train about 10 months ago. The ZEMU is powered by fuel-cell technology, a kind of battery that uses hydrogen and oxygen in a chemical reaction to make energy, emitting only water vapor and no pollutants.

The switch to zero-emission railway vehicles has been in the works since the opening of the Arrow line in 2022. Saturday’s launch brings the first of three $23 million trains planned for the Arrow line. Under SBCTA’s contract with Stadler, there’s an option for the purchase of additional ZEMUs, so that the entire line may eventually run on zero-emission trains. Saturday, passengers were encouraged to try the ZEMU with free fares. But commuters and leisure travelers can check out the emission-free train daily on the Arrow line, which connects passengers to the Metrolink San Bernardino line with service to Union Station in L.A.