Zero-Emission Multiple Unit (ZEMU) passenger rail project wins award for hydrogen safety excellence

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority’s (SBCTA) Zero-Emission Multiple Unit (ZEMU) passenger rail project recently won the Center for Hydrogen Safety’s Robert Zalosh Hydrogen Safety Excellence Award in the project category. This award celebrates teams that have implemented impactful safety initiatives in the hydrogen industry.

The ZEMU project supports SBCTA’s goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions on their passenger rail service in Southern California. The first federally-compliant hydrogen fuel cell-battery hybrid passenger train in North America, FLIRT H2, was unveiled in San Bernardino in August 2024.

Nick Barilo and Victor Bohnert from the Center for Hydrogen Safety presented the Robert Zalosh award to Brianne Overton (Principal Project Manager, Mott MacDonald), Carrie Schindler (Deputy Executive Director, SBCTA), and Joy Buenaflor (Deputy Director of Transit and Rail Programs - Capital Delivery, SBCTA) at the AIChE and GCPS Spring Meeting on April 8, 2025.

Mott MacDonald has been involved on the project since 2018, supporting the grant application and technology evaluation. The team oversaw the hydrogen vehicle design, manufacturing, testing, commissioning, and regulatory approvals. We also led the design, procurement, and implementation of a new hydrogen fueling facility and upgrades to the existing Arrow Maintenance Facility building to allow for the safe maintenance and operation of the hydrogen vehicle.

Our work involved identifying the necessary modifications to meet hydrogen code requirements and address hydrogen specific hazards from the introduction of the pilot vehicle. Our team worked closely with members of the Hydrogen Safety Panel and US national labs to review the design to ensure a safe and innovative design outcome.

The ZEMU vehicle and supporting fueling and maintenance infrastructure will be the first of its kind in North America. Read more about the award.