In December 2020, CPKC’s Hydrogen Locomotive Program announced work on the H2OEL, a retrofit of an existing diesel-electric linehaul locomotive. The diesel prime mover and traction alternator are being replaced with hydrogen fuel cell and battery technology to power the unit’s electric traction motors. Ballard is supplying six 200-kilowatt fuel cell modules, which will provide a total of 1.2 megawatts of electricity to power the locomotive.
On March 10, 2021, CPKC President and CEO Keith Creel told attendees of Railway Age’s Next-Gen Freight Rail conference that the Program locomotive is to be operational by the end of 2022. At that time, the railroad has said it “will conduct rail service trials and qualification testing to evaluate the technology’s readiness for the freight-rail sector.”
If the concept is proven reliable, CPKC could produce two additional locomotives, according to Creel. While the Class I railroad is not looking to become a locomotive manufacturer, he told Railway Age conference attendees, its vision is to partner with an OEM in the future to “benefit CPKC and the North American [railroad] landscape.”
On the CPKC website, Creel noted that the project is “globally significant” and “positions CP at the leading edge of decarbonizing the freight transportation sector. CP will continue to focus on finding innovative solutions to transform our operations and implement our Climate Strategy, positioning CP and our industry as leaders for a sustainable future.”
Dr. Kyle Mulligan
Kyle Mulligan is the Assistant Vice President – Operations Technology at Canadian Pacific Kansas Pacific, where he is responsible for overseeing CPKC’s hydrogen locomotive, advanced analytics, standards, wayside detection, train dynamics and marshalling, and incident investigation programs. More simply, Kyle uses data and technology to help ensure CPKC continues to operate the safest Class 1 railroad in North America for 16 years running. As a leader at CPKC, Kyle strives to deliver results on time and on budget, while also mentoring those around him. He is trained and qualified as a locomotive engineer, conductor, freight car inspector, welder, and leadership coach. He has used his first-hand experience to further understand impacts of the systems that he designs for operations in the field including never before seen industry technologies such as, but not limited to: broken rail detection in dark territory, predictive acoustic bearing failure technology, cracked wheel detectors and top of rail surface scanning systems.
Kyle’s achievements are supported by over 20 international conference and journal publications and several accolades. Kyle holds a doctorate (PhD) in mechanical engineering from the University of Sherbrooke in addition to degrees in computer systems, electrical, and biomedical engineering. He is a two-time recipient of CPKC’s CEO Award for Excellence, was named as one of Railway Age’s 2018 top 10 under 40, CPKC’s 2019 Railroad of the Year, and has received back-to-back 2018/2019 Railway Association of Canada safety awards. He is an active member of the community as a mentor with FIRST, a group that inspires young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Kyle and his wife Sandie also work together to help integrate refuge families into Canadian life through mentorship and work with veterans by hosting nutrition and cooking classes such that they can be prepared to eat healthily in life outside of the military.