Zero-emission train arrives to serve Redlands-to-San Bernardino line

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TransitAmerica Services Inc. Arrow Deputy General Manager of Operations Tyler Pruitt, right, is seen Thursday, June 20, 2024, with Transportation Supervisor Garrett Byrd, who guided the train and crew during the journey of the new zero-emission train to San Bernardino. (Courtesy of San Bernardino County Transportation Authority)

Metrolink Arrow’s new zero-emission train — the first of its kind in the U.S. — has arrived in San Bernardino County.

The approximately 108-seat train, called a Zero Emission Multiple Unit, or ZEMU for short, will be making rides between San Bernardino and Redlands much cleaner.

The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority had planned for the train to arrive in May, but it rolled into San Bernardino’s Santa Fe Depot on Thursday, June 20, after further testing.

By the end of this year, travel on one of the three Arrow line trains will be more environmentally friendly thanks to the launch of the first self-powered, zero-emission train. Transit officials anticipate it will be the most environmentally efficient railcar in the United States when it starts operating.

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A zero-emission passenger train arrives Thursday, June 20, 2024, at the Santa Fe Depot in San Bernardino. It will be part of the Arrow line from San Bernardino to Redlands by the end of the year. (Courtesy of San Bernardino County Transportation Authority)

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It will be a milestone for the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, where officials have been trying to turn the idea of a hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered train into a reality for years.

Authority spokesperson Tim Watkins said the agency has long had a vision “to transition to a zero-emission fleet.”

The first of three $23 million railway vehicles is expected to start hauling passengers on the 9-mile route before the calendar turns to 2025. The goal is to eventually make the other two Arrow line trains zero-emission.

“ZEMU’s arrival in San Bernardino is a significant milestone recognizing years of strategic planning for a greener rail system,” Ray Marquez, a Chino Hills city councilmember and president of the agency’s board, said in a news release.

Built in Eastern Switzerland, the train chugged its way to Pueblo, Colorado, before coming to California. Its use is expected to improve air quality in the region and reduce noise, transit officials said.

This month, the train will start the last stage of testing, which will see it run short trips back and forth on the Metrolink and Arrow line. Arrow, the 9-mile passenger rail service between Redlands and San Bernardino, launched in October 2022.

Updates on the zero-emission train and information on the Arrow line can be found here.

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