Rail and trucking leaders outline business case for hydrogen along North American corridors

Brent Lakeman, executive director of the Edmonton Region Hydrogen Hub, convened rail, trucking and hub leaders to debate whether hydrogen can be scaled into a viable fuel for long‑distance freight and rail.

Kyle Mulligan, who leads CPKC’s hydrogen locomotive program, said the carrier began testing conversions in 2020 and has moved from a prototype to active service. “We have 12 locomotives operating in North America,” Mulligan said, adding that CPKC aims to reach 20 locomotives by the end of next year. He described government grants and industry partnerships that paid for prototypes and onsite electrolyzers and said shared infrastructure across modes can lower delivered fuel costs.

Terry Johnson of the Alberta Motor Transport Association described trucking pilots that put hydrogen fuel‑cell trucks into routine freight operations. Johnson emphasized operational advantages in cold climates and worker safety, saying fuel‑cell vehicles are “so clean to work on” and better suited to long distances where batteries struggle in extreme low temperatures.

Chris Green of the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association said hubs should prioritize proximate, modest electrolyzer capacity rather than only large remote green hydrogen plants, noting the delivered price is highly sensitive to transport distance: “you move hydrogen a 100 miles if you add a dollar a kilogram per 100 miles, and it adds up.” He and other panelists identified SAF, fertilizer feedstocks and certain industrial uses as near‑term demand anchors where low‑carbon hydrogen has clearer economics.

Panelists identified three practical enablers to build corridors: 1) coordinated offtake or long‑term agreements to reduce supplier risk and pull down price per kilogram; 2) co‑locating fueling infrastructure across rail and trucking to create shared demand; and 3) hardening North American supply chains for critical components such as rail‑certified batteries and conversion kits. Mulligan said CPKC is pursuing local battery assembly in Innisfail, Alberta, to reduce reliance on European suppliers.

Speakers also warned of policy and trade barriers. Mulligan said tariffs on cross‑border conversion kits have increased conversion costs materially, and others pressed for harmonized standards to allow vehicles and tanks to refuel and operate cross‑jurisdictionally without bespoke equipment at each stop.

The panel closed by urging continued public and private investment, more fueling stations along major corridors (I‑90, I‑5 and comparable north–south routes), and sustained collaboration among carriers, producers and regulators. Lakeman said the hubs’ convening role is essential to aggregate demand and attract financing so projects can move from pilots into widely usable infrastructure.