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Updated: Oct 27, 2017 16:38 IST

The world’s first hybrid electric tram powered by hydrogen fuel cells has started running in China, marking a big step in the application of green energy in public transport.

Researched and manufactured by Chinese, it is the world’s first hybrid electric tram, with hydrogen being the main power source, according to China Railway Rolling Corporation (CRRC) Tangshan Co, the maker of the tram.

The tram was put into commercial operation for the first time in Tangshan, north China’s Hebei Province, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.

With water being its only emission, the tram emits no pollutants. No nitrogen oxides will be produced as the temperature of the reaction inside hydrogen fuel cells is controlled under 100 degrees Celsius.

The distance between carriage floor of the tram and the rail is only 35 centimeters thanks to the latest low-floor technology, which can remove station platforms and thus making boarding easy for passengers, the report said.

The tram, having three carriages with 66 seats, can run for 40 kilometers at a maximum speed of 70 kilometers per hour after being refilled with 12 kilograms of hydrogen.

The tram operates on a 136-year-old railway line in Tangshan City, one of China’s earliest industrial cities, and links several of its industrial heritage sites.