Okanagan posted Aug 19, 2024 @ 06:25pm by NowMedia Staff

Why hydrogen? Lovegrove dives deeper into Kamloops-Osoyoos train idea

Kelowna councillor Gord Lovegrove has an idea that’s generated plenty of buzz lately.

But it’s not something he’s pitched in council chambers, as it’s something that he’s been envisioning for several years as an engineering professor at UBC Okanagan.

It’s a hydrogen fuel cell/battery-powered electric passenger light rail line through the Okanagan Valley, which would run 340 kilometres between Kamloops and Osoyoos.

NowMedia has covered the idea with multiple stories in the past, as early as when Lovegrove ran for council in 2018 and most recently in July.

<who>Photo Credit: UBCO

What put the idea back in the spotlight in July was a study on the feasibility of such an idea, which was published in the journal Sustainability.

Lovegrove said he was told by staffers at UBCO that the social media posts regarding the train in July received some of the highest engagement in the school’s history.

As you might expect, there have been plenty of questions surrounding the billion-dollar idea, many of which Lovegrove has answered in the past.

Recently, he visited the NowMedia studios to sit down with video host Jim Csek to dive into one specific question a little deeper.

Why hydrogen?

In this latest interview, Lovegrove dives deeper into why hydrogen is the answer for this bold idea that would completely transform transportation through the region.