CATAWBA COLLEGE -- Experts from around the world were in Salisbury Monday and will be back again Tuesday to discuss technology that would revolutionize railway transportation.

They are discussing hydrogen-powered rail – or “hydrail” as it’s been termed by Charlotte area resident Stan Thompson. This is the third year international leaders were invited to discuss their progress with a hydrogen-fueled rail system.

“The reason we hold these is so the people who have just begun to work on this new science will know what each other are doing and will be encouraged and will be able to swap each others' information,” said Thompson, a member of the Mooresville/South Iredell Economic Development Commission.

Professor Tarun Huria works with the Indian Railways’ Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering; he says his country’s issues with oil are the same as the U.S. He says petroleum is expensive and polluting the environment.

“We need to reduce the pollution by using alternate sources of energy which are cleaner technologies and by using public transport, so public transport in India is railways and use of railways and use of hydrogen in railways. That is the reason I'm here for,” Huria said.

When the first hydrail conference was held, there were only 4 or 5 countries discussing the technology. Now three years later, at least 16 countries are working on a hydrail project.

David Carol is the project manager for the Charlotte to Mooresville CATS commuter rail line. He says hydrogen technology could be used for that system.

“It has a single fueling point, a nice short distance and it goes into downtown urban areas where we have the worst air quality concerns, so commuter rail can be very effective as a test bed for this type of technology,” Carol explained.

The experts believe getting these minds together will help the movement stay on track. Hydrail technology was invented by a research and development team in Colorado three years ago. Experts say by the year 2010, four or five countries in the world will be operating a hydrail system.

For more information on the hydrail movement log onto www.hydrail.org