Guwahati: The Indian Railways is poised to make history with the launch of its first hydrogen-powered train. The Railways is set to trial its first hydrogen-powered train this December. The trial run will take place on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana, covering a distance of 90 kilometers.
This aligns with Indian Railways’ goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
If the December trial is successful, the railway network plans to introduce 35 more hydrogen-powered trains by 2025.
The train, manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Tamil Nadu, is designed to run at speeds up to 140 kilometers per hour. It uses fuel cells that combine hydrogen and oxygen to generate electricity, with water vapour as the only emission.
This move puts India alongside countries like Germany, Sweden, and China, which have already embraced hydrogen train technology.
Each hydrogen train is estimated to cost Rs 80 crore, while the ground infrastructure will require Rs 70 crore per route on various heritage and hill routes. The initial running cost of hydrogen fuel-based train sets is expected to be higher but will reduce gradually as the number of trains increases.
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The use of hydrogen as a fuel provides significant benefits for green transportation technology, supporting zero-carbon emission goals as a clean energy source.
