India’s First Hydrogen-powered Train Trial Run Begins

New Delhi: Indian Railways has embarked on a state-of-the-art project to run the first hydrogen train on a pilot basis as per the specifications set by the Research, Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) to demonstrate the use of hydrogen-powered train technology in Railways.

The hydrogen train, developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), is a significant step towards cleaner and greener rail transport in the country. Trial runs of the hydrogen train are being carried out on the Jind-Sonipat section of the Northern Railway. As part of the evaluation process, RDSO will conduct sway tests and Emergency Braking Distance (EBD) tests.

The information was given by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology, in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha last week. In his response, the Minister said that the production of the Hydrogen Train Set has been completed. A hydrogen plant has been proposed in Jind to supply hydrogen to this train set. In this facility, hydrogen is produced through electrolysis, which is an important step in the production of green hydrogen.

The Minister said the Hydrogen Train set includes many important elements, including a train designed and developed in India, demonstrating Indian Railways’ commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat. The train will be put into service after the successful completion of the trials and receipt of the necessary approvals from the relevant authorities.

Vaishnaw stated that it is currently the world’s longest (10 wagons) and most powerful (2400 kW) Hydrogen Train Set on the Large Gauge platform. Additionally, the train set consists of two Powered Cars (DPC) and eight passenger cars, each rated at 1200 kW, for a total of 2400 kW.

The Minister said that one of the most important features of this train is zero CO2 emissions; the only emission is water vapor. Vaishnaw said that this project is an important step towards the development of new generation fuel technology for Railways. This project involved designing, prototyping and producing hydrogen traction technology for the first time for Indian Railways. Since the Hydrogen Train set and infrastructure are being developed on a pilot basis, it would not be fair to directly compare the cost of hydrogen fueled trains with established traction systems at this stage.

The introduction of the hydrogen train into commercial service will enable India to join the elite global league of countries such as Germany, China, Sweden and Japan that operate such trains.

According to the minister, the project demonstrates Indian Railways’ commitment to developing alternative energy-powered rail travel and helps deliver a cleaner, greener future for the country’s transport sector.