Indian Railways has marked a major milestone towards clean and sustainable mobility by completing the manufacturing of its first hydrogen-powered train set. The train will be operated on a pilot basis. The design and specification of the train is laid down by the Research, Design and Standards Organization (RDSO). The main objective of the project is to showcase the viability, safety and operational performance of hydrogen-powered train technology across the Indian railway network.

The Union Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwin Vaishnav stated in the Lok Sabha last week that this imitative underlines Indian Railways strong resolve to embrace alternative energy solutions and move decisively towards a cleaner, greener and much sustainable future for rail transportation in the country.

The government has planned a dedicated hydrogen generation plant at Jind. At this plant, hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis process, which is a key component of green hydrogen generation. This project is closely aligned with the India’s broader clean energy and decarbonization objectives.

The Hydrogen tarin is entirely designed and developed within the country which emphasis on the Atmanirbhar atmanirbhar Bharat vision. It holds the distinction of being the world’s longest hydrogen-powered trainset, with a total of 10 coaches, and is also the most powerful hydrogen train operating on a broad-gauge platform, delivering an overall power output of 2,400 kW

The train consists of two Driving Power Cars (DPCs)each rated at 1,200kW, along with eight passenger coaches. The key advantage of the train is that it produces zero carbon dioxide emissions, with water vapor being the only emission. This represents a significant advancement in the adoption of next-generation fuel technology by Indian Railways

The officials have pointed out that the project involved comprehensive development work, beginning from the initial deign to prototype manufacturing and first-ever deployment of hydrogen traction technology within the Indian Railways system. Since both the hydrogen trainset and its associated infrastructure have been developed on the pilot basis, the government has clarified that making a direct cost comparison with established conventional traction systems would not be appropriate at this stage.