"This is a very significant day in the direction of self-reliant India and sustainable development," Modi said on X.
The locomotive — which is designed, engineered and built ?in India — is powered ?by a 1,200-kilowatt ?hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system.
The train, known as the Namo Green Rail, will shuttle two times a day between the cities of Jind and Sonipat in the northern state of Haryana, which borders the capital, New Delhi. It will cover a one-way distance of 90 kilometers (55 miles).
It has 10 coaches in total: two are hydrogen-powered driving cars and eight are passenger coaches.
The train can run at speeds of up to 75 kilometers per hour and carry a maximum of some 2,600 passengers, railway officials said.
The pilot project also includes hydrogen storage and refueling infrastructure to test the use of the technology in India's vast rail network, as per officials.
India has now joined countries such as Germany, Japan, China and the United States that are testing or operating hydrogen-powered trains.
The rollout is part of India's bid to develop green hydrogen and reduce carbon emissions. The country has set an ambitious target to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity on board by combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce water vapor as the only direct emission.
