India’s 1st hydrogen train to roll out from Chennai's Integral Coach Factory
The first hydrogen train will run between Jind and the Sonipat section of Northern Railway. And the train would have a maximum speed of 110 km per hour.
Nation’s first hydrogen-powered train
CHENNAI: Indian Railways is set to roll out the nation’s first hydrogen-powered train from Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, in the next few days.
“The train will be of 1,200 horsepower (HP) and this will place India among the leaders in hydrogen-powered train technology,” said Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Railway Minister, in a post on X, a few days ago, after the train was successfully tested at ICF.
The first hydrogen train will run between Jind and the Sonipat section of Northern Railway. And the train would have a maximum speed of 110 km per hour.
“More such trains would be manufactured after reviewing the practical aspects and operations of the current train,” said an official attached to the ICF.
The operating cost of a train powered by hydrogen has not been determined by the Indian Railways. The initial operational cost of hydrogen fuel train sets is expected to be higher. However, it will eventually reduce as the number of trains increases.
Furthermore, as a clean energy source, hydrogen fuel offers greater advantages, enhancing green transportation technology to meet zero-carbon emission targets.
In 2023, Vaishnaw in the Rajya Sabha said that Indian Railways had planned to run 35 hydrogen trains under the “hydrogen for heritage” project at an estimated cost of Rs 80 crore per train and Rs 70 crore per route on various heritage and hill routes.