PM Modi to flag off the country’s first hydrogen train tomorrow; hailed as the dawn of a new era in clean transport

Chandigarh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the country’s first hydrogen fuel-based train from Jind, Haryana, tomorrow. He has described this as a major achievement for India in the realm of clean, eco-friendly, and modern rail transport.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister shared photos of the train on his official social media account, stating that India’s first hydrogen-powered train is ready for operations from Haryana. The images showcase the train’s modern design and state-of-the-art technology. The Prime Minister remarked that this train represents a significant milestone in Indian Railways’ technological advancement and the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiative.

This train will place Indian Railways among the select few nations globally that operate hydrogen trains. Crucially, Indian Railways has tested this technology for routes where laying overhead electric wires proves to be extremely difficult and costly.

The train will consist of 10 coaches and will be the world’s longest hydrogen train operating on a broad-gauge network. It will be powered by a robust 2,400-kilowatt engine. The images show the train’s Driving Power Car (DPC); the train features two such power cars, each with a capacity of 1,200 kilowatts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a glimpse of the country’s first hydrogen train on the social media platform Instagram on Wednesday. These images clearly reflect the transforming face of Indian Railways and India’s strides towards the goal of ‘net-zero’ pollution. The train will operate on completely pollution-free technology, ensuring there are no emissions of toxic gases during its run.

A special refueling facility has been established in Jind to safely store compressed hydrogen gas and refuel the train. For safety purposes, the train is equipped with ‘hydrogen leak detectors’ and ‘flame detectors,’ which will monitor the system round-the-clock.