India’s first hydrogen train steps up speed, targets 110 kmph
India's hydrogen train, currently at 75 kmph, aims to reach 110 kmph, with trials underway. Stakeholders are being consulted on route and fuel arrangements for zero-emission operation.
India's hydrogen train, currently at 75 kmph, aims to reach 110 kmph, with trials underway. Stakeholders are being consulted on route and fuel arrangements for zero-emission operation.
India's hydrogen train, currently at 75 kmph, aims to reach 110 kmph, with trials underway. Stakeholders are being consulted on route and fuel arrangements for zero-emission operation.
India's first hydrogen-powered train, which operates on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana, currently operates at 75 kmph. Now, the Indian Railways is working to operate it at speeds of up to 110 kmph after completing trials at 120 kmph.
Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar said on Sunday in Indore that consultations were underway with all stakeholders to decide which rail sections the new train could operate on, with technical aspects and fuel-supply arrangements also being examined.
A train that generates electricity
The hydrogen train was flagged off in July this year to operate on its 89 km maiden route. Unlike conventional electric trains that draw power from overhead lines, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trainset generates electricity on board through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water vapour and heat as its only by-product. There is no combustion, smoke, or tailpipe carbon emissions.
According to reports, India's hydrogen train has already clocked more than 2,500 km of commercial operations. The country targets to deploy 35 hydrogen trains on heritage routes that do not support railway electrification. India's current hydrogen train is a 10-coach train, and it can carry around 2,600 passengers. Its key stations are Jind Junction, Gohana Junction and Sonipat, while the intermediate halts include Pandu Pindara, Jind City, Butana, Bhambhewa, Khandari, Lath and Mohana.
11 more Vande Bharat sleeper trains this year
Kumar also said the country's first Vande Bharat sleeper express was currently operating between Howrah and Kamakhya (Guwahati), while four more such trains have been completed and will be formally inaugurated in the coming days.
The Railways is expected to receive 11 more Vande Bharat sleeper trains this year. As many as 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains are being manufactured under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, and each train would take around one to one-and-a-half years to complete, he said.
The Railways was planning to operate 100 to 125 special trains for the Simhastha festival in Ujjain in 2028 and was strengthening infrastructure for the large religious gathering, he added.
(With PTI inputs)