Last Updated on December 13, 2025 by Author
Indian Railways has taken up a state-of-the-art project for running its first hydrogen train, on a pilot basis, as per specifications framed by the Research, Design & Standards Organisation (RDSO) to demonstrate the use of hydrogen-powered train technology in Railways.
Manufacturing of the Hydrogen Train-set has been completed. For providing hydrogen for use in this train set, a hydrogen plant has been conceived at Jind. In this plant, hydrogen is being produced using the electrolysis process, which is a key element of green hydrogen generation.
Prominent features of the Hydrogen Train-set are as below:
- Designed and developed in India, demonstrating Indian Railways’ commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat.
- Presently, it is the world’s longest (10 coaches) and most powerful (2400 kW) Hydrogen Train-set on a Broad Gauge platform.
- The train-set comprises two Driving Power Cars (DPCs) of 1200 kW each, totalling 2400 kW, along with eight passenger cars.
- Zero CO2 emissions; the only emission is water vapour.
- A major step in the development of next-generation fuel technology in Railways.
This project involved designing from the first stages, prototype manufacturing and first-time development of hydrogen traction technology in Indian Railways. As the Hydrogen Train-set and its infrastructure have been developed on a pilot basis, direct comparison of the cost of hydrogen-fuelled trains with established traction systems at this stage would not present a fair cost comparison.
The project establishes the commitment of Indian Railways towards advancements in alternative energy-powered train travel, thereby ensuring a cleaner and greener future for the country’s transportation sector.
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
