The pilot project, which is being developed, will be instrumental in demonstrating hydrogen power technology for future rail operations.
In a significant development regarding India’s hydrogen train project, the manufacturing of the first hydrogen-powered train set has been completed. The government shared this information in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday (10 December). Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Indian Railways is working on the project on a pilot basis. It is being done according to the specifications framed by the Research, Design, and Standards Organisation.
Hydrogen power technology
The pilot project, which is being developed, will be instrumental in demonstrating hydrogen power technology for future rail operations. The initiative is mainly aimed at showcasing the use of hydrogen as a clean fuel in the railway sector. To take this initiative forward, i.e., to support the operation of hydrogen trains in the country, a hydrogen production plant has been set up at Jind. At this facility, hydrogen is produced through the electrolysis process. The infrastructure being developed will be dedicated to this pilot train set.
In his reply, Vaishnaw said, “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.”
Hydrogen plant Jind!
“Manufacturing of the hydrogen trainset has been completed. To provide hydrogen for this train set, a hydrogen plant has been proposed in Jind. In this plant, hydrogen is being produced using the electrolysis process, which is a key element of green hydrogen generation,” the Railway Minister added.
The major features of the hydrogen trainset include:
- Designed and developed in India under the Central government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
- Presently, it is said to be the world’s longest and most powerful hydrogen train set on the broad-gauge platform.
- It consists of ten coaches, having a total power output of 2400 kilowatts.
- The train is equipped with two driving power cars, each generating 1200 kW, and is supported by eight passenger coaches.
- It produces only water vapour as exhaust, making it a completely zero–carbon dioxide emission system.
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