India’s First Hydrogen Train: A Green Leap Towards Zero-Emission Rail Transport

India’s First Hydrogen Train Latest News

• PM Modi will flag off India’s first hydrogen-powered train in Jind, Haryana, on July 17, 2026. 
• With this, India joins an elite group of countries, including Japan, South Korea, the US, and Canada, that operate hydrogen trains (“H-trains”), marking a major milestone in green transportation technology.

Key Features of the Train

• India’s hydrogen train is among the world’s longest and most powerful hydrogen trainsets, with the following specifications:
  • Configuration: Eight passenger cars and two driving power cars (10 coaches total)
  • Power: 2400 kilowatts (3200 hp)
  • Capacity: 682 seats, with a total passenger capacity of 2,600
  • Route: 89-km Jind-Sonipat section via 12 stations, with a 2-hour travel time
  • Speed: Operational speed of 75 km/h, maximum speed of 120 km/h
  • Operations: Two round trips daily, covering 356 km and consuming about 300 kg of hydrogen
  • Emissions: Zero CO2 emissions; the only by-product is harmless water vapour

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Global Context: Hydrogen Trains Elsewhere

• French rolling stock giant Alstom first presented hydrogen train technology at a 2016 exhibition in Berlin. 
• Its Coradia iLint trainset was launched in Germany in 2018, becoming the world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train. 
• Japan, China, and the US subsequently launched their own hydrogen trains. 
• However, the technology remains in an evolving stage for mass transportation of passengers and freight, which is why few countries operate such trains, and mostly for short-haul routes.

How Do Hydrogen Trains Work?

• Unlike conventional electric locomotives that draw alternating current from overhead wires, hydrogen trains generate their own electricity by combining hydrogen with oxygen.
• In India’s hydrogen train, each of the two power cars houses four integrated power packs, comprising hydrogen fuel cells and lithium ferro phosphate batteries. 
• The fuel cell draws hydrogen stored on board (440 kg, at high pressure) and combines it with oxygen from the outside air to generate electrical energy.

Power distribution

• Each power pack generates 300 kW (115 kW from the fuel cell, 185 kW from the battery). 
• Four power packs together provide 1200 kW per power car, and with two power cars, total power reaches 2400 kW, comparable to conventional electrical or diesel-electric multiple unit trains on similar routes.

Working mechanism

• The fuel cell delivers constant power output. At start-up, when power demand is low, surplus fuel cell electricity charges the battery. 
• As speed and power demand increase, the battery supplements the fuel cell. 
• Near the station, as demand drops again, the battery recharges using surplus fuel cell energy, ending the journey nearly 80% charged. 
• The train was essentially created by replacing diesel engines in old diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) rakes with this hydrogen-electric propulsion system. 
• The core fuel cell technology has been imported from Canadian company Ballard.

The Storage Challenge

• Storing and transporting hydrogen safely is the biggest technical hurdle. 
• While normal atmospheric pressure is one “bar,” hydrogen must be stored at 200-500 bar, making it highly flammable and difficult to handle. 
• Additionally, hydrogen production levels remain low globally, and transportation is logistically challenging.
• To address this, Indian Railways has set up a 3,000-kg-capacity fuelling facility at Jind, along with a chiller plant that cools hydrogen to minus 15°C during dispensing, converting it into a liquid state for safer and easier handling.

Conclusion

• India’s first hydrogen train marks a significant stride toward clean, zero-emission rail transport, placing the country among a handful of global pioneers. 
• However, challenges around hydrogen storage, production, and cost mean its long-term expansion will depend heavily on the pilot project’s real-world performance on the Jind-Sonipat route.

Source: IE | LM | ToI