PM Modi to flag off India’s first hydrogen-powered train from Jind
India’s first hydrogen-powered train, to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Haryana’s Jind railway station on Friday, is equipped with multi-layer safety systems capable of detecting hydrogen leaks, heat, flames and smoke.
The train will run between the Jind and Sonipat railway stations.
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-products. “In a sense, the train once again carries its own source of power, as steam and diesel locomotives once did.
But instead of burning traditional fuels, such as coal or diesel, hydrogen generates electricity inside the train using oxygen from the atmosphere, eliminating combustion and dependence on an external power supply,” according to an official statement issued on Thursday. As electricity is generated on board through clean-hydrogen technology, the train represents the greenest form of rail propulsion, powering the future of sustainable mobility. “To complement this advanced propulsion system, India has equipped the train with multi-layer safety systems capable of detecting hydrogen leaks, heat, flames and smoke,” the statement said.
With an operational speed of 75 kmph and a design speed of 110 kmph, the train is not only safer but also faster on the 89-km Jind-Sonipat section.
Hydrogen-powered trains are still at a nascent stage globally. Germany was the first country to introduce commercial hydrogen passenger trains, while France, Italy, China, Japan and a few other countries are pursuing pilot projects or limited deployments.
