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India Launches Country's First Hydrogen-Powered Train

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India launched its first indigenous hydrogen-powered train, joining Germany, Japan, China and the US in the select group of countries to explore hydrogen-powered rail transportation, according to a government statement on Friday.

The hydrogen fuel cell-powered train, flagged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Jind, will operate on the Northern Railway's Jind-Sonipat section in Haryana state.

"As the technology remains at a nascent stage, the project will provide valuable operational experience. This will support future applications of hydrogen-powered mobility in the railway sector," according to a statement by the Railway Ministry last week.

The 10-car train is powered by a 1,200-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system. It can transport about 2,600 passengers and is approved to operate at a maximum speed of 75 kilometres per hour, with a design speed of 110 km/h.

The project development was based on the design and technical specifications approved by the Research, Design & Standards Organisation, the statement said.

The train uses proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology to generate electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen across a proton-conducting perfluorosulfonic acid polymer membrane. Its only by-products are water vapour and heat.

Hydrogen contains 120 megajoules of energy per kilogram, compared with 43 MJ/kg for diesel. Indian Railways has built dedicated infrastructure to support the technology, the statement said.

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