Indian Railways has finished building its first hydrogen-powered train set, prepared under RDSO’s guidelines, and plans to roll it out on a pilot route to showcase how hydrogen can be used in railway operations. The update came from Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
He explained that a dedicated hydrogen plant is planned in Jind to fuel the train. The plant will use electrolysis, which is central to producing green hydrogen.
The new train set has been designed and developed in India, reflecting the broader push toward Atmanirbhar Bharat. According to Vaishnaw, it is currently the longest hydrogen train in the world on a broad-gauge system, with ten coaches and a total power output of 2400 kW. It includes two driving power cars of 1200 kW each, supported by eight passenger coaches.
A key highlight of the system is that it emits no CO2; its only byproduct is water vapour. The minister added that the project marks an important step in building next-generation fuel technology for the rail network. Engineers had to create the design, build prototypes, and develop hydrogen traction systems entirely from scratch, a first for Indian Railways.
Since the train and its supporting infrastructure are still in the pilot phase, Vaishnaw noted that comparing costs with existing traction systems would not be meaningful right now.
Overall, he said the initiative shows Indian Railways’ intent to shift toward alternative clean-energy solutions and move the country’s transport sector toward a greener future.
