The Financial Express has reported that India will roll out its first hydrogen-powered train, designed, developed and manufactured indigenously, on the next Independence Day, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said.
“India has been able to build trains which are among the best in the world and the next big thing will be when the hydrogen-powered train is rolled out on August 15, 2023,” the minister for railways, communication, electronics and IT said here at a programme.
The world’s first hydrogen-powered train was rolled out in Germany last month. This gas is an environment-friendly fuel.
At the programme on Thursday, the minister said that a train, built at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, was recently found to be among the best five trains in the world.
It may be remembered that in August 2021, the Indian Railways had invited bids for hydrogen fuel cell-based technology for retrofitting of existing diesel powered rakes and converting them into hydrogen fuel powered ones in the 89 km Sonipat-Jind section of Northern Railway. Indian Railways Organisation for Alternate Fuels (IROAF) had invited tenders for this pilot project that will also involve setting up of a complete hydrogen storage facility and supply chain with an estimated cost of Rs 84.2 crore.
“Initially, two Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) rakes will be converted, and later two hybrid narrow gauge locos will be converted base on Hydrogen Fuel Cell power movement,” a press release from the Indian Railways had said.
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