Indian Railways gives nod India’s first Hydrogen-Powered train (Img: Internet)
New Delhi: Indian Railways has sanctioned the deployment of India’s first indigenous hydrogen train to operate on the Jind-Sonipat corridor in Haryana.
A 10-coach Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based DEMU train has received clearance from the Railway Board to start operating. The Diesel-Electric Multiple Unit( DEMU) will have a maximum speed of 75 kmph.
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The Jind-Sonipat corridor in Haryana has been identified as the pilot project for the new locomotive train system. As per the reports by the Ministry of Railways, the new train employs 1200 KW hydrogen fuel cell-based propulsion systems.
Instead of consuming diesel for generating power, the new system consumes hydrogen gas and produces electricity. It emits only water vapours as emissions.
The new development was revealed by officials while mentioning the effort to minimize the dependency on fossil fuels. Officials said this was being done to improve the energy efficiency of trains running on routes where electrification is challenging.
According to railway officials, a letter regarding the safety assessment and technical approval for the project was issued on May 22 to RDSO and Northern Railway.
By approving this new indigenous train, India has joined the list of other nations such as Germany, Japan, China and the US, who are currently working to develop hydrogen-based trains.
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It has been reported that trial runs were already completed on the Haryana corridor. Meanwhile, maintenance facilities for the train have been planned in Shakurbasti in Delhi.
Railway officials have claimed the new train to be an indigenous product as a result of the government’s initiative of green mobility.
The train falls under the ambit of “Hydrogen for Heritage” mission of Railways, which seeks to bring cleaner technology into Indian railways.
Although no specific date has been set for launching the train, it has been confirmed that the trainset is fully ready for the job.
