Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India's first hydrogen-powered train on Friday, launching the service on a route from Jind to Sonipat [1].
The launch represents a significant shift toward sustainable infrastructure, aiming to reduce the rail network's dependence on conventional fuels while pursuing net-zero goals [4].
Operating within the Northern Railway zone, the train covers a route length of 89 km [5]. This initiative is part of a larger investment package, as the Prime Minister also launched development projects worth Rs 14,700 crore [4].
The technology behind the project is a collaboration between private industry and the state. The hydrogen fuel-cell train and the electrolyser located at the Jind station were delivered by Medha and Green-H2B2 [5].
India now enters a small group of nations with this specific capability. An IndiaTV News report said, "Only three to four countries are capable of running it" [1].
Government officials said the project supports Indian Railways' clean energy and net-zero goals [4]. By utilizing hydrogen, the rail system aims to eliminate carbon emissions from the propulsion process, a critical step in the nation's broader environmental strategy [6].
The deployment in Haryana serves as a pilot for potential wider integration across the national rail grid. The use of an on-site electrolyser at Jind station suggests a move toward localized green hydrogen production to fuel the fleet [5].
“"Only three to four countries are capable of running it"”
The introduction of hydrogen-powered rail places India in an elite tier of global transportation technology. By integrating on-site electrolysis and fuel-cell propulsion, the government is testing a scalable model to decarbonize heavy transport, which is traditionally harder to electrify than passenger vehicles.
