IR to roll out hydrogen-powered trains on narrow-gauge routes

Indian Railways (IR) to roll out hydrogen powered trains on heritage routes by dec 2023 on its narrow-gauge heritage routes, making them “completely green”.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the trains will be on the lines of those running in China and Germany.

As a pilot project, the railways is manufacturing a prototype of hydrogen fuel-based train at the Northern Railway workshop. It would be test-run on the Sonipat-Jind section in Haryana.

We will roll out the hydrogen trains on the heritage routes from December 2023.

Worldwide, there is a bid to replace diesel-powered locomotives with hydrogen-propelled engines wherever full electrification is difficult or too expensive as it offers an emission-free, quiet alternative that can be economically competitive

Germany’s Coradia iLint is the world’s first passenger train powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, which produces electrical power for traction. This zero-emission train emits low levels of noise, with exhaust being only steam and condensed water. This train can run 1000 km at a speed of 140kmph at one go. This train was being tested in Germany since 2018.

China too recently launched Asia’s first hydrogen-powered trains for the Urban Railways. It gets a range of 600 km on a single tank, with a top speed of 160 kmph, according to reports.

Indian Railways’ heritage routes, which primarily run-on diesel are — Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Kalka Shimla Railway, Matheran Hill Railway, Kangra Valley, Bilmora Waghai and Marwar-Devgarh Madriya. All are narrow gauge.