India’s first hydrogen train to run at 110 kmph after 120-kmph trials

Indian Railways is working to operate the country's first hydrogen-powered train at up to 110 kmph after completing trials at 120 kmph. Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar said consultations were underway to finalise routes, technical arrangements and fuel supply systems

Indore: The Indian Railways is working to operate the country’s first hydrogen-powered train at speeds of up to 110 kmph after completing trials at 120 kmph, Railway Board Chairman and CEO Satish Kumar said on Sunday.

“The operational speed of the hydrogen train has so far been kept at 75 kmph. However, trials have been completed at a speed of 120 kmph. After that, efforts are now underway to operate it at a maximum speed of 110 kmph,” Kumar told reporters in Indore.

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He said consultations were underway with all stakeholders to decide the rail sections on which the new hydrogen train could be operated, while technical aspects and arrangements for fuel supply were also being examined.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on July 17 flagged off India’s first hydrogen-powered train, which operates on the 89-km Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana.

Unlike conventional electric trains that draw power from overhead lines, the hydrogen fuel-cell trainset generates electricity on board through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water vapour and heat as its only by-products. There is no combustion, smoke or tailpipe carbon emissions.

Kumar said the country’s first Vande Bharat sleeper express was currently operating between Howrah and Kamakhya (Guwahati), while four more such trains had been completed and would be formally inaugurated in the coming days.

The Railways is expected to receive 11 more Vande Bharat sleeper trains this year, Kumar said.

As many as 200 Vande Bharat sleeper trains are being manufactured under the public-private partnership (PPP) model, and each train would take around one to one-and-a-half years to be completed, he said.

According to the official, the Railways was planning to operate 100 to 125 special trains for the Simhastha festival to be held in Ujjain in 2028 and was strengthening infrastructure for the large religious gathering.

Kumar said steps were also being taken to address the problem of rats in trains, along with strengthening existing systems.

He said artificial intelligence (AI) was being integrated with CCTV cameras to enhance security at railway stations and on trains.

On the Rs 18,500-crore Indore-Manmad railway line, Kumar said land acquisition was progressing rapidly for the project, which was approved in the 2024-25 financial year.

The ambitious project is expected to be completed in four to five years, he said.

Kumar, along with senior officials, reviewed several railway projects in and around Indore, including the construction of various rail lines, redevelopment of Indore railway station and other infrastructure works.