Indian Railways has officially launched a state-of-the-art project to develop the country's first hydrogen-powered train, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishna announced in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Friday. The move marks a major breakthrough in India's hydrogen-powered train technology and heralds a cleaner, greener future for the country's transport sector.

Vaishna said the project will develop the first hydrogen-powered train on a pilot basis by retrofitting hydrogen fuel cells in diesel-electric unit (DEMU) cars. The Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) has developed detailed specifications for the train, which is expected to be one of the longest hydrogen-powered trains in the world today, as well as one of the most powerful hydrogen-powered trains in the world. The successful implementation of this project will further consolidate Indian Railways' commitment to the development of alternative energy powered train travel.

In addition to the development of the trains themselves, Indian Railways also plans to build hydrogen replenishment infrastructure on the ground, as well as an integrated hydrogen production-storage-distribution facility. The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO) has issued the necessary safety approvals for the facility layout. The construction of this comprehensive facility will provide a strong guarantee for the operation of hydrogen-powered trains and ensure their reliability and safety in actual operation.

Vaishna stressed that the launch of the project is not only a positive response to the development of hydrogen-powered train technology, but also an expression of Indian Railways' commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development. By developing hydrogen-powered trains, Indian Railways will aim to reduce carbon emissions and drive a green transformation of the transport sector. In the future, as hydrogen train technology continues to mature and improve, Indian Railways is expected to lead the new trend of train travel powered by alternative energy sources globally. Editor/Xu Shengpeng