India's first hydrogen-powered train coach successfully tested at ICF Chennai: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

New Delhi [India], July 25 (ANI): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday announced that the Indian Railways has successfully tested the country's First hydrogen-powered coach at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

According to the minister's social media X post, the country is working on a 1,200 horsepower hydrogen train, which will help India to place itself amongst the leaders in hydrogen-powered train technology.

"First Hydrogen powered coach (Driving Power Car) successfully tested at ICF, Chennai. India is developing 1,200 HP Hydrogen train. This will place India among the leaders in Hydrogen powered train technology," Vaishnaw posted on 'X'.

In 2023, Vaishnaw informed Rajya Sabha that Indian Railways has envisaged running 35 Hydrogen trains under "Hydrogen for Heritage" at an estimated cost of Rs 80 crore per train and ground infrastructure of Rs 70 crore per route on various heritage and hill routes.

Additionally, the Indian Railways has also awarded a pilot project for retrofitment of a Hydrogen Fuel cell on an existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) rake along with ground infrastructure at the cost of Rs 111.83 crores, which is planned to be run on the Jind -Sonipat section of Northern Railway.

The running cost of a Hydrogen fuel-based train is not established in IR scenario. It is estimated that the initial running cost of the Hydrogen fuel train set will be higher, which will subsequently reduce with an increase in the number of trains. Further, the use of Hydrogen as fuel provides larger benefits in the direction of green transportation technology to support zero carbon emission goals as a clean energy source.

Last year, in a significant step towards promoting sustainable transportation solutions, Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, showcased India's advancements in green hydrogen mobility by demonstrating a hydrogen-fuelled bus powered by India's oil PSU Indian Oil to the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Shri Tshering Tobgay and his delegation. (ANI)