India Set to Launch First Hydrogen-Powered Train

Aug 13, 2025 – The Indian Railways has developed the country’s first hydrogen-powered train. With this, India is set to become the fifth country in the world — after Germany, France, Sweden and China — to operate trains using hydrogen technology.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a video glimpse of India’s first hydrogen train on X (formerly Twitter). He described the train as a significant step toward environmentally-friendly transportation in India.

The launch is part of Railways’ "Hydrogen for Heritage" programme, aimed at decarbonising rail travel on routes like Shimla-Kalka, Darjeeling and Ooty.

Indian Railways has converted a Diesel and Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU/EMU) rake into a hydrogen-powered one. The coach was tested successfully at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.

The country’s first hydrogen train will operate on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana. It will be the world’s most powerful and longest hydrogen-powered train, with a seating capacity of 2,600 passengers.

The 1,200 HP capacity train running in Haryana will be supplied with hydrogen from a refuelling station in Jind, which will operate continuously and produce around 430 kilograms of hydrogen per day.

India plans to run a fleet of 35 such hydrogen fuel cell-based trains for clean energy transportation. Each train is estimated to cost around Rs 80 crore.

The train is completely Made in India with specifications developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO).

With Media Inputs