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Indian Railways has teamed up with Germany’s TÜV-SÜD to conduct a comprehensive safety audit for the country’s first hydrogen-powered train.
According to media reports, trial operations are expected to begin in December 2024, marking a significant step in India’s rail modernization efforts. With this development, India is poised to become the fourth country globally, after Germany, France, and Sweden, to operate hydrogen-powered trains.
Hydrogen-Powered Maintenance Vehicles in the Works
In addition to the hydrogen train, Indian Railways is developing five maintenance vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Each of these vehicles is projected to cost around Rs 10 crore, media reports indicated.
“Indian Railways will have 35 trains under the Hydrogen for Heritage initiative, with each train costing approximately Rs 80 crore,” an official involved in the project said. “An additional Rs 70 crore will be invested in ground infrastructure per route on various heritage or hilly routes.”
The official further mentioned that the System Integration Unit battery and two fuel units have already undergone successful tests.
Pilot Project Underway for Hydrogen-Powered DEMU
A pilot project is also in progress to retrofit a Hydrogen Fuel Cell onto an existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) rake. This retrofit includes the development of necessary ground infrastructure to support hydrogen-powered operations, the report said.
The new hydrogen train will initially run on the Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway. The prototype train is being integrated at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, an official confirmed.
Hydrogen Supply and Refuelling Infrastructure
Hydrogen for the train will be supplied by a 1-megawatt Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyser located in Jind, Haryana. GreenH Electrolysis, responsible for the project, stated that the electrolyser will produce around 430 kg of hydrogen daily.
The refuelling infrastructure will include a 3,000 kg hydrogen storage unit, a hydrogen compressor, and two hydrogen dispensers integrated with a pre-cooler to ensure efficient train refuelling, according to GreenH Electrolysis.
