What makes India’s hydrogen train project a game-changer?

In 2023, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in the Rajya Sabha plans to initiate a project to introduce hydrogen-powered trains.On August 12, 2025, he posted a video offering a first look at India’s soon-to-be-launched hydrogen-powered train. The “Hydrogen for Heritage” initiative, as it is known, falls under India’s plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, creating greater scope to switch to renewable energy. The project, which began in 2020-21 and was budgeted at Rs 136 crore, aims to make the trains entirely indigenous.The introduction of hydrogen-powered trains falls under India’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2030, with a larger goal to update the country’s infrastructure while also reducing its carbon footprint.The plan is to eventually operate 35 hydrogen-fuelled trains on heritage and hill routes. How the project is shaping upThe two components of the project, as reported by Indian Express, include – upgrading two diesel-powered cars of 1600 horsepower to hydrogen-fuelled cars (1200 HP), and making storage and fuelling infrastructure at Jind, Haryana.Today, the Jind fuelling station has a capacity to store up to 3,000 kilograms of hydrogen. The diesel engines are being redesigned and converted to run on hydrogen at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, with the work being carried out by Medha Servo Drives, a company from Hyderabad.The train, once ready, is expected to be as long as ten coaches and could carry around 2,600 passengers.The only route planned at this stage is 365 km between Northern Railways’ Jind and Sonipat.The initial design of the train, validation, as well as testing have been carried out by the Research Design & Standards Organisation (RDSO) of the Indian Railways.The train’s power car will carry 220 kilograms of hydrogen, stored in specially designed cylinders at a pressure of 350 bar.The project is currently in its final stage, with all equipment undergoing testing before the train can be deployed for operations. To make sure that the train follows all safety standards and procedures, a third-party safety auditor, ‘Technischer Überwachungsverein Süd’ (TUV-SUD), from Germany has been roped in. What does the switch to hydrogen mean?Hydrogen is considered one of the cleanest fuels available today.By powering trains with hydrogen, Indian Railways is taking a major step towards cleaner, greener transportation.Hydrogen-powered trains run quiet, produce zero emissions and reduce dependence on diesel. This could mark a significant move for a country with one of the world’s largest rail networks.When most fossil fuels or conventional fuels are burned, they release carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide then traps heat in the atmosphere, contributing to the larger problem of global warming and climate change.Hydrogen, when it reacts with oxygen, only produces electricity, water, and heat. It releases no carbon dioxide.Hydrogen is also highly energy-dense by weight — meaning it can produce a large amount of energy relative to its mass. This makes it suitable for heavy-duty and long-distance transport, like trains, trucks, and even ships. It holds long-term promise as a sustainable and efficient energy source.Furthermore, it’s one of the most abundant elements in the universe. On Earth, hydrogen is found in water, natural gas, and biomass. Though pure hydrogen doesn't exist freely in nature, it can be extracted using various methods such as electrolysis (splitting water using electricity), which is clean if powered by renewable energy.Hydrogen can be stored for long periods of time and transported using pipelines, cylinders, or cryogenic tanks. This makes it not only a cleaner fuel, but also a flexible one that can support the broader shift to renewable energy systems. What are the risks of hydrogen as a fuel?Hydrogen’s biggest risk is its high flammability.It is also a ‘light’ gas – if it leaks, it rises and spreads quickly. While this can reduce the chances of a fire near the ground, it poses other risks.The gas has relatively low ignition energy compared to any other fuels, which contributes to its flammability. The flames from hydrogen fires are invisible. If kept in confined spaces, hydrogen can build up and displace oxygen, which could cause suffocation and asphyxiation. Its colourlessness, odourlessness, and tastelessness makes detection extremely difficult during emergencies. Using hydrogen as a fuel requires robust infrastructure. Certain metals can become brittle when exposed to hydrogen over time, increasing the risk of leaks. That’s why hydrogen must be stored in specially designed containers, with proper ventilation and advanced leak detection systems in place to ensure safety. What measures have been undertaken to mitigate the risks?Apart from the third-party safety auditor, each piece of equipment is undergoing extensive tests. Indian Express also reported that beyond merely testing and re-testing equipment, safety features including pressure relief valves, leak detection systems, flame and temperature detection systems, and ventilation designs have also been embedded in the trains. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies are being undertaken. These studies create simulations on how the gas would behave if a leak occurred. They help understand and develop courses of action that would minimise the risks and maintain safety. The studies can help engineers build better ventilation systems and sensor placements to make sure the train performs efficiently and that safety measures don’t fail. What other countries use hydrogen-fuelled trains?In 2022, Germany became the first country in the world to introduce hydrogen-powered trains for commercial service, manufactured by the company Alstom. These trains had a power capacity of around 600 horsepower, emit only water vapour, and were designed as a replacement for diesel trains on non-electrified routes. However, operations were stopped a year later, in 2023, due to increasing costs. Germany still aims to replace diesel-fuelled trains (with electric-battery-operated trains) with Siemens Mobility currently producing hydrogen-powered trains that are set to be in operation from 2026. France, where Alstom is headquartered, has also adopted hydrogen rail. In 2023, Coradia iLint, manufactured by Alstom, conducted its first journey in France. The French national railway company, Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF), has ordered twelve trains which are set for commercial use in 2025-26. While Switzerland has not adopted hydrogen-fuelled trains itself, a Swiss-company, Stadler, is a key player in the development of such trains. In 2024, the Stadler FLIRT H2 train, set a world record for running over 2,800 kilometres (around 46 hours) in Colorado, United States, without refuelling or recharging. China too, known for its rapid adoption of green technologies, unveiled its first hydrogen-powered train in 2024 at a transport trade fair in Berlin. The train is developed by a subsidiary of China Railway Rolling Stock Corp (CRRC), and can reach a top-speed of 160 km/h. China’s first train for commercial use was launched (for trial) in May 2025, which can travel up to 140 to 150 kilometres on a single charge of 60 kilograms of hydrogen.Compared to these, India’s hydrogen-powered train, with an expected engine capacity of 1200 horsepower and the ability to carry 2,600 passengers, stands out for its size and scale.While challenges around safety, cost, and infrastructure remain, the successful test run is a promising start. If scaled smartly, hydrogen-fuelled trains could do more than decarbonise select routes — they could redefine what sustainable transport looks like. For a country balancing growth and green goals, that’s a track well worth laying.