India launches its first hydrogen-powered passenger train on the Jind–Sonipat route in Haryana

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India’s first hydrogen fuel cell-powered passenger train at Jind Junction in Haryana, a milestone that places the country alongside Germany, Japan and China in operating hydrogen rail.

The train, developed entirely using indigenous technology under the technical specifications and design oversight of the Research, Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), is a ten-car formation comprising two hydrogen Driving Power Cars and eight passenger coaches, with a combined propulsion output of 2,400 kW delivered through a hybrid system pairing Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells with lithium iron phosphate battery storage. It is approved for a maximum commercial speed of 75 km/h on the 89-km Jind–Sonipat corridor, with a design speed of 110 km/h, and can carry approximately 2,600 passengers.

The Ministry of Railways has allocated ₹2,800 crore (roughly $337 million) for the wider development of 35 hydrogen fuel cell trains. To support the launch, India has built what it describes as its largest railway hydrogen storage and refuelling facility at Jind, capable of holding nearly 3,000 kg of compressed hydrogen at a time, with safety systems certified by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation and designed to NFPA-2 and ISO 19880 standards. Safety features include continuous hydrogen leak detectors, flame detectors and an automatic hydrogen supply cut-off system.

The government said the train programme reinforces the National Green Hydrogen Mission and Indian Railways’ target of net-zero emissions by 2030. Indian Railways is also exploring hydrogen technology on heritage routes such as the Kalka–Shimla mountain railway.