India Tests First Hydrogen Coach, Plans Rs 1.11 Bn Pilot

28 Jul 2025 CW Team

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday announced the successful testing of India’s first hydrogen-powered coach at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai. The trial marks a significant step in India's push towards green mobility in the railway sector.

Sharing the update on social media platform X, the minister stated that India is developing a 1,200-horsepower hydrogen train, positioning the country among global leaders in hydrogen-powered railway technology.

In 2023, Vaishnaw informed the Rajya Sabha that Indian Railways had envisioned deploying 35 hydrogen trains under the "Hydrogen for Heritage" initiative, primarily across heritage and hill routes. The estimated cost is Rs 800 million per train, with an additional Rs 700 million per route for necessary ground infrastructure.

In a separate move, Indian Railways has sanctioned a pilot project to retrofit a Hydrogen Fuel Cell into an existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) rake. The project, along with supporting infrastructure, will cost Rs 1.1183 billion, and the train is planned to operate on the Jind–Sonipat section of Northern Railway.

While the running cost of hydrogen-powered trains has yet to be fully established in the Indian context, initial estimates suggest higher costs which are expected to decline as deployment scales up. Nonetheless, hydrogen fuel is viewed as a transformative step toward achieving zero carbon emissions and clean energy goals.

In a related initiative last year, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri showcased a hydrogen-fuelled bus, developed by Indian Oil, to the Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, highlighting India’s growing capabilities in green hydrogen mobility.

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