India Tests First Hydrogen Coach, Plans Rs 1.11 Bn Pilot
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

India Tests First Hydrogen Coach, Plans Rs 1.11 Bn Pilot

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. 

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. 

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code