Boost to green mission of Indian Railways; first hydrogen train of India to make trail run in December

KOCHI: Hydrogen-fueled train is coming up to give a boost to the green mission of the Indian Railways. The train will start a trial run on the Jind-Sonipat (90-km) heritage line in Haryana in December. India will be the fifth country to own a hydrogen train. By 2025, 35 hydrogen trains will be launched across the country.

Fuel cells, in which hydrogen reacts with oxygen to produce electricity, are used in the train. It is manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in Tamil Nadu.

Private suppliers will also be relied upon to make compressed hydrogen available. Hydrogen production and storage plants will be set up with private participation. Diesel and DEMU trains will be converted to hydrogen fuel trains.

Rs 80 crore per train

Six bogies on a train. 100 kW of fuel cells in each bogie. Only steam is emitted by the train. It has a top speed of 140 km/h. The construction cost is Rs 80 crore. Rs 70 crore for the upgradation of the Jind-Sonipat line for hydrogen train.

No pollution

The hydrogen train does not have the carbon and noise pollution of the diesel engine. Eco-friendly. The hydrogen trains will be run on heritage and hilly routes where diesel trains are running. The cost of electrification can be saved. The railways aim to have zero emissions by 2030. This is India's crucial contribution to combating climate change.

Malayali presence

The technology to store hydrogen under high pressure and fill it safely on a train was developed by the Kochi unit of Fluitron Company based in the US. Thomas Joseph, a native of Puthuppally in Kottayam, who has been working in the hydrogen fuel industry in the US for 20 years, is the chief innovation officer of Fluitron. The compression system and the dispensation system have been set up at the company's factory in Coimbatore. The railways will set up a hydrogen filling plant near Jind railway station in Haryana for the first hydrogen train.

Countries where hydrogen train runs

• Germany
• Sweden
• Japan
• China