India’s First Hydrogen Fuel Cell Train

Steam gave way to diesel, and diesel gave way to electric. Now Indian Railways has taken the next step: a train that makes its own electricity from hydrogen, with only water vapour left behind.

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Indian Geography · IndGeo0097

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Train

India’s Cleanest Rail Propulsion Yet

~2,600

Passenger Capacity, in a 10-Coach Set

1,200 kW

Power per Driving Power Car

110 km/h

Design Speed

3,000 kg

Hydrogen Stored at Jind

Bigger Than Anything Else Running

Most hydrogen trains worldwide run just 2-3 coaches on short regional routes. India’s 10-coach design proves the tech scales to real passenger volumes.

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Must Know

• India’s first Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trainset generates its own electricity onboard, from a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. Water vapour is its only by-product.
• It runs on the Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway, part of IndGeo0087 — Indian Railways‘ broader network.
• The train is a 10-coach set: two Hydrogen Driving Power Cars (DPCs) and eight Trailer Coaches. It carries around 2,600 passengers.
• Each DPC produces 1,200 kW (1,600 hp) of power. Together, the two DPCs can push the train up to 110 km/h.
• Its operational speed on the Jind-Sonipat route is 75 km/h, over an 89 km stretch.
• The train’s core technology is a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Hydrogen from onboard cylinders reacts with oxygen from the air, generating electricity with no combustion and no smoke.
• Most hydrogen trains running worldwide today have just two or three coaches, for short regional routes. India’s 10-coach, high-capacity design is unusually ambitious by comparison.

Good to Know

• India’s largest railway hydrogen refuelling facility has been built at Jind, Haryana. It stores nearly 3,000 kg of hydrogen at a time.
• The Jind facility produces its own hydrogen, through electrolysis at a green hydrogen plant, then compresses and dispenses it to the train.
• Two independent dispensers, working at 350 bar, can refuel both power cars at once. This cuts down turnaround time between trips.
• Safety follows a “defence in depth” approach: leak, heat, flame, and smoke detectors, constant ventilation, and an automatic hydrogen shut-off if anything unusual is detected.
• The hydrogen ecosystem meets international standards, including NFPA-2 and the ISO 19880 series. It also holds a licence from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).
• Before commissioning, the whole system passed an independent third-party safety review, by TÜV SÜD of Germany.
• The train was designed, engineered, and integrated entirely in India. RDSO set the technical specifications, M/s Medha Servo Drives integrated the trainset, and Integral Coach Factory (ICF) handled its exterior design.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. India’s first Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trainset began operations on which section of Northern Railway?

Kalka-Shimla

Ambala-Chandigarh

Jind-Sonipat

Rohtak-Panipat

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Great to Know

• Hydrogen packs far more energy per kilogram than diesel does: about 120 megajoules per kilogram, against diesel’s 43 MJ/kg.
• Globally, hydrogen passenger trains are still a young technology. Germany was the first country to run one commercially; several other countries, including Japan and China, are running pilot projects.
• Indian Railways is also exploring hydrogen trains for the heritage Kalka-Shimla route, building on lessons from the Jind-Sonipat project.
• The project supports two larger national goals: the National Green Hydrogen Mission, and India’s long-term Net Zero target.
• The train’s maintenance base is at Shakurbasti, in Delhi, specially prepared to service hydrogen-powered rolling stock.

Current Affairs

• On 29 July 2026, the government detailed hydrogen’s push into road transport too. Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, 12 pilot projects now fund 70 hydrogen-powered vehicles. (Source: PIB)
• That’s 27 buses and 43 trucks, running Fuel Cell and Hydrogen-ICE technology, across 21 routes in multiple states. (Source: PIB)
• 16 new Hydrogen Refuelling Stations back these routes. Total financial assistance runs to about ₹410.77 crore, with ₹41.58 crore released so far. (Source: PIB)
• On 25 July 2026, the Railways gave an update on the Hydrogen Train itself. Since its 17 July launch, it has run over 1,200 km, saving more than 3,200 litres of diesel. (Source: PIB)
• The 10-coach train runs on 2 Hydrogen Driving Power Cars, delivering 2,400 kW combined. Lithium iron phosphate batteries back up the hydrogen cylinders. (Source: PIB)
• At Jind, hydrogen is stored at up to 500 bar, and dispensed at 350 bar. Total storage capacity runs to about 3,000 kg. (Source: PIB)
• Multiple independent systems detect leaks, heat, flames, and smoke, with automatic shut-off and continuous ventilation. A Delhi-route trial comes next. (Source: PIB)
• India’s first Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trainset was inaugurated on 17 July 2026, entering service on the Jind-Sonipat section. (Source: PIB)
• Before carrying passengers, the train cleared load box testing, radio frequency trials, oscillation trials, and emergency brake distance trials. (Source: PIB)
• Over the past 12 years, rapid electrification has cut Indian Railways’ dependence on imported diesel. Today, over 99% of Broad Gauge routes are electrified. (Source: PIB)
• The Jind hydrogen storage and dispensing facility’s licence was granted by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), covering compressed hydrogen gas. (Source: PIB)