New Delhi: India is poised to become the fifth country in the world, after Germany, France, Sweden and China, to introduce hydrogen-powered trains, marking a significant leap in its eco-friendly transportation drive.

The upcoming service will debut on the Jind–Sonipat route, ushering in a new era for Indian Railways, Times of India reported.

According to Indian Railways, the train will have the capacity to carry 2,600 passengers and will be unmatched globally in both power and length among hydrogen-powered models.

The landmark project stems from an innovative pilot programme to convert a diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU) rake into a hydrogen-fuelled train using hydrogen fuel cells.

The first hydrogen-powered coach has already undergone successful testing at Chennai’s Integral Coach Factory (ICF).

In July, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a video of the trial run on X, calling it a crucial step towards building a “future-ready and sustainable India.” He said, “India is developing a 1,200 HP Hydrogen train. This will place India among the leaders in Hydrogen powered train technology.”

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Vaishnaw outlined plans to roll out 35 hydrogen trains under the ‘Hydrogen for Heritage’ initiative.

Each train is expected to cost around ₹80 crore, while infrastructure for heritage and hill routes is estimated at ₹70 crore per route.

The minister also confirmed the creation of an integrated facility for hydrogen production, storage and dispensing to support train operations.

The project will further include the development of five hydrogen fuel cell-based tower cars for maintenance purposes, each priced at ₹10 crore.

For the Haryana route, hydrogen will be supplied by a 1-megawatt polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyser located in Jind.

According to GreenH Electrolysis, the electrolyser will operate continuously, producing about 430 kg of hydrogen daily.

The refuelling infrastructure at Jind will have a storage capacity of 3,000 kg, along with a hydrogen compressor and two hydrogen dispensers integrated with pre-coolers, enabling quick and efficient refuelling for the trains.