Indian Railways has approved a 10-coach hydrogen fuel cell train for pilot operations on the Jind-Sonipat corridor in Haryana. The train uses a 2,400 kW propulsion system that emits only water vapor, replacing diesel engines on a 90 km route. A green hydrogen production plant has been built in Jind to supply fuel via electrolysis, aiming for zero-emission rail transport. The pilot will test performance under extreme heat and dust conditions over 12 to 18 months.
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This is a real step for hydrogen in rail. The 2,400 kW spec is solid for a 10 coach train. Curious if the hydrogen plant runs on renewables or grid power. That changes the carbon math.
Good point. If the electrolysis uses coal heavy grid power, the lifecycle emissions could be worse than diesel. Need to see the source for that plant.
The article says 'powered by renewable energy' but doesn't name the source. Also, 90 km route is short. Scaling this to longer corridors will need way more hydrogen storage and distribution.
India is moving faster than most on green rail. But the pilot is 12 to 18 months. That's a long time for data. Hope they share results openly.
The bigger story is the domestic manufacturing angle. Building the train and infrastructure in country creates supply chains. That matters more than one pilot route.
