Indian Railways to begin trials of India's first hydrogen train in Dec 2024

Indian Railways has collaborated with Germany's TUV-SUD for a safety audit of its first hydrogen train, with trial operations set for December 2024, marking a green transport milestone

Indian Railways has partnered with Germany's TUV-SUD to conduct a safety audit for the nation’s first hydrogen train. Officials involved in the initiative expect trial operations to begin in December 2024 for this innovative rolling stock, according to a report by The Economic Times.

This major advancement will position India as the fifth country globally, alongside Germany, France, Sweden, and China, to deploy hydrogen-powered trains.

Maintenance vehicles

In addition to the train, five maintenance vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells are being developed, with each unit expected to cost around Rs 10 crore, the report said.

An official was quoted as saying, “Indian Railways (IR) will have 35 trains under the Hydrogen for Heritage initiative at an estimated cost of Rs 80 crore per train, with an additional Rs 70 crore investment in ground infrastructure per route on various heritage or hilly routes."

The official further added that successful tests for the System Integration Unit battery and two fuel unit synchronisations have already been conducted.

Additionally, a pilot project is underway to retrofit a Hydrogen Fuel Cell onto an existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) rake, along with the necessary ground infrastructure, the report said.

The train is set to operate along the Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway. The prototype train's integration is scheduled at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the official added.

Hydrogen supply and refuelling infrastructure

In Haryana, hydrogen for the train will be supplied by a 1-megawatt (MW) Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyser located in Jind. GreenH Electrolysis announced that this electrolyser will operate continuously, producing approximately 430 kg of hydrogen daily.

A statement from GreenH Electrolysis highlighted that the refuelling infrastructure at Jind will include a 3,000 kg hydrogen storage unit, a hydrogen compressor, and two hydrogen dispensers integrated with a pre-cooler, ensuring efficient refuelling of the trains.