India launches first hydrogen-powered train

India launched its first hydrogen-powered train on Friday as part of efforts to reduce emissions from rail transport and cut reliance on fossil fuels.

The 10-coach train operates on an 89-kilometre route between Jind and Sonipat in Haryana state. It is powered by a 1,200-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system. Officials described the system as the world's most powerful for a train.

Hydrogen trains use fuel cells to produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen, with water and steam as emissions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who flagged off the first journey, said in a social media post that the launch was significant for self-reliance and sustainable development.

The railway ministry said the train was developed entirely in India. Senior officials told reporters, however, that some key parts, including the fuel cells, were imported.

The ministry also opened what it described as India's largest railway hydrogen storage and refuelling facility in Jind. It said the site can hold about 3,000 kilograms of hydrogen and will support hydrogen-powered train operations.

A senior railway official said the pilot project cost about $12 million and acknowledged that it was far more expensive than a comparable conventional service. The official said costs were expected to fall as the technology develops.

With the launch, India joins countries including Germany, Japan, China and the United States that are testing or operating hydrogen-powered trains.

India is investing heavily in its rail network, which official data says carried 7.41 billion passengers and 1.67 billion tonnes of freight last year. The country has also introduced domestically designed Vande Bharat trains, which can reach speeds of up to 180 kilometres per hour, and is building its first high-speed rail line using Japanese Shinkansen technology. Officials expect the first section of that bullet train service, designed to run at up to 320 kilometres per hour, to begin operating in 2027.