Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: The dream of travelling in indigenously manufactured hydrogen fuel-powered trains will soon be a reality for Indian commuters. The Indian Railways is planning to commence trial runs of the train by the end of this year. This was announced by Railway Board Chairman AK Lahoti recently.
He said that using hydrogen to power trains would be a significant technological breakthrough for the nation. The Northern Railway has been awarded the contract for the development of the hydrogen train, and work on it is already underway. Around the world, this technology is still being developed.
The train will be on the lines of those running in China and Germany. Wherever full electrification is difficult or expensive, countries across the globe are working on replacing diesel-powered locomotives with hydrogen-propelled engines as it offers an emission-free and quiet alternative.
In this year’s Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced the highest-ever capital outlay of Rs 2.40 lakh crore for the Railways. Ashwini Vaishnav, Union Minister for Railways had informed Parliament that under its “Hydrogen for Heritage” programme, Indian Railways will run 35 hydrogen trains on various heritage and hill routes at an estimated cost of Rs 80 crore a train and ground infrastructure cost of Rs 70 crore per route.
Hydrogen trains use hydrogen fuel cells instead of diesel engines. These cells produce electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen, which generates the electricity used to power the train’s motors. Among the by-products are water and a little heat.
