‘This is great, India!’, says ex-UNEP chief Erik Solheim on first hydrogen train

New Delhi: “This is great, India!”, remarked former UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Erik Solheim on Friday, hours ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off India’s first hydrogen-powered train from Haryana’s Jind.

The train has 10 coaches, making it one of the largest hydrogen-powered passenger trains in the world.

“The project combines advanced propulsion technology with dedicated hydrogen storage, refuelling and operational infrastructure, and will demonstrate the feasibility of clean rail transportation in India,” former UN Under-Secretary-General Solheim wrote on X.

Solheim, the former Norwegian diplomat, politician and environment minister, played a crucial role in 2018 as the United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director in convincing India to phase out single-use plastics by 2022, a major achievement in his crusade against plastic pollution.

Solheim is optimistic that India can act as a catalyst for curbing greenhouse gas emissions too.

The train will run from Jind to Sonepat and has been designed for a top speed of 110 kmph. Unlike conventional electric trains that draw power from overhead wires or diesel locomotives that burn fuel, the hydrogen train generates electricity onboard using a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Hydrogen stored in onboard cylinders combines with oxygen from the atmosphere inside the fuel cell to produce electricity, which powers the train’s traction motors.

The only by-products of this electrochemical process are water vapour and heat, making it a near-zero-emission mode of transport, the Ministry of Railways said.

Additionally, the train has two hydrogen-powered power cars and eight trailer coaches, with each power car producing 1,200 kW (1,600 hp). Designed to carry around 2,600 passengers, it has a maximum speed of 110 kmph, making it one of the largest hydrogen-powered passenger train sets developed globally.

To support operations, Indian Railways has established the country’s first integrated railway hydrogen ecosystem at Jind. Hydrogen is produced on-site through electrolysis, compressed for storage and dispensed into the train through dedicated refuelling stations.

However, the facility can store nearly 3,000 kg of hydrogen for regular operations. Moreover, given hydrogen’s highly flammable nature, Indian Railways has incorporated multiple safety systems across the train and refuelling infrastructure. These include hydrogen leak detectors, flame, heat and smoke sensors, continuous ventilation and automatic shutdown systems that cut off the hydrogen supply if any abnormality is detected.

The project has also undergone independent safety assessment and complies with international standards as well as the statutory requirements of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).

According to the ministry, the hydrogen train represents the next step in its green transition after electrifying more than 99 per cent of the country’s broad gauge network.

The project also supports India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and long-term net-zero goals, with hydrogen-powered trains likely to be introduced on other routes, including heritage railways, in the future, it added.

IANS