India’s First Hydrogen Train: Jind-Sonipat Rollout Approved
Why in the news
Indian Railways cleared the operational launch of its first home-built hydrogen-powered train, a clean option for routes without electrification.
Key facts
- Train: India’s first indigenous 10-car hydrogen fuel cell trainset.
- Route: Jind-Sonipat section, Haryana.
- Developer: Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), the research arm of Indian Railways.
- Role: zero-emission alternative to diesel on non-electrified lines; the only by-products are water vapour and heat.
Infrastructure and safety
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Refuelling hub | At Jind station, with local hydrogen compression and fuelling |
| Standby compressor | Keeps fuelling available without a break |
| Safety systems | Hydrogen leak and flame detectors plus automated sensors |
| Maintenance hub | Shakurbasti workshop with RDSO-approved SOPs and routine audits |
| Monitoring | 24/7 by certified teams; technical staff on board in early phases |
How it works
- Compressed hydrogen stored on board meets oxygen from the air in a fuel cell stack.
- Hydrogen splits into protons and electrons at the anode; protons cross a membrane (Proton Exchange Membrane in PEM cells) and electrons flow through an outer circuit as current.
- At the cathode, protons, electrons and oxygen form water. No burning is involved.
Background
- Cleanliness depends on how hydrogen is made: green hydrogen uses renewable-powered water splitting; blue comes from natural gas with carbon capture; grey comes from fossil fuels without capture.
- India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to scale up green hydrogen.
Exam angle
- Developer: RDSO; route: Jind-Sonipat; coaches: 10.
- Refuelling at Jind; maintenance at Shakurbasti.
- Related terms: PEM fuel cell, green, blue and grey hydrogen.