The country’s first hydrogen train has hit the tracks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged it off in Jind, Haryana on Friday. This train will run between Jind and Sonipat. With this, India joins the select group of countries which have trains powered by hydrogen energy. During this, PM Modi said – Today the name of Jind and Haryana has been recorded in the pages of history, today the country has got the first hydrogen train here. The first train in India ran between Bombay and Thane, similarly whenever hydrogen train is mentioned in future, the names of Jind, Sonipat and Haryana will definitely come up. PM Modi said that this Indian train is the most powerful and longest in the world. The PM told that this is a train with a power of 3200 horse power and it has 10 coaches whereas the trains running in other countries have only 3-4 coaches.
This is an important step towards adopting a clean and sustainable transportation system in the railway sector. Designed, engineered and integrated in India, this train is based on indigenous technology, which reflects the country’s growing capability and self-reliance in the field of advanced rail engineering. This train runs on hydrogen fuel cell technology, which converts hydrogen into electricity to propel the train.
What did PM Modi say?
Before flagging off the train, PM Modi had written on Twitter, ‘Today India’s dream of getting its first hydrogen train is going to come true. This is a very important day in the direction of self-reliant India and sustainable development. I heartily congratulate all the people associated with this. Whatever work a person wants to do, be it big or small, if that work is done with full hard work, it is considered as brave as a lion.
Know about trains
The train will cover the distance of 89 kilometers between Jind and Sonipat in about two hours and will stop at 12 stations during this period. The Railway Ministry said in a statement that this 10-coach train will be operated with a hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion system with a capacity of 1,200 kilowatts. The maximum speed of the train will be 75 kilometers per hour.
In simple words, in the hydrogen fuel-cell propulsion system, electricity is generated by mixing oxygen and hydrogen obtained from the air inside the fuel cell. This electricity runs the train motors. A hydrogen fuel-cell train is basically an electric train, which generates its own electricity within the train.
Hydrogen is considered a clean fuel because its burning does not release any harmful pollutants. The introduction of hydrogen-powered trains is important for India’s energy transition as it is a step towards cleaner and lower-emission transportation.
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