Eight Heritage Routes To Get Hydrogen-Powered Trains To Boost Tourism

To be greener and more sustainable towards the environment, the Indian Rail Initiating green revolution and introducing hydrogen and electric trains on eight heritage routes. The trains are aimed at promoting tourism and will be on routes across the country by December 2023.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has recently confirmed this. The ministry is to bring back steam-engined trains, but they will be modified versions equipped with old sirens and green steam locomotives.

Presently, under the pilot project, Railways is developing a prototype of hydrogen fuel based train at Northern Railway Workshop and the trial run will be conducted on Sonipat-Jind section in Haryana.

The new trains will run on Kalka-Shimla Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Darjeeling Hills, Kangra Railway, Bilimora Waghai, Mhow-Patalpani, Marwar-Deogarh-Madriya and Matheran Hill Railway routes in Maharashtra.

During his visit to Bengaluru, Ashwini Vaishnav told reporters that they will run hydrogen train on heritage routes in December 2023.

Hydrogen engines have been developed by some countries like Germany, France and China and now India The minister said that he would also be a part of it. Speaking about the amendment, the Railway Minister shared that the coaches of the new trains will be retro-fitted with hydrogen-propulsion engine propelled ones, which will be used for commercial purposes by the end of the year.

The newly made hydrogen-powered trains are to be named Vande Metro. They will be built in large numbers to replace the current set of trains built in the 1950s and 1960s.

The hydrogen-powered train will play an important role in reducing carbon emissions and achieving climate goals as most Indian trains are powered by diesel or electricity.

Germany started operating hydrogen-powered trains last year, becoming the first country in the world to do so.

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