India Gets Its First Hydrogen Train
I just had to link to this YouTube video, which shows the launch of India’s first and the world’s longest hydrogen train.
I talked about the train in India’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train Notified: Know Route, Launch Date & What Makes It Special.
India’s First Hydrogen-Powered Train Notified: Know Route, Launch Date & What Makes It Special
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Times of India.
These two paragraphs add some detail.
India’s first hydrogen train has been notified by Indian Railways. The new hydrogen-powered train is expected to be flagged off by PM Narendra Modi on July 17. He will also unveil a series of other infrastructure projectsacross Haryana, state minister Krishan Kumar Bedi said on Thursday.
The government says that project underscores Indian Railways’ wider focus on technological innovation, improved energy efficiency, and environmentally sustainable transportation, while supporting India’s national objectives on clean energy and achieving net-zero carbon emissions.
The route will be between Jind and Sonipat, which are both shown on this OpenRailwayMap.
Note.
- Jind, which has two stations Jind City and Jind Junction is in the North-West corner of the map.
- The blue arrow indicates Jind City station.
- Jind Junction station has a Wikipedia entry, which indicates that Jind Junction station has a hydrogen refilling station.
- Sonipat Junction station is in the South-East corner of the map.
- Jind and Sonipat are about fifty miles apart by train.
- OpenRailwayMap shows that most, if not all of the rail lines shown in this map are electrified using 25 KVAC overhead.
It looks to me, that Indian Railways are following similar rules to Network Rail, when they tested the battery-electric Class 379 train on the Mayflower Line.
- Test new technology on a line with spare capacity.
- Test new technology with a train, that can still run using current electrification.
- Test new technology on an electrified line.
From talking to some of those, who used the Harwich train every day, there were no problems during the test.
Visiting The Hydrogen Train
I feel that if you were passing through New Delhi, it would be feasible, if you had time to spare to visit the hydrogen train.
Google AI says this about the New Delhi and Sonipat service.
Trains to Sonipat Station run directly from New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS). Several long-distance, express, and local EMU/MEMU trains connect the two stations daily, making the journey in approximately 30 to 50 minutes.
