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By introducing India's first hydrogen train, Indian Railways, one of the biggest rail networks in the world, is poised to take a giant step towards sustainable transportation. This innovative project intends to lessen the nation's railway system's carbon footprint and pave the path for a cleaner, greener future.
The nation's first hydrogen-powered train is scheduled to be introduced by 2024 and is anticipated to depart from Haryana's Jind district.
It is to be noted that the nation's first hydrogen plant, located in Jind, Haryana, was recently visited by Shobhan Choudhary, General Manager (GM) of Northern Railway.
According to the officials, the only country that has hydrogen-powered trains in Germany, and the entire world is monitoring the initiative to see how India would introduce such trains.
In the Jind district, the nation's first hydrogen plant is being built close to the railway intersection. According to officials, the facility is nearing completion and will soon produce hydrogen from water.
As mentioned above, the prototype hydrogen train will run on the Jind-Sonipat section of the Northern Railway during the fiscal years 2023-2024.Since fuel and electricity are currently used to power trains in India, this hydrogen project is a novel and creative endeavor.
Project cost:
Aser reports, the cost for this initiative includes INR 80 crores for every hydrogen train and INR 70 crores for each route's ground infrastructure.
According to Ashwini Vaishnaw, IRCTC has also awarded a pilot project for the retro fitment of Hydrogen Fuel cells on existing "Diesel Electric Multiple Unit" (DEMU) rake together with ground infrastructure at a cost of INR 111.83 crores, and this is planned to operate on Northern Railways' Jind-Sonipat route.
How it is environmentally friendly?
The move to hydrogen-powered trains can help lower carbon dioxide emissions and lessen the effects of global warming because the transportation industry contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.
Unlike other trains that use traditional diesel engines, hydrogen trains are powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The hydrogen fuel cells mix hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, which is then used to power the train's engines.
Comparing hydrogen trains to conventional diesel trains, the former is significantly more environmentally friendly. This is so that dangerous pollutants like carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates are not released by hydrogen trains. Another thing that proves the sustainability is that hydrogen is that it is a sustainable fuel because it is produced with the help of clean and renewable energy sources like solar, wind, or hydropower.
