Indian Railways approves first indigenous hydrogen train on Jind-Sonipat route

Indian Railways has approved the introduction of a 10-car hydrogen fuel cell-based trainset on the Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway in Haryana, makin...

What Happened

Indian Railways has approved the introduction of a 10-car hydrogen fuel cell-based trainset on the Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway in Haryana, making it India's first indigenous hydrogen-powered rail service.
The trainset operates using a 1,200 kW hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system with a maximum speed of 75 km/h; the only emission produced is water vapour, making it zero direct carbon-emission.
The train has been manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, using Distributed Power Rolling Stock (DPRS) technology — power is distributed across multiple coaches rather than concentrated in a single locomotive.
Technical clearance was granted by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO); safety approval for the route was given by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS); and operation and maintenance manuals have been formally approved by RDSO.
The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) has granted the required licence for storage and dispensing of compressed hydrogen gas; an indigenous hydrogen storage and refuelling facility has been established at Jind, with a standby compressor unit being arranged and a maintenance facility planned at Shakurbasti.
Safety systems include hydrogen leak detectors, flame detectors, and a mandate for 24x7 monitoring of the refuelling system with trained, certified personnel.
With this approval, India joins Germany, Japan, China, and the United States among countries operationalising hydrogen fuel cell technology for rail transport.

Static Topic Bridges

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology: Principles and Rail Applications

A hydrogen fuel cell generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing only water vapour and heat as by-products. In rail applications, hydrogen is not combusted directly; it is fed into a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack that produces electricity to drive traction motors. Kinetic energy recovered during braking is stored in onboard batteries, supplementing fuel cell output during acceleration.

The world's first commercial hydrogen passenger train was Alstom's Coradia iLint, deployed in Lower Saxony, Germany, in 2018 and expanded to 14 trains by end-2022. It operates at up to 140 km/h and can travel 1,175 km without refuelling.
Hydrogen fuel cell trains are particularly suited to non-electrified routes where overhead electrification is economically unviable, replacing diesel traction.
Key infrastructure requirements: hydrogen production/supply chain, high-pressure storage (typically 350–700 bar), compression systems, dispensing stations, and safety-certified personnel.

Connection to this news: India's Jind-Sonipat hydrogen train follows the same technology pathway as Germany's Coradia iLint — replacing diesel on a non-electrified section — but uses indigenously manufactured rolling stock, strengthening domestic clean technology capacity.

RDSO: India's Railway Standards and Design Body

The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), headquartered in Lucknow, is the sole R&D and technical standards organisation of Indian Railways, functioning under the Ministry of Railways. It issues technical specifications, grants design approval, and certifies new rolling stock and technologies before deployment on the Indian rail network. No new technology can be introduced on Indian Railways without RDSO's technical clearance.

RDSO was established in 1957 through the merger of the Research Design and Standards Organisation and the Central Standards Office.
It covers areas including locomotives, coaches, wagons, track, bridges, signalling, telecommunications, and, increasingly, alternative propulsion systems.
RDSO's approval of the hydrogen train's operation and maintenance manuals is the critical final technical hurdle before commercial deployment.

Connection to this news: RDSO's approval of both the hydrogen trainset and the maintenance manuals represents the technology's graduation from prototype to deployable standard, a mandatory gate in the Indian Railways safety and certification process.

India's Green Hydrogen Mission and Net-Zero Commitments

India launched the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) in January 2023 with an outlay of ₹19,744 crore, targeting the production of 5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of green hydrogen per annum by 2030. The mission aims to make India a global hub for green hydrogen production and export, decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors (steel, chemicals, fertilisers, and transport), and reduce fossil fuel import dependency. India's NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions) under the Paris Agreement target net-zero emissions by 2070 and 50% non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030.

Green hydrogen is produced via electrolysis of water using renewable electricity, emitting no CO2; grey hydrogen (from natural gas/coal) accounts for over 95% of current global hydrogen production.
The NGHM includes incentive schemes for green hydrogen production (SIGHT — Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition) and pilot projects in sectors including transport.
Indian Railways has a target of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030; 100% electrification of the broad-gauge network is the primary strategy, with hydrogen complementing electrification on difficult terrain or short non-electrified sections.

Connection to this news: The Jind-Sonipat hydrogen train is an early operational demonstration under India's broader green hydrogen and net-zero transport strategy, testing the infrastructure and economics of hydrogen rail at scale before wider rollout.

PESO and Compressed Gas Safety Regulation in India

The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), is the national authority that regulates the manufacture, storage, transport, and use of explosives, petroleum, compressed gases, and other hazardous materials in India. Its statutory basis includes the Explosives Act 1884, the Petroleum Act 1934, and the Gas Cylinders Rules. Any facility storing or dispensing compressed hydrogen must obtain PESO's licence.

Compressed hydrogen is classified as a flammable, pressurised gas requiring strict containment, ventilation, leak detection, and emergency response infrastructure.
PESO grants site-specific licences after inspection of storage and dispensing facilities, equipment certification, and safety management plans.
International standards such as ISO/TC 197 (hydrogen technologies) and IEC 62282 (fuel cell technologies) underpin PESO's technical requirements for novel applications.

Connection to this news: PESO's licence grant for the Jind hydrogen refuelling facility was the critical safety-compliance milestone that cleared the way for operational approval, confirming that India's indigenous hydrogen infrastructure meets regulatory standards for compressed gas safety.

Key Facts & Data

Route: Jind-Sonipat section, Northern Railway, Haryana
Train configuration: 10-car hydrogen fuel cell DEMU trainset
Propulsion: 1,200 kW hydrogen fuel cell system; Distributed Power Rolling Stock (DPRS) architecture
Maximum operating speed: 75 km/h
Emissions: Water vapour only (zero direct CO2)
Manufacturer: Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai
Technical approvals: RDSO (design + O&M manuals), Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS)
Safety licence: Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) — compressed hydrogen storage and dispensing
Refuelling infrastructure: Indigenous hydrogen storage and compression facility at Jind station
Maintenance base: Planned at Shakurbasti (Delhi)
Safety features: Hydrogen leak detectors, flame detectors, 24x7 monitoring mandate
Global comparators: Germany (Alstom Coradia iLint, 14 trains, operational since 2022), Japan, China, US
Policy alignment: National Green Hydrogen Mission (2023), Indian Railways Net-Zero 2030 target, India's NDC under Paris Agreement
NGHM target: 5 MMT green hydrogen/year by 2030; ₹19,744 crore outlay