India has launched its first hydrogen-powered train, marking a key milestone in the country’s efforts to promote clean and sustainable transportation. The train, named NaMo Green Rail, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of its inaugural journey.
This development places India among a select group of nations operating zero-emission hydrogen trains, complementing its largely electrified railway network. The initiative supports India’s broader goal of achieving net-zero emissions in rail transport by 2030.
India has launched its first domestically built, hydrogen-powered train, as it pushes its efforts to expand clean energy use.
Related coverage: Rising Yemen conflict risks disrupting vital Bab al-Mandeb energy corridor.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the locomotive ahead of its first trip on Friday, hailing the event as a significant day for India’s drive to become self-reliant and sustainable. The introduction of the train sees India join just a handful of countries that have successfully deployed the zero-emission technology in their rail networks.
Dubbed the “NaMo Green Rail”, including an abbreviation of the PM’s first and last names, the train will make two return trips each day along a 90km route linking the cities of Jind and Sonipat, in the state of Haryana. The 10-coach train can seat about 2,600 passengers and can travel at speeds of up to 75km/h.
More context: Oil prices reach one-month peak as US-Iran conflict disrupts Strait of Hormuz shipping.
Designed, engineered and built in India, the NaMo produces only heat and water vapour when running, making it an attractive alternative to diesel.
While India has already electrified almost all of its 70,000km railway network, one of the largest in the world, hydrogen trains can plug the gap where electrification is not possible.
Also read: US strikes on Iran trigger rise in oil prices and fall in global stocks amid Hormuz tensions.
Other countries operating hydrogen-powered trains include Japan, China, the United States and Germany, which launched the world’s first hydrogen-powered fleet in 2022.
The rollout is part of India’s wider push to expand use of hydrogen and cut its carbon emissions, with the government aiming to make the country’s railways net-zero by 2030.
Prime Minister Modi has long pushed other clean-energy efforts too, from expanding renewables to advancing India’s nuclear energy programme.
While the country still struggles with enacting effective climate policy, the launch of NaMo Green Rail marks another step towards a green transition.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.