India's hydrogen rail era begins

New Delhi: The country's first hydrogen-powered train, scheduled to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 17, will cover the 89-km distance between Jind and Sonipat in two hours, with stoppages at 12 intermediate stations.According to an official communication issued by the Railway Board to Northern Railway on July 8, Hydrogen Train No 74010 will depart from Jind railway station at 7.40 am during its regular service and arrive at Sonipat at 9.40 am.Also Read: India's first hydrogen-powered train is ready: PM Modi likely to inaugurate it on July 17; Check route, speed & featuresThe train will halt at 12 intermediate stations: Jind City, Pandu Pindara, Lalit Khera, Bhambeva, Ishapur Kheri, Butana, Khandrai, Gohana, Rabhra, Lath, Mohana Haryana and Barwasni.On its return journey, Train No 74009 will depart from Sonipat at 10.40 am and reach Jind at 1.00 pm, halting at the same stations en route.The Railway Board has also directed the Northern Railway to commence the country's first hydrogen train service at the earliest, following its inauguration by the prime minister on July 17."The train will operate as a special inaugural service on July 17.

The date for the commencement of its regular passenger service has not yet been decided.

We have asked the Northern Railway to finalise it at the earliest and inform us accordingly," a senior Railway Board official said.The board, in its July 8 circular to Northern Railway, announced the train's daily operational schedule between Jind and Sonipat, along with the list of intermediate stoppages.

However, it has left the decision on the date of commencement of regular services to the Northern Railway.In earlier communications, the Railway Board had said the train would cover 356 km daily, making two round trips between Jind and Sonipat, with each one-way journey spanning 89 km.

The 10-coach train has 682 seats and a total passenger capacity of 2,600.Although the train attained a maximum speed of 120 kmph during trials, its maximum operational speed during regular service will be 75 kmph.In May 2026, the Railway Board approved the introduction of the country's first hydrogen-powered 10-coach DEMU train, which uses hydrogen fuel cells to generate traction power instead of diesel.As a safety measure, the Ministry of Railways has directed that, for the first three months of operation, the train will be accompanied by trained technical personnel with expertise in hydrogen trainsets to attend to any en-route technical issues. ...