India’s first hydrogen train undergoes Delhi-Jind trial run ahead of launch

India's first indigenous hydrogen fuel cell train completed a trial run between Delhi and Jind (via Sonipat) on the Northern Railway zone, achieving a top sp...

What Happened

India's first indigenous hydrogen fuel cell train completed a trial run between Delhi and Jind (via Sonipat) on the Northern Railway zone, achieving a top speed of 120 kmph during the trial on the Jind–Sonipat section.
The Ministry of Railways had granted operational approval in May 2026 for commercial services at a maximum speed of 75 kmph on the Jind–Sonipat route; the trial run at a higher speed validated structural and safety performance ahead of the commercial launch.
The train is a 10-coach DEMU (Diesel Electric Multiple Unit) converted to run on hydrogen fuel cells, with a total power output of 1,200 kilowatts, operating on Distributed Power Rolling Stock (DPRS) technology — distributing power across the train rather than concentrating it in a single locomotive.
Safety systems include hydrogen leak detectors, flame detection equipment, and continuous monitoring technology; hydrogen is stored onboard at high pressure.
A dedicated hydrogen production and refuelling station has been established at Jind, Haryana, using a 1 MW Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyser with a production capacity of approximately 430 kg of hydrogen per day.
Commercial pilot operations are expected to begin in the second half of 2026; with this, India will join Germany, Sweden, Japan, and China as nations that have operationalised hydrogen-powered passenger trains.

Static Topic Bridges

Hydrogen as a Fuel: Green, Grey, and Blue

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe but does not exist freely in nature — it must be extracted from compounds (water or hydrocarbons). The environmental profile of hydrogen depends entirely on the energy source and method used for its production. A colour-coding convention is used globally to classify hydrogen by production pathway.

Grey Hydrogen: Produced from natural gas via Steam Methane Reforming (SMR); releases CO₂ as a by-product. Accounts for the majority (~95%) of global hydrogen production today. Not a clean fuel.
Blue Hydrogen: Grey hydrogen production with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to capture and sequester the CO₂ emitted. Reduces emissions but does not eliminate them; depends on the effectiveness of CCS.
Green Hydrogen: Produced by electrolysis of water using electricity from renewable energy sources (solar, wind). The only hydrogen type with near-zero lifecycle emissions. Water and oxygen are the only by-products.
Other colours: Pink (nuclear-powered electrolysis), Turquoise (methane pyrolysis — solid carbon instead of CO₂).

Connection to this news: The Jind refuelling station uses a PEM electrolyser. Whether the electricity powering the electrolyser is from renewables (green) or the grid (grey) determines the true emissions footprint of the train — a critical policy question for India's net-zero targets.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells: How They Work

A hydrogen fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts hydrogen and oxygen directly into electricity, with water vapour as the sole by-product. Unlike combustion engines, there are no moving parts in the core cell, making it highly efficient and silent.

In a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell — the type used in transport applications — hydrogen is fed to the anode (negative electrode) and oxygen (from air) to the cathode (positive electrode). Hydrogen atoms are split into protons and electrons; electrons travel through an external circuit (generating electricity) and recombine with protons and oxygen at the cathode to produce water.
PEM fuel cells operate at relatively low temperatures (60–80°C), making them suitable for mobile applications; they respond quickly to variable power demands.
In railway applications, fuel cells are typically paired with battery/supercapacitor buffers: regenerative braking energy is stored in batteries, and fuel cells provide baseline power — together handling peak traction demands.
Energy efficiency of hydrogen fuel cells (40–60%) is comparable to diesel engines but with zero tailpipe emissions; the efficiency advantage over conventional thermal systems improves when green hydrogen is used.

Connection to this news: India's hydrogen DEMU uses PEM fuel cell technology with DPRS architecture — the same technology used in Germany's Alstom Coradia iLint, the world's first commercial hydrogen passenger train (launched 2018).

Indian Railways and Decarbonisation Policy

Indian Railways is one of the world's largest rail networks (approx. 67,000 km route length) and one of the largest institutional energy consumers in India. Its decarbonisation is central to India's net-zero 2070 goal.

Indian Railways has targeted net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 — one of the most ambitious decarbonisation goals of any national railway.
The primary decarbonisation strategy is electrification: as of 2025, over 95% of the broad-gauge network is electrified. Remaining sections include branch lines, hilly terrain, and heritage routes.
Hydrogen trains are being evaluated for non-electrified and difficult-to-electrify routes where overhead electric traction is not cost-effective.
The National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), launched in January 2023 with a ₹19,744 crore outlay, targets 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen production per year by 2030; the Railways hydrogen pilot fits within this broader mission.
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is the nodal agency for green hydrogen procurement and hub development.

Connection to this news: The Jind–Sonipat hydrogen train pilot is one of the earliest applications of the NGHM for transport. Its performance data will inform whether hydrogen or battery-electric technology is more viable for non-electrified corridors.

Comparison: Hydrogen Train vs. Battery-Electric Train

Both hydrogen and battery-electric trains are zero-tailpipe-emission alternatives to diesel on non-electrified lines. Their trade-offs shape which technology suits which corridor.

Range: Hydrogen trains have longer range per refuel (comparable to diesel) — making them suitable for longer non-electrified routes. Battery trains have limited range before requiring charge.
Refuelling/recharging time: Hydrogen trains refuel in minutes (similar to diesel); battery trains require longer charging stops.
Infrastructure: Hydrogen requires a refuelling infrastructure (production, compression, storage, dispensing); battery trains need charging points or on-route overhead charging segments.
Energy efficiency: Battery-electric trains are more energy-efficient end-to-end; hydrogen involves conversion losses at the electrolysis and fuel cell stages.
Weight: Hydrogen storage tanks add weight, reducing passenger/freight payload; batteries are also heavy but improving.

Connection to this news: Indian Railways is running parallel pilots — hydrogen on the Jind–Sonipat route and battery-electric on other sections — with performance data from both expected by mid-2027 to guide large-scale deployment decisions.

Key Facts & Data

Route: Delhi – Jind via Sonipat (Northern Railway zone)
Trial run top speed: 120 kmph; approved commercial speed: 75 kmph
Train configuration: 10-coach DEMU converted to hydrogen fuel cell
Total power output: 1,200 kilowatts (1.2 MW)
Technology: PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell + DPRS (Distributed Power Rolling Stock)
Refuelling station: Jind, Haryana; electrolyser capacity: 1 MW PEM, producing ~430 kg H₂/day
Commercial pilot timeline: second half of 2026
National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) launched: January 2023; outlay: ₹19,744 crore
NGHM target: 5 MMT green hydrogen production/year by 2030
Indian Railways net-zero target: 2030
World's first commercial hydrogen passenger train: Alstom Coradia iLint, Germany (2018)
Countries with operational hydrogen trains: Germany, Sweden, Japan, China (India joining)