India starts first hydrogen train to promote clean energy.

Joins a small group of countries testing technology to help reduce carbon emissions from rail transport.

BY Mahnoor | 18-07-2026

India started its first hydrogen-powered train on Friday, joining a few other countries testing this new technology to make trains cleaner and use less oil and coal.

This is part of a bigger effort to update one of the world’s biggest train systems and cut pollution.

The train has 10 cars and travels 89 kilometers (55 miles) between Jind and Sonipat in Haryana, a state in northern India. It uses a 1,200-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell system for power.

Officials say this is the most powerful system of its kind for a train in the world.

Hydrogen trains use fuel cells to make electricity by mixing hydrogen and oxygen. They only release water and steam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who started the first trip, said in a social media post, “This is a very important day for India’s self-reliance and sustainable development.”

The railway ministry said the train was “developed entirely in India”, but senior officials told reporters that some key parts, like the fuel cells, were imported.

The ministry also opened what it called the country’s largest railway hydrogen storage and refueling station in Jind. It can hold about 3,000 kilograms of hydrogen to support trains that run on hydrogen power.

The test project cost about $12 million, according to a high-ranking railway official who admitted it was much more costly than a similar regular service.

But he said costs are expected to decrease as the technology improves.

With the launch, India joins countries like Germany, Japan, China, and the United States that are testing or using hydrogen-powered trains.

India’s railways have changed a lot since the first passenger steam train started in 1853 from Mumbai.

In recent years, New Delhi has spent billions of dollars to improve infrastructure, safety, and capacity.

Official data shows the huge network carried 7.41 billion passengers and 1.67 billion tons of freight last year.

India has also started using its own Vande Bharat trains, which can go up to 180 kilometers per hour.

At the same time, the country is building its first high-speed train line using Japanese Shinkansen technology.

Officials expect the bullet train, made to run up to 320 kilometers per hour, to start running on its first part in 2027.

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