India’s first Hydrogen Train
India will soon launch its first hydrogen train to make a considerable pace towards sustainable transportation and success. This may be derived through this remarkable initiative that could enable this nation to uphold a line with countries like Sweden, France, Germany and China as the fifth nation in the globe to operate a train which has the competency to run effectively with the help of hydrogen.
According to the “Ministry of Railways”, they spent an amount of Rs 2800 crore to attain this goal, which is about to be achieved by deploying 35 hydrogen power trains which will solely operate with the assistance of hydrogen fuel. The Ministry of Railways also stated that Indian Railways has a plan to initiate trail runs in December 2024, which will be a vital move for this nation in terms of acquiring anticipated outcomes through this innovative project.
With the proliferation of news related to the launching of the first hydrogen train in India, it has already acquired prominence, which could lead to a considerable change in the means of transportation besides reducing the emission of carbon footprint on the atmosphere. Each hydrogen train is projected to cost around Indian Rupees INR 80 crore, besides around 70 crore allocated for the infrastructure development of major routes where such trains are about to operate. The hydrogen-powered train that will be about to launch in India in the financial year 2024-25 will operate on the Jind Sonipat, all while the prototype is being assembled at the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai.
One of the key reasons that forcing India to launch the hydrogen fuel train is that it has led them to attain the green target, which is solely to come up with green transpiration. Green transportation technology has evolved over the last couple of years, which opens a new avenue for the railway sector to lower the emission of carbon footprint, which is pivotal for attaining zero emissions targets.
The government of these nations, with their effort towards maintaining the collaboration with the Ministry of Railways, will help this nation to acquire the benefits of sustainable transportation, which has been observed within developed nations, including China, Germany, France and many other nations as well. Through undertaking this initiative, India might improve the railway infrastructure along with concern which is related to the degradation of the environment by acquiring zero carbon emissions. This could be the key step for India to derive sustainable targets and likewise improve their competency to fight against one of the major threats to the environment, which is brought about the climate change and global warming.
Why did India take the initiative to launch a hydrogen train?
In India, the amount of carbon being generated via transportation is found to have increased exponentially over the last couple of years. This has also upsurged the likelihood of environmental degradation and biodiversity losses. Hence, sustainable transportation has become a foremost requirement of India, which is the reason that influences the nation to initiate facilitative projects that will about to acquired by them through launching 35 hydrogen power trains in the financial year 2024-25.
Due to the ample benefits surrounding Hydrogen trains, such as reducing the emission of GHG, many governments across the globe are supporting expansion as well as improvement of their rail networks by shifting towards replacing their conventional combustion engine with Hydrogen ones and nations like Canada, Germany, US and UK have already attained this objective. This has turned out to be one of the prime reasons forcing India and their government to develop clean as well as economic train technologies to support the expansion of the Hydrogen train network to attain net zero railway transportation. This may open up new avenues for the railway sector in India to become suitable and resilient amid climate change crises.
The working principle of hydrogen train
We are widely know of the fact that a fuel cell utilizes the chemical energy that is being liberated from hydrogen or other energy sources to effectively produce electricity. In modern times, hydrogen fuel cells have been utilized in a variety of applications, producing and providing energy to various industries, including transportation, commercial and residential buildings, along long-term energy storage for the power grid. It is worth noting that fuel cells have provided a multitude of advantages over conventional or traditional combustion-based technologies that are being widely used in vehicles, trains and power plants.
Fuel cells are found to have lower emissions compared to traditional combustion engines; however, Hydrogen fuel cells add new demission to this aspect as they only emit water. This could be pivotal for railway and transportation systems to address the concern which is brought about due to the significant increase in the emission of carbon footprint and greenhouse gases, which is propelled by due increased use of fossil fuel.
Hydrogen can be utilized to power trains in two main ways: combustion in engines that directly pass mechanical energy to onboard machinery or oxidation in cells that are capable of covering chemical energy to electricity, which produces enough power to operate electric motors. This might be an effective solution to tackle climate change, and expanding it into rail transport might be a promising solution to increase sustainability and lessen the negative impact of the environmental implications like greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as pollution.
FAQ
1. When is India’s first hydrogen train expected to be launched?
Trial runs for the hydrogen train are scheduled to begin in December 2024.
2. What is the route for the initial trials of the hydrogen train?
The initial route will be the Jind-Sonipat section of the Northern Railway.
3. How does a hydrogen-powered train work?
Hydrogen fuel cells generate electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. This electricity powers the train’s motors.
4. What are the environmental benefits of hydrogen trains?
Hydrogen trains produce zero emissions, making them a cleaner alternative to diesel-powered trains. They contribute to reducing carbon emissions and air pollution.
5. What are the challenges in developing and implementing hydrogen-powered trains?
Challenges include the infrastructure required for hydrogen production, storage, and refueling, as well as the cost of hydrogen fuel.
