photo: PTI/Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off India's first hydrogen-powered train, between Jind and Sonipat, at Jind Railway Station, Haryana
India has launched its first domestically developed hydrogen train between Jind and Sonipat in Haryana. The ten-car train is unusually large for a hydrogen unit, but official documents do not describe its power in the same way.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the NaMo Green Rail on 17 July. The train has two powered driving cars and eight passenger coaches. It can carry around 2,600 passengers and is approved to run at up to 75 km/h on the 89-kilometre route. Indian reports have described it as one of the world’s longest and most powerful hydrogen trainsets.
However, one official government document lists a 1,200 kW propulsion system for the full train. A second says that each of its two powered cars produces 1,200 kW, which would give the trainset a combined rating of 2,400 kW. The manufacturer, Medha, describes a 1,200 kW power system in each end car, split between fuel cells and batteries.
So how powerful is India’s hydrogen train? The answer depends on what is being counted.
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Is the Indian Hydrogen Train Rated at 1,200 or 2,400 kW?
According to The New Indian Express, the train consists of two Hydrogen Driving Power Cars, one at each end, with eight unpowered coaches between them. The detailed Ministry of Railways release says each driving car provides 1,200 kW, or about 1,600 hp. That would put the full formation at 2,400 kW, often reported as approximately 3,200 hp.
Medha gives a more useful breakdown. Its technical page lists a 1,200 kW total power rating per powered car, made up of 480 kW from hydrogen fuel cells and 720 kW from lithium iron phosphate batteries. The train is therefore not driven by fuel cells alone. It is a hybrid electric train. Hydrogen provides energy through the fuel cells, while the batteries supply extra power during acceleration and store recovered braking energy.
However, another official Press Information Bureau backgrounder describes the ten-car trainset simply as having a "1,200 kW hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system." The Railway Board’s operating approval also refers to a "1,200 KW DEMU" without clearly stating whether the figure applies to one driving car or the complete formation.
The 2,400 kW figure appears to describe the combined peak output of both hybrid power cars. It should not be presented as 2,400 kW of fuel-cell output. Based on Medha’s figures, the fuel cells themselves would provide 960 kW across the train. The remainder would come from the batteries.
How Does It Compare with Alstom and Siemens Trains?
There is no standard international category called "the world’s most powerful hydrogen train." Manufacturers may quote fuel-cell output, battery output, total traction power, continuous power or short-term peak power. Train lengths and intended uses also differ.
India’s train is a ten-car broad-gauge unit designed to carry large numbers of passengers. European hydrogen trains are generally shorter regional units.
The Alstom Coradia iLint has two cars, room for up to 300 passengers and a maximum speed of 140 km/h. It has a stated range of around 1,000 kilometres. One iLint also travelled 1,175 kilometres without refuelling during a demonstration in 2022.
Siemens lists the hydrogen-powered Mireo Plus H with 1,700 kW of traction power. It can be supplied as a two- or three-car train, with around 120 or 160 seats. Its stated range is up to 600 kilometres for the two-car version and 1,000 kilometres for the three-car version.
Indian train, therefore, probably has a higher combined installed output than the shorter European units. It also has far more coaches and passengers to move. It is exceptionally large for a hydrogen passenger train. That does not automatically make it the best-performing one.
Why Is It Limited to 75 km/h?
The train was designed for a maximum speed of 110 km/h, but the Railway Board has approved it for only 75 km/h on the Jind–Sonipat route. That operating limit applies to the route and its current approval. It should not be confused with the train’s design speed.
The daily timetable also shows that this is not a high-speed demonstration. Train 74010 is scheduled to leave Jind at 07:40 and reach Sonipat at 09:40. The return service leaves Sonipat at 10:40 and arrives in Jind at 13:00. The route includes 12 commercial stops. The train covers 89 kilometres in roughly two hours in one direction and two hours and 20 minutes on the return trip.
This makes Jind–Sonipat suitable for testing frequent starts, braking, station calls, refuelling and day-to-day reliability. Indian Railways says the route was selected to test the technology under regular operating conditions.
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Is This a Commercial Train or Still a Pilot?
It is both. The Railway Board has approved a daily passenger service with train numbers, a timetable, commercial stops and normal fares. At the same time, official documents repeatedly describe it as a pilot initiative. The route will be used to assess safety, maintenance, reliability and operational viability before Indian Railways decides whether to deploy hydrogen trains elsewhere.
The original RDSO specification called for at least six months or 50,000 kilometres of field trials, whichever takes longer. The Railway Board also requires trained technical staff to accompany the train during its first three months of operation.