On a mission mode towards green railways, Indian Railways organisation Indian Railways Organisation of Alternative Fuels (IROAF) has invited bids for hydrogen fuel cell based trains on Indian Railways network.

The project shall commence in the 89 km Sonipat-Jind section of Northern Railway. Initially, two DEMU rakes will be converted and later two hybrid locos will be converted based on hydrogen fuel cell power movement. There will be no change in the driving console. Also, the project will lead to saving of Rs. 2.3 crore annually.

The project shall kick off the concept of hydrogen mobility in the country and will lead to a saving of Rs. 2.3 crore annually.

Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Batteries and National Hydrogen Mission are the two flagship programs of Government of India which plans to meet the targets of reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emission under Paris Climate Agreement 2015 and Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission Railway by 2030 are the real catalysts for inviting bids for hydrogen based train. 

Accordingly, there has been a recent budgetary pronouncement to kick off the concept of hydrogen mobility in the country. Accepting it as a challenge, IROAF, the green fuel vertical of Indian Railways, has invited bids for hydrogen fuel trains. Indian Railways has allocated Rs. 8 crore in the current year.