The engine manufacturing has been completed, but its system integration is currently underway. The first such train is expected to be tested soon on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said that the hydrogen fueled train engine developed by the Indian Railways is the highest horsepower engine in the world. Vaishnaw said this while addressing a plenary session titled “Green Connectivity: Contribution of Migrants to Sustainable Development” of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conference. Vaishnaw said that only four countries in the world make such train engines. He said, “They produce engines between 500 to 600 horsepower, while the engine manufactured by Indian Railways using indigenous technology has a capacity of 1,200 horsepower, which is the highest ever in this category.”
Testing will be done on Jind-Sonipat route
The minister said that the first such train is expected to be tested soon on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana. He said that the engine manufacturing has been completed, but its system integration is currently underway. The minister said that such technological advancement gives confidence to the country and India still has a long way to go in terms of achieving technological self-reliance and needs to be a part of the price chain. Junior Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mauritius Hambyarajan Narasimhan, who participated in the panel discussion, focused on the challenges of climate change in his country and sought support from India in providing green technology solutions.
What is a hydrogen engine
At present, the whole world is concerned about the environment. There is talk of zero carbon emission. In such a situation, new ways of transportation are also being explored, which have minimum carbon emissions. In this episode, the concept of hydrogen train came to the fore. Diesel or electricity is not used to run this train, but hydrogen fuel is used. In this, power is either obtained by burning hydrogen in a hydrogen internal combustion engine or hydrogen fuel cell is reacted with oxygen to run the electric motor of the engine.
