The train will operate between Jind and Sonipat, covering a distance of 90 km.
“The hydrogen train technology is only 7-8 years old and only 4-5 countries have the capability to run it. While hydrogen trains plying in other countries are at a nascent stage, the one in India is the most powerful in this segment with 3,200 horsepower,” Modi said at a public meeting after the flag-off.
He said there was a strong possibility of hydrogen trains being deployed more extensively across the country. Research to reduce costs and improve efficiency would continue before any expansion, he added.
Modi also used the occasion to criticise the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government, saying the pace of technological upgradation in Indian Railways had been slow. He said during the UPA’s tenure, 70% of trains ran on diesel and argued that had the same situation prevailed today, when the West Asia crisis has disrupted supplies, rail services would have been severely affected.
