India’s first hydrogen-powered train, to be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Haryana’s Jind railway station on Friday, has multiple layers of safety features that can detect gas leak, heat, and smoke, and an automatic shut-off system that will cut off the hydrogen supply, without waiting for manual reaction, in case anything unusual is found.“The train is fitted with devices that continuously watch for hydrogen leaks, unusual heat, flames or smoke, so any problem is caught within seconds. On top of this, non-stop ventilation keeps air moving through the train at all times, so that even if a tiny amount of hydrogen were to leak, it gets safely carried away and diluted in the open air instead of collecting anywhere,” as per an official statement issued by the Ministry of Railways.“There is also an automatic shut-off system. If anything unusual is detected, it can automatically cut off the hydrogen supply on its own, without waiting for a person to react”.With the launch of the 10-coach train, which will operate between Jind and Sonipat section of Northern Railway, India will join a select group of nations that has adopted the clean technology.“India becomes one of the select group of nations that have such trains. This will go a long way in ensuring that India adopts clean technology in the railway sector,” PM Modi said in a statement.Unlike electric trains that draw power from overhead wires, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trainset generates electricity on board through a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Hydrogen stored in cylinders reacts with oxygen from the atmosphere to produce electricity for the traction motors, with water vapour and heat as the only direct by-products.“In a sense, the train carries its own source of power, but instead of burning traditional fuels, generates electricity using oxygen from the atmosphere,” as per the ministry’s statement. As electricity is generated on board through clean-hydrogen technology, the train represents the greenest form of rail propulsion, powering the future of sustainable mobility.Story continues below this adGiven hydrogen’s highly flammable nature, the train is equipped with multiple layers of safety systems. The loco pilot’s cabin has been designed to keep the person safe, with a special mode that allows the train to be moved to safety in an emergency and a screen that shows the loco pilot the real health of the whole system at all times.The dedicated hydrogen storage, compression and dispensing facility established at Jind too has similar safety features, including leak and flame detectors, automatic shutdown systems, fire alarms and water spray arrangements. At the facility, water is split into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis and is then stored safely in dedicated storage tanks. The hydrogen is compressed to 500 bar (unit of pressure), enabling a larger quantity to be stored in a smaller volume before being dispensed through two independent dispensers at a regulated pressure of 350 bar.The facility stores nearly 3,000 kg of hydrogen at a time, sufficient to support regular operations of the trainset, and its storage and supply system has been approved by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).The train has an operational speed of 75 kmph and a design speed of 110 kmph on the 89-km Jind-Sonipat route.Globally, hydrogen-powered rail transport remains at an early stage. Germany was the first country to introduce commercial hydrogen passenger trains, while France, Italy, China and Japan have either pilot projects or limited deployments, largely on short regional routes with two to four coaches.Story continues below this adThe Indian train differs, having 10 coaches with a capacity of around 2,600 passengers, demonstrating the scalability of hydrogen-powered rail transport for high-capacity passenger operations on non-electrified or difficult-to-electrify routes.The Indian Railways is also exploring the deployment of hydrogen technology on heritage railways, including the Kalka-Shimla route, by leveraging the experience gained through the Jind-Sonipat hydrogen train project, it said.