Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday hailed the launch of India’s first hydrogen-powered train in Jind, Haryana, describing it as a major technological milestone and a testament to the country’s growing self-reliance in advanced rail technology.
Speaking at the launch ceremony, Vaishnaw credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for enabling India to develop indigenous hydrogen technology, placing the country among a select group of nations with the capability to design and manufacture hydrogen-powered trains.
Highlighting the significance of the achievement, the Railways Minister said, “Today is a historic day when we have achieved a huge technological achievement because of the country’s leadership to develop hydrogen technology in the country. India is now among the nations which has entire technology to produce hydrogen-powered trains.”
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini described the inauguration of the country’s first hydrogen-powered train as a “golden chapter” in India’s development journey, saying the project reflects the government’s commitment to green energy and the vision of a Viksit Bharat.
Addressing the gathering, CM Saini said, “Today’s occasion is not merely an event. It is a celebration of the resolve for a ‘Viksit Bharat,’ the self-confidence of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat,’ and the collective consciousness of nation-building. Prime Minister, today, through your hands, we are not just inaugurating projects or laying foundation stones. A golden chapter is being added to the development journey of a ‘Viksit Bharat’ from this sacred land of Jind.”
The Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister for prioritising Haryana’s development and selecting Jind to host the country’s first hydrogen-powered train.
“It is a result of your visionary leadership and your commitment to green energy that you have bestowed upon Haryana, and specifically upon our Jind, the honour of hosting the country’s first hydrogen train,” he said.
Calling the launch a defining moment, CM Saini added, “Future generations will remember this day not merely as a date on the calendar, but as a historic moment when the resolve for development took flight from the soil of Jind.”
He further praised the Prime Minister’s development agenda, saying, “You have not merely formulated schemes. You have transformed both the direction and the state of a ‘New India.’ You have not just erected structures of development. You have shaped the future of generations to come.”
“Today, the world acknowledges that this is PM Modi’s ‘New India,’ a nation that does not merely dream, but one that turns resolve into reality and leads the world,” the Chief Minister added.
India’s first hydrogen-powered train represents a significant step towards clean and sustainable rail transportation. Beyond introducing a new trainset, the project establishes the infrastructure, operational systems and institutional capacity required for future hydrogen-powered rail operations.
The initiative will help validate hydrogen rail technology, operating procedures and maintenance practices while strengthening India’s capabilities in clean mobility. It also supports the National Green Hydrogen Mission and the country’s net-zero carbon emission goals, laying the foundation for wider adoption of hydrogen-powered trains as Indian Railways continues its modernisation drive.
(With ANI inputs)
