India is going to roll out its first domestically produced, hydrogen-powered train next year. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the train named ‘Vande Metro’ will replace those designed in 1950s and 60s.
Here are five points on the new train:
- Mr Vaishnaw said on Sunday that the first indigenously designed and built hydrogen train would roll out in December 2023. He added that the design is expected to be out by May or June next year.
- Vande Metro will take care of middle-class and the poor, according to the Union minister who said that the focus is not on the high-end customer.
- The Vande Metro trains will be manufactured in large numbers, said Mr Vaishnaw. Currently, most trains in India run on diesel or electricity.
- Governments and energy companies around the world are betting on clean hydrogen playing a leading role in efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions, though its future uses and costs remain uncertain.
- In August, Germany became the first country in the world to run hydrogen-powered trains. These trains emit no pollution and produce little noise, emitting just steam and evaporated water.
