Northern Railway proposes hydrogen-powered toy train on UNESCO heritage site Kalka-Shimla track

Railway officials said the first seven coaches, which will have hydrogen technique equipped, will be made on the pattern of Vande Bharat train coaches. The size of the coaches and the capacity to carry the passengers will be according to the British-era narrow gauge railway track. The Kalka-Shimla railway track falls under the Ambala division of the Northern Railway.

Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Ambala, Mandeep Singh Bhatia, told The Indian Express, “Kalka-Shimla railway track will be the first railway track in any hilly terrain where a hydro gas train will run in India. We have prepared a feasibility report which was principally approved. In Railway Budget 2023, we expect an announcement for this project. There will be seven coaches in the hydrogen gas train”.

Mandeep Singh Bhatia, along with other senior railway officers, were at the Chandigarh railway station Friday to inspect many ongoing development projects.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in December 2022 announced the country would have hydrogen trains by December 2023.

All hydrogen-powered rail vehicles, whether large or small, are categorised as ‘hydrail,’ whether the fuel is used for the traction motors, auxiliary systems, or both.