Overview
- The train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, July 17, and has entered scheduled service on the 89‑km Jind–Sonipat route as trains 74009/74010.
- Northern Railway has rejected a viral video that claimed the hydrogen train was pelted with stones and said the footage shows an older WAG‑12 locomotive and not the hydrogen set.
- The trainset is an indigenously developed 10‑coach hydrogen fuel‑cell DMU with two driving cars, about 2,600 passenger capacity, a 1,200 kW fuel‑cell propulsion system and a design speed of 110 km/h.
- Officials and editorials stress the launch is a technology demonstration for self‑reliance but note major barriers remain, including high green‑hydrogen costs, high‑pressure storage, refuelling infrastructure and limited supply.
- Analysts say hydrogen trains will likely complement electrified lines and serve non‑electrified or heritage routes until cheaper electrolysers, expanded renewable power and a refuelling network make wider rollout viable.