Ex-Rail GM Calls India’s Plan for Hydrogen Train ‘Biggest Blunder’

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Experts Argue Against Hydrogen-Based Transport Systems on Widening Cost

By Raisina Correspondent

New Delhi, November 16: Former General Manager of the Railways has termed the plan of the Ministry of Rail to run a hydrogen train “biggest blunder”. Another expert, citing Canada’s example, asserted that running a hydrogen-based transport system is an utter “nonsense”.

“It will rank among the biggest blunders of the Indian railways,” commented Lalit Chandra Trivedi, who was General Manager of East-Central Railways while also having been chairman of the railway division.

Trivedi termed plan of a German company to do safety audit of India’s Hydrogen trains a “joke”. “Germany was pioneer in starting Hydrogen trains. Germany is pioneer too in closing down Hydrogen Trains. Hydrogen for running trains is a failed experiment,” said Trivedi in a long post on Linkedin.

Reports said that the Ministry of Railways is planning to launch a pilot hydrogen train by December this year. The Ministry of Railways per media reports has plans to launch 35 Hydrogen Trains. The Railways is stated to have already started installing Hydrogen fuel cells and supporting infrastructure.

“Designs for the hydrogen plants are also approved. According to railway spokesperson Dilip Kumar, the cost for a single hydrogen train is approximately ₹80 crore,” media reports said.

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Trivedi, however, stated that the plan for hydrogen trains will be “suicidal for a country that prides itself on becoming first fully electrified Rail network”. “When you can use renewable electricity to run an electric locomotive/ EMU directly without any wastage, what is the point in wasting energy via hydrogen route,” asked Trivedi.

The cost of setting up multiple hydrogen refuelling stations is going to be enormous, said Trivedi. He added: “Even on hill sections, an EV type train engine is a better choice, as it can use the EV charging network of road as everywhere heritage / mountain networks have a parallel road network.”

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Bruce Hanson, an Energy Manager, cited the failed example of Canada running hydrogen buses to argue the case against the alternative fuel. “Hydrogen buses in Mississauga, Canada, was a pilot project, aiming to change the laws of physics. But the transit authorities are repeating the mistake,” said Hanson in a post on Linkedin, alleging that fossil industry is lobbying with policy makers to push hydrogen-based transport system.

And bus manufacturers don’t care, said Hansen, adding that “they are not paying the eye watering fuel cost. The manufacturers can earn extra profit on the more expensive hydrogen buses”.

“French city Montpellier caught itself and cancelled an order for 51 hydrogen buses after realizing electric ones six times cheaper to run. This was three years ago,” added Hansen.

He argued that the price gap between hydrogen powered buses and electric ones has widened, since the Montpellier cancellation. “The business case for hydrogen buses is nonsense,” said Hansen.

Reports said that hydrogen trains will be water guzzlers. The cost of running for one hours will consume 40,000 litres of waters.

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