A New Era Of Green Mobility: A Milestone In Sustainable Railway Transportation – OpEd

India's hydrogen-powered train Namo Green Rail. 

Photo Credit: Kshitij08, Wikipedia Commons

August 6, 2026
By Dr. Davinderpal Singh

Key Takeaways:

India has launched its first indigenous hydrogen-powered train (Namo Green Rail) on the Jind–Sonipat route, joining a select group of countries adopting green hydrogen technology in rail transport.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to produce 5 million metric tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2030, supporting India’s net-zero target by 2070 and reducing fossil fuel dependence.

Major challenges remain—high production costs, limited infrastructure, and the need for sustained subsidies, R&D, and international cooperation—yet hydrogen trains offer a practical alternative for non-electrified routes.

Green hydrogen is emerging as sustainable and resilience sources of energy for achieving the target of net-zero carbon emissions. India user a new phase of green energy transaction with the launch of its first hydrogen-powered train. The train, is also known as Namo Green Rail, was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, running from Jind to Sonipat city in the northern state of Haryana. Indian Railways achieving significant milestone by adopting sustainable transportation technologies. It is a crucial step towards integrating next generation technology of clean energy solution into public transport, having potential to lower down air pollution and carbon emission. With this initiative, India joined selected group of countries, such as Germany, Japan, China, and the United States whose hydrogen-powered trains transportation system has adopted green hydrogen technology.

The train also represents another achievement under Make in India initiative as it has been developed by using indigenous technology. The Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, described the launch of hydrogen-power train is a historic achievement for India’s technological development, stating that it encouraging clean and innovative rail mobility. The train offers a durable alternative to fossil fuel based rail transportation and supports India’s objective of accomplishing net zero target by 2070. Green hydrogen is a clean fuel integrates in the sectors such as industries and transportation to promote decarbonisation. However, India faces multiple challenges to deploy green hydrogen in transport, industries as well as other key carbon intensive sectors. Such as, the substantial financial investment required for the production, storage, distribution, and supporting infrastructure needed for green hydrogen.

Green Hydrogen Technology as an alternative to fossil fuel

Green hydrogen is emerging as important alternative to fossil fuels for reducing carbon emission and mitigating the effect of climate change. Carbon emission has been realised into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, as consequences of industrial activities such as manufacturing steel and irons and by oil refineries etc. Green hydrogen can play significant role of decarbonising these sectors and it encompasses to shipping and aviation. Green hydrogen originates from renewable energy, such as solar or wind power. It generate by a chemical process called electrolysis. This method uses electric current to split hydrogen and oxygen in water. The electricity has obtained from renewable energy sources like solar panels or wind turbines without emitting carbon.


The Government of India, defined hydrogen as green hydrogen produced through the process in which associated GHGs do not exceed more than 2 kg of CO₂ equivalent for every 1 kg of Hydrogen produced. This prescribed limit ensure that hydrogen production is sustainable and aligned with country’s objective of decarbonisation. Further, the green hydrogen can also be generated using biomass (such as agricultural residual) provided that emissions remain below the above mentioned limit. Once it is produced, hydrogen converted into electric energy using fuel cell and released water vapour and warm air only as by product. It has potential to grow in both the stationary power and transportation energy sectors. While using hydrogen no greenhouse gas emission is released and making it promising substitute of conventional fossil fuels. The transportation sector has capacity to easily absorb the fuel cell technology. The significant advancement has been made in the development of buses, trains and automobiles.

India’s Hydrogen Energy Mission

India like other countries such as Germany, Japan etc. has taken significant steps to integrates green hydrogen into their energy system which has been comprehensively aligned with sustainable goals. India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM, 2023) is centre to enhance and promote green hydrogen to decarbonise and self-reliant economy. The mission has been accelerating invention in domestic production, scaling innovation and open for global markets. India has set out green hydrogen production targets of 5 MMT (million metric tonnes) annually by 2030 that supported around 125 GW renewable energy. The Mission is expected to attract over ₹8 lakh crore in investments that offers one lakh jobs. It reduce ₹1 lakh crore fossil imports while reducing 50 MMT carbon emission in every year by 2030. India has entered in a decisive phase in its growth journey as its moves with twice goals of becoming developed nation by 2047 and achieving Net Zero by 2070.


According to the Energy Statistic India-2025, report, country’s economy has been expanding, and demand of energy supply also rising, driven by rapid growth of urbanisation and industrialisation. India’s total energy consumption has substantially increased by 38 percent, since the 2014-2015, across residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors. In the year 2023-24, the industrial sector recorded highest growth at 13.2 percent, transportation constituted 10.7 percent and commercial/public service sectors are 6.6 percent, the surging energy demand linked to economy.

Further, the Agriculture and Forestry has too seen steady rise in energy consumption over years. However, energy sector is overwhelmingly reliance on fossil fuels which representing 75 percent country’s total energy supply. Coal represents half of country’s total energy supply, generates 75 percent of electricity and around 25 percent of energy received from oil and oil products. India also world’s second largest coal consuming and third largest coal producer country. Fossil fuels are the largest contributor to climate change which accounting 68 percent of GHG emission and around 90 percent of all CO2. Hence, India’s energy demand and consumption and carbon emission footprint significantly growing. India has taken first step toward using clean energy in transport sector with launched of the Namo Green Rail powered by green hydrogen. Indian hydrogen-powered has 10-coach, having passenger capacity of around 2,600. It demonstrates India growing scalable capacity and operational feasibility of hydrogen-powered train technology for high-volume passenger transportation. Which highlighting India’s future of advanced railway engineering.

Way forward for India

The green hydrogen energy using in railway sector is remarkable step toward sustainable transportation. Further, India cannot disregard the actual realties that can be provide hinder to the development to adopt large-scale green hydrogen.

India’s 95 percent railway transportation network has already electrified. The immediate replacement of electric network to hydrogen seems impractical. However, hydrogen-powered train can serve as viable alternative for non-electrified due to geographical and financial reasons.

Green hydrogen is more expensive relative to grey hydrogen. The high price of renewable electricity and electrolyser, technology, storage and transportation infrastructure enhancing the overall coat of production of green hydrogen. and expansion of green technology requires constant govt. support. Its development required continuous Government financial support, subsides and policy reform.

Despite the existing challenges, the consistent government assistance for research and development is essential to advance green hydrogen energy technologies. The continued investment in innovation and improvement in technologies will reduce the cost production.

A strong cooperative hybrid framework encompass government, industries, research institutions are essential for accelerating the growth of green hydrogen. Particularly, the Micro and Medium and Small Enterprises should be encouraged to adopt green hydrogen technologies through financial incentives and policy assistance.

Further, international cooperation is crucial for rapid and comprehensive development of green hydrogen energy sector. Global partnership network, similar like International Solar Alliance (ISA) promotes knowledge sharing, capacity building, technology share and financial investment. Such cooperation providing incentives and benefits to developing as well as developed countries.


About Dr. Davinderpal Singh
Dr. Davinderpal Singh is a Guest Faculty in Political Science in the Department of Law, Central University of Punjab, VPO – Ghudda, District – Bathinda, State- Punjab, INDIA. Pin Code: 151401. Email: Singh.paldp@gmail.com. His research areas are Climate Politics and Regional and Global Governance.
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