New Delhi: India has introduced its first LNG powered train, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel flagging off the train from Sabarmati in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The initiative marks a new step towards using alternative fuels in railway operations and reducing dependence on conventional diesel. The train operates on a dual fuel system that allows LNG to be used alongside diesel.
Two 1,400 horsepower Driving Power Cars at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot have been converted to run on the new system. More than 2,000 kilometres of field trials have been completed to assess the technology’s performance and reliability.
The system can replace up to around 40 per cent of diesel consumption with LNG. Railway trial data indicates that the technology could lower fuel costs while also reducing emissions such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
Earlier assessments estimated annual savings of approximately Rs 11.9 lakh for a single Driving Power Car and around Rs 23.9 lakh for an eight coach rake.
The converted power cars are equipped with LNG tanks holding about 2,200 litres, equivalent to approximately 850 to 900 kg of usable LNG. A full LNG tank is expected to support around 1,600 kilometres of operation, helping reduce the frequency of refuelling.
The dual fuel system can switch between LNG and diesel depending on availability, while retaining the operational capabilities of conventional diesel engines.
The LNG train was launched as part of a wider package of railway projects worth more than Rs 1,542 crore in Gujarat. The projects cover railway safety, signalling, freight infrastructure and additional line capacity.
Shah also inaugurated a Rs 700 crore WAG 12 locomotive maintenance shed at Sabarmati and flagged off a WAG 12 electric locomotive.
The programme included the commissioning of the indigenous Kavach train protection system on the Ahmedabad Palanpur and Ahmedabad Samakhiyali sections, automatic signalling on two sections and the launch of doubling work on the Sabarmati Sarkhej route.
