Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday flagged off India’s first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati, marking the introduction of liquefied natural gas as an alternative fuel for railway operations.
The initiative aims to reduce the Railways’ dependence on conventional diesel and encourage the use of alternative energy sources.
The train operates on a diesel-LNG dual-fuel system developed for its Driving Power Cars (DPCs).
Railways converted two 1,400 HP DPCs at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot to operate on both LNG and diesel.
The converted DPCs have completed more than 2,000 km of field trials to assess the technology’s performance and reliability.
The system can replace up to around 40 per cent of diesel consumption with LNG. According to Railways’ trial data, the technology could reduce fuel expenditure and emissions, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
Earlier assessments estimated annual savings of around Rs 11.9 lakh for one DPC and nearly Rs 23.9 lakh for an eight-coach rake.
The dual-fuel system allows engines to switch between LNG and diesel depending on fuel availability while retaining the operational capability of conventional diesel engines.
Each converted DPC has an LNG tank with a capacity of around 2,200 litres, holding approximately 850-900 kg of usable LNG. A full tank can support around 1,600 km of operations.
The LNG train launch formed part of railway projects worth more than Rs 1,542 crore unveiled during Shah’s Ahmedabad visit.
Earlier, Shah inaugurated the Rs 700-crore WAG-12 shed and flagged off a WAG-12 locomotive. The programme also included Kavach, automatic signalling and doubling work on the Sabarmati-Sarkhej route.
The LNG train marks another step towards alternative fuels in railway operations.
Also Read: ‘Elephants Have Returned’: PM Modi Highlights Assam Conservation
To read more such news, download Bharat Express news apps
