Our Bureau
Ahmedabad
India’s first LNG-powered train was flagged off from Sabarmati Railway Station on Sunday by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, marking the introduction of liquefied natural gas as an alternative fuel for railway operations. The initiative is aimed at reducing diesel consumption, fuel costs and emissions from train operations.
The train uses a dual-fuel system combining diesel and LNG, rather than operating entirely on natural gas. Two 1,400-horsepower Driving Power Cars at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot have been converted to run on both fuels. Under the system, LNG can replace around 40 per cent of diesel consumption. More than 2,000 kilometres of field trials were conducted to assess the technology’s performance and reliability before its launch.
According to railway trial data, the technology is expected to lower fuel expenditure and emissions, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. An earlier railway assessment estimated annual savings of about Rs 11.9 lakh for one Driving Power Car and nearly Rs 23.9 lakh for an eight-coach rake.
The LNG train was among several railway projects launched at Sabarmati. The programme included the inauguration of a WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed and projects involving automatic signalling, the indigenous Kavach train-protection system and doubling of the Sabarmati-Sarkhej railway line. The combined projects were reported at different stages with an investment exceeding Rs 1,472 crore.
The LNG system is designed to allow the train to switch between LNG and diesel depending on fuel availability, providing operational flexibility. Each converted power car has also been equipped with an LNG storage tank. The move forms part of Indian Railways’ broader efforts to reduce dependence on conventional diesel and expand the use of alternative-fuel technologies.