Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted India’s shift towards cleaner and more self-reliant energy sources, citing the launch of the country’s first hydrogen-powered train and the completion of railway electrification as major milestones under his 12-year-old government.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of Delhi’s historic Red Fort on the occasion of the 80th Independence Day, PM Modi said the two achievements reflected the government’s efforts to reduce dependence on conventional fuels while strengthening domestic capabilities.
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Referring to the hydrogen-powered train, which was flagged off from Haryana’s Jind railway station last month, the PM said India had entered a new phase in railway technology.
“India has chartered into a new territory as far as train fuel is concerned. We have started the country’s first hydrogen-powered train,” he said, adding that the train was both the longest and most powerful of its kind.
He described the achievement as a demonstration of India’s growing capabilities in developing future-oriented transport technologies.
WHY HYDROGEN TRAIN IS SPECIAL
The hydrogen-powered train is a 10-coach, indigenously developed train comprising two Hydrogen Driving Power Cars and eight trailer coaches, with a passenger capacity of around 2,600.
It generates electricity onboard through a 1,200-kilowatt Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC), using hydrogen and oxygen in an electrochemical process whose only point-of-use by-products are water vapour and heat.
The train has an approved operational speed of 75 kmph and a design speed of 110 kmph.
It is equipped with hydrogen leak and flame detection systems, automated safety mechanisms and continuous monitoring.
The train is currently operating on the 89-km Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana and is supported by a dedicated hydrogen storage and refuelling facility at Jind.
100% RAILWAY ELECTRIFICATION
The Prime Minister also pointed to the rapid expansion of railway electrification.
“Electrification of Indian railways started in 1925. However, only 30 percent of the entire network was electrified in the next 90 years,” the PM said.
He contrasted this with the pace of work in the previous decade, during which, he said, the country achieved 100 per cent electrification.
“100 percent electrification enabled the country to cut down on diesel imports. We saved money as well as the environment,” he said, linking the railway transition to both economic savings and environmental gains.
He said India’s energy strategy was no longer limited to reducing imports but was increasingly focused on developing alternative sources and domestic technological capabilities.
ON ENERGY SECURITY, SELF-RELIANCE
The Prime Minister expanded his argument to India’s broader energy security and self-reliance agenda, saying the country could not afford to remain constrained by conventional thinking.
PM Modi referred to the government’s decision to open up 99 per cent of areas along the coastline that were earlier classified as “no-go” zones for exploration.
He said India was now pursuing deep-sea exploration and the search for new reserves.
He said the government had recently decided to accelerate the programme with an allocation of Rs 85,000 crore.
The Prime Minister placed these initiatives within the larger framework of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”, stressing that energy security was an essential component of national self-reliance.
DEVELOPED INDIA BY 2047 PUSH
PM Modi also reiterated the government’s long-term ambition of transforming India into a developed nation by 2047.
“By the time we mark 100 years of independence—by 2047–we will have transformed India into a developed nation,” he said, calling for the collective effort of the country’s 1.4 billion people.
The hydrogen train, railway electrification and expanded exploration initiatives are expected to remain part of India’s broader transition towards cleaner energy, reduced import dependence and greater domestic capacity as the country works towards its 2047 development vision.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
