India Unveils First LNG-Powered Train to Boost Railway Transportation
Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off India's first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered train from Sabarmati Railway Station in Ahmedabad. The train is a dual-fuel Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit (DEMU), which means it runs on both diesel and LNG.
The aim of the dual-fuel system is to replace some portions of diesel with LNG, reducing fuel costs and emissions while maintaining operational performance. Each Diesel Power Car (DPC) has an LNG tank with a capacity of approximately 2,200 litres, storing around 950 to 1,000 kg of usable LNG.
A full tank of LNG is sufficient for daily operations over a distance of approximately 222 km. The technology allows LNG to replace up to 40 percent of the diesel fuel, ensuring the railways are not dependent on a single fuel source.