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17 Jul 2026SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY3 questions

Water as Exhaust: India's First Hydrogen Train and the Green Hydrogen Bet

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Article summary

The Prime Minister has flagged off India's first hydrogen-powered train, a fuel-cell trainset that generates electricity on board by combining hydrogen with oxygen and emits only water vapour, positioning it as a marquee demonstration of the government's clean-energy and railway-decarbonisation agenda. The launch is anchored in Indian Railways' 'Hydrogen for Heritage' initiative to run fuel-cell trains on selected heritage and narrow-gauge routes, and in the broader National Green Hydrogen Mission approved in 2023, which targets about 5 million tonnes of annual green hydrogen production capacity by 2030. India has already electrified the vast majority of its broad-gauge network, so hydrogen trains are aimed less at mainline routes than at hard-to-electrify sections and as a technology-demonstration and industrial-capability play. The launch was framed by the PM against the backdrop of oil-supply volatility, underlining the energy-security rationale for reducing dependence on imported hydrocarbons. For UPSC aspirants, the hydrogen train is a compact case study of fuel-cell science, the green-hydrogen economy, railway sustainability, and the intersection of energy security, climate commitments and industrial policy.

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recallTests whether you read the article and retained key facts.
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applicationTests whether you can apply the concept to a new scenario.
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analysisTests whether you can reason across multiple related facts.
1Q

Sample questions — answers revealed after test

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYRecallEasy

Q1. With reference to hydrogen fuel-cell trains and the hydrogen they run on, which one of the following statements is correct?

AThe fuel cell burns hydrogen in a modified internal-combustion engine, which is why water vapour is its only exhaust.
B'Blue' hydrogen is produced by the electrolysis of water using renewable electricity and is therefore zero-carbon at the point of production.
CA fuel cell converts the chemical energy of hydrogen directly into electricity through an electrochemical reaction with oxygen, yielding water and heat without combustion.
DBecause Indian Railways has yet to electrify most of its broad-gauge network, hydrogen traction is intended chiefly for mainline broad-gauge routes.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYApplicationMedium

Q2. A railway operator proposes to run fuel-cell trains on a hilly narrow-gauge heritage route, sourcing the hydrogen from steam methane reforming of natural gas without carbon capture. Which one of the following is the most accurate assessment of the proposal?

AThe proposal achieves zero life-cycle carbon emissions, because the train itself emits nothing but water vapour.
BThe proposal is technically unviable, because fuel-cell traction cannot be deployed on narrow-gauge routes.
CThe proposal fully meets the objectives of the National Green Hydrogen Mission, which is neutral as to how the hydrogen is produced.
DThe route is well chosen, but the hydrogen is 'grey', so upstream emissions would negate most of the intended climate benefit.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYAnalysisHard

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding hydrogen in India's rail decarbonisation: 1. Indian Railways has electrified the overwhelming majority of its broad-gauge network and has set a target of becoming a net zero carbon emitter by 2030. 2. The 'Hydrogen for Heritage' scheme envisages hydrogen fuel-cell trains chiefly on heritage and hilly narrow-gauge routes where electrification is difficult. 3. The National Green Hydrogen Mission requires Indian Railways to consume at least half of the 5 MMT of annual green hydrogen capacity targeted for 2030. Which of the statements given above are correct?

A1 only
B1 and 2 only
C2 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
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