India's first LNG-powered train enters service in Gujarat

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 27, India's first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered train entered service at Sabarmati Station in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The train was converted from two 1,400-horsepower driving power cars and uses a diesel-LNG dual-fuel system, having completed more than 2,000 kilometers of field trials. Indian Railways disclosed that the converted power cars can use LNG to replace approximately 40% of diesel consumption.

The two driving power cars underwent dual-fuel conversion at the Sabarmati Integrated Coach Depot, each equipped with an approximately 2,200-liter LNG tank capable of storing about 850–900 kilograms of usable LNG. Under the current configuration, the LNG range after a single refueling is approximately 1,600 kilometers; the system also retains diesel supply and can switch operation based on fuel availability.

The commissioning of this LNG train was carried out in parallel with multiple railway projects at Sabarmati. On the same day, India also inaugurated a WAG-12 electric locomotive maintenance depot with an investment of approximately 7 billion rupees. The depot is planned to handle the stabling and maintenance of 300 WAG-12 high-power freight electric locomotives; 154 locomotives have already been stationed there, with the remaining units scheduled to arrive before the 2027–2028 fiscal year.

The same batch of railway projects also includes the construction of a 404-kilometer Kavach automatic train protection system on the Ahmedabad railway division, comprising the 157-kilometer Ahmedabad–Palampur section and the 247-kilometer Ahmedabad–Samakhiali section, with a project investment of approximately 4.11 billion rupees; additionally, a 122.57-kilometer automatic block signaling system has been put into service.

The Sabarmati–Sarkhej railway doubling project was also launched in this round of projects, with a line length of approximately 21 kilometers and an investment of approximately 3.133 billion rupees, scheduled for completion in March 2028. The project covers stations including Sabarmati, Gandhigram, Vastrapur, and Sarkhej, and includes bridges, road underpasses, and level crossing upgrades. The total investment in the railway projects centrally launched and commissioned this time exceeds 15.42 billion rupees.