Ahmedabad, September 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday flagged off India’s first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati, introducing liquefied natural gas as an alternative fuel for railway operations.
The initiative aims to reduce dependence on conventional diesel and promote alternative energy sources in the Railways.
The train operates on a diesel-plus-LNG dual-fuel system developed for its Driving Power Cars (DPCs). Two 1,400 HP DPCs at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot have been converted to use the dual-fuel technology.
More than 2,000 km of field trials have been conducted on the converted DPCs to assess the system’s performance and reliability.
Under the technology, LNG can replace up to around 40 per cent of diesel consumption. According to Railway trial data, the system is expected to lower fuel expenditure and emissions, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
Earlier railway assessments estimated annual savings of around Rs 11.9 lakh from a single DPC and around Rs 23.9 lakh for an eight-coach rake.
The dual-fuel system allows the engine to switch between LNG and diesel depending on fuel availability, providing operational flexibility while retaining the power and capabilities of conventional diesel engines.
Each converted DPC has an LNG tank with a capacity of around 2,200 litres, holding approximately 850-900 kg of usable LNG. A full LNG fill is expected to provide enough fuel for around 1,600 km of operation, reducing the frequency of refuelling.
The LNG train launch was part of a series of railway projects inaugurated and launched during Shah’s visit to Ahmedabad. The package includes projects worth more than Rs 1,542 crore covering railway safety, signalling, line capacity and freight infrastructure.
Earlier in the day, Shah inaugurated the Rs 700-crore WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed at Sabarmati and flagged off a WAG-12 electric locomotive. The programme also included commissioning of the indigenous Kavach train protection system on the Ahmedabad-Palanpur and Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali sections, automatic signalling on two railway sections and the launch of doubling work on the Sabarmati-Sarkhej section.
The LNG-powered train marks another step by the Railways towards testing alternative fuels for reducing fuel consumption and operating costs while maintaining train performance.
FOLLOW NOW
