A new eco-friendly train is set to hit the tracks this month in India, revolutionizing clean travel in the country, Railway Supply reports.
The train, which is being launched in December by Indian Railways, is powered by hydrogen fuel cells — a clean fuel source that produces only water as a byproduct. It also uses about 10,500 gallons of water an hour, Railway Supply explained.
In total, Indian Railways plans to add 35 hydrogen trains to its fleet. Each one costs the equivalent of about $9.4 million, bringing the total cost of the fleet to over $329 million. The first train will be up and running on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana this month.
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More of the eco-friendly units are planned for scenic routes such as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and Nilgiri Mountain Railway.
There are many major benefits to switching to hydrogen as a fuel source. Whereas once passengers were exposed to toxic diesel fumes, they'll now be breathing nothing worse than a little steam. Eliminating that air pollution is also good for the planet, since those same exhaust fumes trap heat in the atmosphere, and cutting down on them will help to bring down Earth's temperature.
Besides that, the hydrogen trains are much quieter than diesel-powered ones, producing about 60% less noise pollution, Railway Supply revealed. They're still effective, reaching speeds of about 87 mph and traveling over 620 miles in one run.
Other hydrogen-powered vehicles are popping up around the world as governments and businesses switch to this eco-friendly and cost-effective fuel alternative. China has unveiled a hydrogen-powered high-speed train monitored by AI, and San Francisco has put the new power source to work running a passenger ferry.
This approach reduces our dependence on expensive and heavily polluting fuels such as gas and diesel, pointing to a future with convenient, comfortable travel that leaves the air crystal clean.
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