Within a month of launching its first hydrogen-powered train, Indian Railways is now looking for cheaper green hydrogen options to expand operations. Indian Railways is considering several measures to expand the pool of green hydrogen suppliers and bring down procurement expenses, including providing manufacturers with offtake assurances.

According to official estimates, hydrogen trains had clocked more than 2,500 km of commercial operations by early August, after services began in mid-July this year.

India currently has the world's most powerful hydrogen train in operation and has also established a dedicated facility for manufacturing and supplying hydrogen for the train. The initial target is to deploy 35 hydrogen-powered trains on heritage routes, which generally include hilly stretches where railway electrification will not be feasible.