India’s first LNG-diesel train flagged off at Sabarmati

Amit Shah flagged off India’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-diesel dual-fuel train at Sabarmati Railway Station in Gujarat on September 27, marking the launch of a railway project designed to reduce diesel use while retaining the ability to run on conventional fuel. The conversion covers two 1,400-horsepower Driving Power Cars at Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot. Their engines can use either LNG or diesel, with the system designed to substitute LNG for up to about 40% of diesel consumption. Indian Railways says the dual-fuel arrangement allows operations to continue if LNG is unavailable. More than 2,000 kilometres of field trials were completed on the converted power cars, according to project reporting. The reports do not provide measured trial results for fuel use, emissions or reliability, so the projected benefits have not been established as outcomes in regular service. Indian Railways expects the technology to reduce fuel costs and emissions. Based on trial data, the railway estimates annual savings of about ₹11.9 lakh for one power car and ₹23.9 lakh for an eight-coach rake. Those figures are estimates, not confirmed savings from sustained operation.