Amit Shah to flag off India’s first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati Railway Station

Ahmedabad: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah will on Sunday, September 27, flag off India’s first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati Railway Station in Ahmedabad, marking a significant step towards the use of alternative and cleaner fuels in Indian Railways. Shah is also scheduled to review the redevelopment works at Sabarmati Railway Station during his visit at around 11:45 am.

The LNG-powered train uses a dual-fuel system, allowing its engines to operate on both liquefied natural gas (LNG) and diesel. Under the project, two Driving Power Cars (DPCs), each rated at 1,400 HP, have been converted to the LNG-diesel system.

According to railway officials, the converted DPCs have already undergone more than 2,000 km of field trials to assess the performance and reliability of the technology. The system is designed to replace up to around 40% of diesel consumption with LNG, while retaining the flexibility to switch between the two fuels depending on availability.

Each DPC has been equipped with an LNG tank with a capacity of about 2,200 litres, holding approximately 950–1,000 kg of usable LNG. A fully loaded tank is estimated to support around 444 km of operation under the approved design.

The initiative is aimed at reducing diesel consumption, fuel expenditure and emissions, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. Based on trial estimates, Railways expects annual fuel savings of around ₹11.9 lakh per DPC, or approximately ₹23.9 lakh for an eight-coach rake.

The dual-fuel technology is designed to maintain the engine’s existing power and operational performance while reducing dependence on diesel.

Shah’s other programmes in Ahmedabad

Before the Sabarmati Railway Station programme, Shah will attend a function marking the 92nd birth anniversary of Acharya Padmasagar Surishwarji Maharaj Saheb at Nitya Shanti Aradhana Bhavan at Club 07 in Ahmedabad at 10 am.

At around 10:45 am, he is scheduled to inaugurate a WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed being established under a public-private partnership model at the Sabarmati locomotive shed near Kali Road Station.

The visit will culminate with the review of Sabarmati Railway Station’s redevelopment works and the flagging off of the country’s first LNG-powered train. DeshGujarat