India’s first LNG-powered train has been flagged off from Sabarmati (Image Courtesy: Western Railway)
NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday flagged off the country’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered train from Sabarmati Railway Station, marking a significant step in Indian Railways’ shift towards cleaner alternative fuels.
The dual-fuel train, which can replace nearly 40 per cent of its diesel consumption with LNG, was launched alongside a package of railway projects valued at more than Rs 1,500 crore aimed at improving safety, capacity and freight operations in Gujarat.
The event also saw the inauguration of a WAG-12 electric locomotive maintenance shed, foundation stone laying for the indigenous Kavach automatic train protection system, commissioning of automatic signalling, and the launch of a line-doubling project. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi and senior railway officials were present.
Details of the LNG Dual-Fuel Train
Two 1,400 HP Driving Power Cars at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot have been converted to run on a diesel-LNG dual-fuel system.
Under this arrangement, LNG can substitute for approximately 40 per cent of diesel use. The initiative is designed to lower fuel costs and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. Field trials exceeding 2,000 km had already been completed before the formal launch.
The train, an eight-coach non-AC chair-car formation, operated on its inaugural run between Sabarmati and Mahesana. Regular deployment routes are expected to be finalised subsequently. Projected annual savings are estimated at around Rs 11.9 lakh per Driving Power Car and nearly Rs 23.9 lakh for an eight-coach rake.
Shah inaugurated the WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed at Sabarmati, constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore. The facility is designed to service up to 300 high-horsepower WAG-12 electric locomotives, each rated at about 12,000 HP and intended for heavy and long-haul freight operations.
He laid the foundation stone for the Kavach automatic train protection system covering 404 km in the Ahmedabad division, 157 km on the Ahmedabad-Palanpur section and 247 km on the Ahmedabad-Samakhiyali section at a cost of approximately Rs 411 crore. Kavach is intended to prevent collisions, control overspeeding and mitigate risks arising from human error.
An automatic block signalling system was commissioned on 122.57 km of sections between Sabarmati-Kalol-Bhandu Motidau and Sabarmati-Sanand-Jakhwada at a cost of about Rs 118.83 crore.
The system maintains safe distances between trains and enhances route capacity. Foundation work was also launched for the 21-km Sabarmati-Sarkhej line doubling project, estimated at Rs 313.27 crore and targeted for completion by March 2028.
The doubling is expected to improve connectivity towards the Sarkhej-Dholera region and support industrial activity.
Speaking at the event, Shah placed the launches within the larger narrative of railway transformation since 2014. He noted that diesel consumption by the Railways had fallen from 293 crore litres in 2015-16 to 108 crore litres in 2024-25, with a target of reducing it to zero by 2030.
“In 2015-16, the railways consumed 293 crore litres of diesel. That figure has now dropped to 108 crore in 2024-25, and by 2030, we will bring it down to zero, thereby saving Indian currency. This is a massive achievement that often goes unnoticed,” he said.
He highlighted the rapid expansion of electrification, from 75 km in 2010-11 to 7,188 km in a single year in 2023-24 and stated that 99.6 per cent of the network is already electrified, with the remaining portion to be completed soon.
Gujarat’s railway budget allocation, he added, had risen from Rs 589 crore during 2009-14 to Rs 17,366 crore in 2026-27.
Shah also used the occasion to contrast the current government’s record with that of the previous Congress-led administrations, inviting a fact-based discussion on development achievements while criticising past governance.
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