Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday, 27 September 2026, flagged off India's first LNG-powered train from the Sabarmati station in Ahmedabad, marking a landmark shift in Indian Railways' approach to alternative fuels. The launch introduces liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a partial substitute for conventional diesel in rail operations for the first time in the country.

How the Dual-Fuel System Works

The train runs on a diesel-plus-LNG dual-fuel system developed specifically for its Driving Power Cars (DPCs). Two 1,400 HP DPCs at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot have been retrofitted with the technology, enabling the engine to run on LNG alongside diesel. Crucially, the system retains full power and operational capability of the conventional diesel engine while enabling partial fuel substitution.

Each converted DPC carries an LNG tank of approximately 2,200 litres, capable of holding around 850–900 kg of usable LNG. A single full LNG fill is expected to support roughly 1,600 km of operation, significantly reducing refuelling frequency on long-distance routes.

Fuel Savings and Emissions Impact

Under the dual-fuel configuration, LNG can replace up to approximately 40% of diesel consumption. According to trial data released by the Railways, this substitution is expected to lower fuel expenditure and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Earlier railway assessments projected annual savings of around ₹11.9 lakh per DPC and approximately ₹23.9 lakh from an eight-coach rake.

The technology has already undergone more than 2,000 km of field trials on the two converted DPCs, covering performance and reliability evaluation before Sunday's formal launch.

Broader Railway Projects Unveiled

The LNG train flagging-off was part of a wider package of railway projects inaugurated during Shah's visit to Ahmedabad. The package covers projects worth more than ₹1,542 crore spanning railway safety, signalling, line capacity enhancement, and freight infrastructure.

Earlier in the day, Shah inaugurated a ₹700 crore WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed at Sabarmati and flagged off a WAG-12 electric locomotive. The programme also included the commissioning of the indigenous Kavach train protection system on the Ahmedabad–Palanpur and Ahmedabad–Samakhiyali sections, automatic signalling on two railway sections, and the launch of doubling work on the Sabarmati–Sarkhej section.

Significance for Indian Railways' Green Push

This launch forms part of Indian Railways' broader strategy to decarbonise operations and reduce its dependence on imported diesel. Notably, LNG emits fewer pollutants than diesel at the point of combustion, and the dual-fuel design provides operational flexibility — allowing the engine to revert to diesel if LNG supply is unavailable on a given route. The Railways has been exploring multiple alternative fuel pathways, and the successful completion of over 2,000 km in field trials ahead of this launch lends the programme a degree of proven credibility that earlier pilot announcements lacked.

With the formal inauguration complete, the focus will now shift to whether Railways scales the technology beyond the initial two DPCs and how quickly LNG refuelling infrastructure can be built along key rail corridors.