Operate Kalka-Shimla rail on green hydrogen: Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu to Centre
Himachal CM Sukhvinder Sukhu, while presenting the budget in 2023-2024 had announced that the state government will take effective steps to develop Himachal Pradesh as “Green Energy State” by March 31, 2026
{Sukhu to railways}
As part of efforts to achieve its “Green Energy State” goals, the state government has urged the Union ministry of railways to explore the possibility of running the Kalka-Shimla railway line on green hydrogen.
As a step towards realising the goal, chief minister (CM) Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has written a letter to the railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging the ministry to consider transforming this historic rail line, a UNESCO World Heritage, into a green energy-powered route.
Sukhu, while presenting the budget in 2023-2024 had announced that the state government will take effective steps to develop Himachal Pradesh as “Green Energy State” by March 31, 2026.
Making a case for considering Kalka-Shimla UNESCO World Heritage train, the CM said, “Himachal has a unique advantage of having ample green power resources for production of green hydrogen”.
The 121-year-old Kalka-Shimla narrow gauge railway, has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2008, recognising its historical and engineering significance. The track was initially constructed to connect the summer capital of British India, Shimla, with the plains, during the British colonial era in India and was opened to the public in 1903. The narrow-gauge track and small-sized locomotives have come to be dubbed as a “toy train” that chugs the 96-km track, passing through 18 stations, 102 tunnels and 988 bridges. Earlier this train was operating on steam but now it is operating on diesel.
The CM in its letter had urged the railways ministry to run the Shimla Kalka train on green hydrogen as part of the “hydrogen for heritage project” of Indian Railways.
The Indian Railways has taken initiative to run 35 trains on green hydrogen under the “Hydrogen for Heritage” program targeting various heritage and hill routes, as part of the Indian railways commitment to becoming a net zero carbon emitter by 2030. The first prototype of a hydrogen fuelled train is scheduled to operate on the Jind – Sonipat section in Haryana by December 2024.
Notably, the state government in collaboration with the Oil India Limited (OIL), is in process of installing a 1 MW input energy green hydrogen plant in Nalagarh for which the work has begun and there is scope to upscale it to 5 MW.
“The proximity of the Nalagarh plant to Kalka will be enabling factor for smooth operation of this service creating a remarkable blend of heritage and cutting edge technology,” the CM said while also urging the railway ministry to also consider the Pathankot- Jogindernagar train to run on Green Hydrogen.
