India's first LNG-powered train is here: Amit Shah flags it off in Ahmedabad

Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday flagged off India's first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati Railway Station in Ahmedabad, marking another step in the Indian Railways' shift towards cleaner energy.

The Home Minister also inaugurated railway development projects worth ₹1,472 crore in Gujarat, including a ₹700-crore WAG-12 Maintenance Shed for locomotive engines.

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The LNG-powered train is among the projects focused on environmental sustainability, passenger amenities, and railway safety in the Sabarmati division.

Shah said the move towards cleaner rail transport comes as the Railways has sharply reduced its dependence on diesel. Diesel consumption fell from 293 crore litres in 2015-16 to 108 crore litres in 2024-25, he said.

India's railway electrification push

Shah also highlighted the pace of railway electrification under the Modi government.

He said only 75 km of railway lines were electrified in 2010-11. In 2023-24, the Railways electrified 7,188 km in a single year.

According to him, 99.6% of the railway network is now electrified, with the remaining 0.4% expected to be completed soon.

He compared India's progress with other countries, saying railway electrification stands at 92% in China, 68% in Spain, 60% in France and 49% in the UK. Sweden is the only country to have achieved 100% electrification, he said, but its railway network is nearly one-tenth the size of India's.

The Home Minister said 97% of bio-toilets were installed and 87% of LHB coaches were manufactured in India during the Modi government's tenure. The railway safety budget has increased by 67%, while locomotive production capacity has risen by 66%, he said.

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12,000-HP Locomotive, Kavach

The LNG train was not the only new railway project unveiled in Ahmedabad.

Shah said a 12,000-horsepower twin-section locomotive had also been commissioned. It can haul nearly as much freight as 600 trucks, he said.

Earlier, two locomotives were required for the same task. A single WAG-12 can now do it, he added.

The Railways has also introduced the 'Kavach' train protection system on the Sabarmati-Kalol-Sabarmati section at a cost of ₹48 crore. Work has started on Kavach on the Ahmedabad-Palanpur and Ahmedabad-Samakhiali sections.

The doubling of the Sabarmati-Sarkhej railway line has also begun.

Double-Stack Trains And Freight Corridors

The minister said the trial of India's first double-stack long-haul container train from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai to Vadodara has been completed.

India has limited rail tracks for freight movement, he said. If double-stack freight trains succeed, the country's freight-carrying capacity could nearly double.

He also said an 11,000-km-long corridor is being converted into a four-lane network to facilitate traffic towards Delhi-Howrah and Delhi-Guwahati.

Shah credited the Modi government with introducing Dedicated Freight Corridors, the Rapid Rail System and premium railway stations. He also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated a hydrogen-powered train, making India one of only four countries with the technology.