India has launched its first hydrogen-powered train as part of a pilot project aimed at reducing carbon emissions and decreasing reliance on fossil fuels in the railway sector.

The project costs about $12 million.

The train runs on hydrogen batteries with a capacity of 1,200 kW on a 89-kilometer line between Jind and Sonipat in Haryana state, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the move 'an important day for India's self-reliance and sustainable development.'

The Railway Ministry confirmed that the train was developed locally despite importing some components, with a hydrogen tank with a capacity of three tons built to fuel it. The project cost is about $12 million, higher than that of diesel or conventional electric trains.

The move is part of New Delhi's efforts to modernize its vast railway network and achieve carbon neutrality by 2070, at a time when it still relies on coal for most of its electricity generation, and on oil and gas as became evident during the Middle East crisis.