India's First LNG-Powered Train Flagged Off at Sabarmati; Rs 1,472 Crore Railway Infrastructure Dedicated
Union Minister for Home Affairs and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah flagged off India's inaugural Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) powered train from Sabarmati Railway Station in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on 27 September 2026, and dedicated railway development projects worth Rs 1,472 crore.
Key Facts & Dimensions
- Dual-Fuel Retrofit Architecture: Features a diesel-electric locomotive converted to operate on a dual-fuel mixture of LNG and diesel, curbing carbon dioxide emissions by up to 30%, particulate matter by over 50%, and significantly lowering fuel operational costs.
- Dedicated Locomotive Maintenance Hub: Inaugurated a Rs 700-crore state-of-the-art maintenance shed at Sabarmati designed specifically for high-horsepower (12,000 HP) WAG-12B electric locomotives operating on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC).
- Net Zero Carbon Mission Alignment: Serves as a vital transitional technology supporting Indian Railways' statutory commitment to become a Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030 through alternative fuels and 100% route electrification.
- Passenger & Freight Network Upgrades: The Rs 1,472-crore infrastructure package also commissioned quadrupled railway lines, upgraded passenger concourses, and digitized signaling interlocks across the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar urban corridor.
UPSC GS-III (Infrastructure - Railways, Energy Transition, Environmental Pollution) and State PSCs.