Hydrogen Train: The railway is working to tackle the passenger shortage affecting the country’s first hydrogen train. The DRM has asked officials to submit proposals for a revised schedule. Officials have now provided their proposals for the new timetable.
With approval in hand, the team is preparing to launch the train on a new schedule designed to attract more passengers. A survey is underway to potentially extend the route to Delhi. The Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnav announced during the inauguration that this expansion could happen soon.
The country’s first hydrogen train, featuring eight passenger coaches, launched from Jind on July 17th. It began serving general passengers on the Jind-Gohana-Sonipat route starting July 19th, but has struggled with low ridership from the start.
The world’s longest and most powerful train offers 2,600 seats, yet carried only 2,000 passengers over the month from July 20th to August 20th. Concerned about the low passenger numbers, the Delhi division’s DRM asked Sonipat officials to suggest new operating times that could help draw more riders. The officials submitted their proposal, which outlined the reasons for poor ridership and recommended new timings.
This low ridership stems from several factors:
1. Not connected to other train services
Currently, the hydrogen train only attracts local commuters since it doesn’t connect with other rail services. It exclusively serves passengers traveling locally between Jind, Gohana, and Sonipat. People heading from Jind or Gohana to Delhi avoid it because the current schedule doesn’t align with onward train connections.
2. Distance from residential areas along the Jind-Gohana-Sonipat and Sonipat-Gohana-Jind routes
The stations and stops on this route are situated three to four kilometers away from where people actually live. There’s no transportation connecting these stations to nearby villages. Passengers must walk to reach the trains and walk again after getting off to reach their homes.
Tickets are not available at many halts, so people avoid traveling by train. Other means of transportation are available in the villages, and they are dropped off there.
The hydrogen train reaches Sonipat at 9:40 am.
Departs from Sonipat for Gohana at 10:10 am
This is the proposal
Officials have written in the proposal that if the hydrogen train departs Jind at 5:45 am and arrives in Sonipat at 7:30 am, passengers traveling to Delhi will be able to access three local trains at 7:35 am, 7:50 am, and 8:10 am. Additionally, the Jhelum Express will be available at 9:28 am. This will also allow passengers traveling to Delhi from Jind and Gohana to board the train.
Instead of keeping it stationed at Jind during the day, if it is stationed at Sonipat railway station and sent off for Gohana-Jind at 5:30 pm, passengers on the 5:05 pm local train from Delhi, which typically arrives in Sonipat at 5:05 pm, can also travel to Gohana and Jind on the hydrogen train. Running at this time is expected to increase the number of passengers.
Awakening Suggestion
If the hydrogen train runs from Jind to Sonipat and Delhi via Panipat instead of Gohana, and returns via the same route, there will be no shortage of passengers. There are more than enough passengers available on this route at all times. It can be operated at any time.