The Union Government has launched India’s first Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) powered diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU) train with eight coaches from Sabarmati railway station to Mahesana Junction in Gujarat as part of its green initiatives on September 27, 2026. The train is based on a diesel-LNG dual fuel system for operating its driving power cars (DPCs) on both diesel and LNG. This system lets LNG to substitute for about 40 per cent of diesel usage and a full tank of LNG can operate for around 1,600 km.
Moreover, two DPCs with each having 1,400 horsepower (hp) of capacity has been transformed to function using this dual fuel system with LNG tank attached to each for holding 2,200 litres of LNG. Besides, field trials for these two DPCs have also been conducted on over 2,000 km to check its reliability.