India’s new hydrogen train is a costly distraction, diverting focus from genuine, scalable rail electrification.
FO Take · Score 25
Hydrogen trains are a triumph of PR over practical engineering. While the concept sounds appealingly green, the reality is a hugely inefficient energy sink. We are expending vast resources on a niche solution when the undeniable path forward for rail is direct electrification. This is an expensive, performative detour. Why are we so easily swayed by shiny, inefficient baubles?
The strongest counter
Hydrogen trains mark a crucial step towards decarbonising hard-to-electrify rail lines and pioneering a new, clean energy export.
