Asian railways test hydrogen trains as governments seek demand for green fuel

Hydrogen rail projects move from plans to trials

Asian governments and rail operators are expanding trials of hydrogen fuel-cell trains as part of wider efforts to decarbonize transport and build domestic hydrogen industries. SpaceMoney reports that projects are taking shape in India, Japan, South Korea and China, supported by public investment, demonstration programs and targets for commercial deployment.

The technology is not expected to replace conventional electric rail on heavily used corridors. Ravi Krishnaswamy, Asia-Pacific managing director at Frost & Sullivan, described hydrogen trains as a niche decarbonization tool and a possible anchor for long-term hydrogen demand. Rail services offer visible and relatively predictable fuel consumption, which can help reduce the initial investment risk for hydrogen production, storage and refueling infrastructure.

India and South Korea pursue larger programs

India launched its first hydrogen-powered train on 17 July 2026 at Pandu Pindara station in Haryana. Indian Railways had announced in 2023 that it intended to operate 35 hydrogen trains under the “Hydrogen for Heritage” initiative, focused on historic and mountain routes. Vivek Lohia, managing director of rolling-stock supplier Jupiter Wagons, said the first train is a technology demonstration suited to niche mountain services and that a broader shift toward hydrogen could take more than two decades.

India also started 12 pilot projects involving 70 hydrogen vehicles—27 buses and 43 trucks—and 16 refueling stations across 21 routes. Through the National Green Hydrogen Mission, the government aims to reduce fossil-fuel dependence and establish India as a center for producing, using and exporting green hydrogen and its derivatives. According to the Asian Development Bank, current investment plans could support about $34 billion of green hydrogen and green ammonia capacity in India by 2030.

Japan, South Korea and China develop distinct models

East Japan Railway plans to introduce its HYBARI hydrogen hybrid train by the end of fiscal 2027. In South Korea, Daejeon plans to deploy 34 hydrogen trams by 2028, while the national government is investing 32.1 billion won through 2027 in a hydrogen-train demonstration project. The South Korean government forecasts that the global hydrogen-train market will grow by more than 25% annually to reach $26.4 billion by 2035.

China’s CRRC Changchun unveiled the country’s first hydrogen-powered tourist train in the year before the SpaceMoney report. The Chinese program also supports development of a competitive fuel-cell supply chain with export potential. Japan is pursuing its wider vision of a “hydrogen society,” while South Korea is drawing on industrial conglomerates capable of linking fuel production, equipment and transport applications.

Commercial scale depends on cost and policy

Rajeev Pandey, senior hydrogen research analyst at Rystad Energy, expects meaningful hydrogen use to emerge only in defined parts of the economy between 2030 and 2040. He identified South Korea and India as among the Asian markets most likely to achieve significant commercial adoption of hydrogen trains in the next decade, with Japan potentially deploying them on a smaller scale.

For the four countries, hydrogen rail also has an energy-security dimension because India, Japan, South Korea and China remain heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels. India and China can produce more hydrogen domestically, while Japan and South Korea see hydrogen and fuel cells as clean-energy industries where they retain technological strengths. Commercial progress will depend on subsidies, incentives and reliable supplies of cost-competitive green hydrogen. Until those conditions develop, rail projects will primarily serve as high-profile testing grounds rather than a broad alternative to electrification.