As part of the eco-friendly initiatives of the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) & Indian railways, the first Compressed Natural Gas-fuelled Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit (DEMU) was flagged off on January 14th 2015 which ran between Rohtak & Rewari. That was the first CNG-powered train to run on Indian soil. The eco-friendly technology has been developed by the Indian Railway Organisation for Alternate Fuels (IROAF). Following that date several other CNG-run rakes have rolled out of ICF.
CNG DEMU comes with the mechanism to run on a duel fuel engine that uses the CNG as an alternative to diesel. The CNG DEMU power car has a driver's cabin, engine room, radiator room and passenger compartment, like any other power car, but has a CNG cascade room at the rear. The CNG cascade has 40 cylinders, each with a capacity to store 15 kg of CNG at 255 bar pressure. CNG emits fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants and no particulate matter and also helps to cut carbon monoxide emission by 90 percent, carbon dioxide by 25 percent, nitrogen oxide by 35 percent and non-methane hydrocarbon by 50 percent. Moreover, the new technology would come in handy as India has substantial reserves of natural gas in the form of conventional natural gas, shale gas and gas hydrates.
This CNG DEMU rake caters between Old Delhi & Shamli station as 74025/6 during morning hours and also between Old Delhi & Baraut station as 74027/8 during afternoon. Framed by Somsubhra Das. D.O.P. - 27th November 2015.