India, Sept. 28 -- Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched railway development projects worth Rs 1,472 crore and flagged off India's first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati Railway Station in Ahmedabad.

Shah said the new dual-fuel train will help protect the environment, make travel more convenient for passengers, and improve safety. The LNG-powered train is a Diesel Electric Multiple Unit with two 1,400 HP Driving Power Cars, converted at the Sabarmati Integrated Coaching Depot to run on both diesel and LNG.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is stored in cryogenic tanks of about 2,200 litres each and can replace almost 40 per cent of diesel use. The engines can switch between diesel and LNG as needed. Field trials hav...