Delhi Launches Hydrogen Shuttle Buses

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation launched a hydrogen-powered shuttle bus service in New Delhi’s Central Vista on May 15, 2026, adding a new last-mile link between metro stations and government offices. The service began from Central Secretariat Metro station at 8:30 a.m., according to a DMRC release. The project was launched with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, with Indian Oil Corporation Limited providing support for the buses and fuel. Two buses entered passenger service on the opening day. The rollout gives Delhi a small but visible public-facing hydrogen transit service in the administrative core of the capital. DMRC said the buses are intended to connect office districts and nearby metro access points during working hours. The launch also extends a hydrogen transport push that Indian Oil and the petroleum ministry had already begun with earlier fuel-cell bus trials in the Delhi region. ### Where exactly do these buses run? Central Vista is the initial operating zone for the new service, and DMRC said the buses connect Central Secretariat and Seva Teerth metro stations while covering government offices and landmarks in the area. The route includes Kartavya Bhawan, Vigyan Bhawan, Nirman Bhawan, Akbar Road, Baroda House, National Stadium, the National Gallery of Modern Art and India Gate, according to DMRC’s statement as reported by PTI. Two loop services have been planned in the zone, DMRC Director (Operations and Services) Amit Kumar Jain told ANI, with one bus running clockwise and the other anti-clockwise. Jain said the system was designed as an environmentally friendly last-mile option for offices and stations in Central Vista. ### How often will the service run, and what will passengers pay? DMRC said the hydrogen buses will operate on working days from Monday to Friday, excluding gazetted holidays. The service runs from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. during peak office hours. PTI reported that the frequency is one bus every 30 minutes. The fare has been fixed at stage-based rates of 10 rupees and 15 rupees, according to DMRC. Passengers can pay using the National Common Mobility Card, UPI or cash, PTI reported. ### Who is involved in the project besides Delhi Metro? Indian Oil Corporation Director (Refinery) Arvind Kumar handed over the ceremonial keys to DMRC’s Amit Kumar Jain at the launch, in the presence of senior officials from DMRC and IOCL, the metro operator said. DMRC’s release described the service as a joint effort with the housing and petroleum ministries. Indian Oil has been part of earlier hydrogen bus work in the capital. In a September 2023 release, the Press Information Bureau said Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was to flag off the first two green hydrogen fuel-cell buses at Kartavya Path, with Indian Oil planning operational trials of 15 such buses across Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. ### Are these the same as the hydrogen buses flagged off in 2023? The May 2026 launch is a DMRC-operated shuttle service in Central Vista, while the September 2023 event was a separate Indian Oil-led fuel-cell bus trial program. The 2023 PIB release said those buses were part of a broader assessment of performance and durability, with refueling support from Indian Oil’s Faridabad research campus. The newer service is framed more directly as a passenger shuttle linked to metro access. DMRC said the buses are integrated into regular weekday operations rather than being presented only as a technology trial. ### What comes next after the Central Vista launch? Amit Kumar Jain told ANI that the government is planning shuttle buses connecting government colonies to the nearest metro stations. He said the current Central Vista operation links offices and metro stations first, with broader feeder connections under consideration. The next concrete step is continued weekday operation of the two buses on the Central Vista loops. DMRC said the service will keep running from Central Secretariat and Seva Teerth stations on working days, with Indian Oil remaining the named fuel and technical participant in the initial rollout.