The government has been working towards electrifying the entire rail network spread across the country. In the financial year 2022-23, the Indian Railways is reported to have successfully completed the electrification of 1,973 km track route.
With the ongoing financial year’s progress, 83% of the entire rail network in India has now been electrified and the country is swiftly moving towards completing its 100% target.
This year’s electrification of 1,973 route km route is 41% higher than the development achieved in the previous year 2021-22. Moreover, reports have suggested that a total of 1,161 km of electrification of double lines as well as 296 km of electrification of sidings have been completed till date.
The Railways is looking to electrify 100% of its rail route network, in order to cut and reduce the country’s reliance on energy generated from imported petroleum sources. This will largely advance India’s energy security as well as boost its vision of providing an eco-friendly, faster and energy-efficient mode of transportation.
India stands among the world’s top importers of crude oil, which also includes petroleum and its products. With the country’s fiscal deficit balance widening, it will be imperial if the country cuts completely its dependence upon petroleum-based energy in operations of railway lines.
As per information available from Indian Railways, the North Central Railway has been electrified 100%, while five zonal railways including East Coast, North Central, Eastern, Western Central and South Eastern zones have been electrified 100% too.
Railway route spanning to and from the northern state of Uttarakhand has finished 100% electrification too. Further, electric traction is now available from New Delhi to Kathgodam/Ramnagar, stated a Swarajya report.
Similarly, the last-mile seamless connectivity on electric traction has also been made available from Chennai to Kanyakumari as the Tiruchchirappalli-Manamadurai-Virudhunagar section has been electrified completely.
