Indian Railways Electrified 6000 Kms In Last 12 Months; 71% Of Entire Rail Route Now Electric!

A major feat was accomplished by the Indian Railways when it was announced that 6,015 Route Kilometer (RKM) was electrified in one year (2020-21).

The Figures

By 31 Mar the total amount of RKM that was electrified stood at 45,881 RKM which is 71 % of the total Broad Gauge network of Indian Railways ie. 64,689 RKM (including 740 km of Konkan Railway).

The Ministry of Railways reported that despite the struggles of working during the ongoing pandemic, the total amount of route electrified exceeded the previous year’s figures of 5,276 RKM achieved in 2018-19.

Why Go Electric?

This achievement by the Railways will propel India towards its goals of becoming energy secured and more environment friendly. 

Recent years have seen a greater emphasis placed on railway electrification which would help India reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and achieve energy security. 

All of this would enable the railway mode of transportation, a mainstay in Indian transportation, to become faster, more eco-friendly and energy efficient. 

How Passengers Benefit

Passengers stand to benefit from this initiative as trains will pick up on travel speeds, which have doubled from 23 km in the last few years to 46 km as of 2020-21. 

Another benefit is that punctuality, cut in travel time and fuel savings are all enhanced as well. 

Also notable is the fact that out of the 45,881 RKM that has been electrified, 34% of the figure was achieved in the past 3 years alone. 

Popular Electrified Routes

Some of the most renowned electrified routes are as follows- 

1. Mumbai-Howrah via Jabalpur
2. Delhi-Darbhanga-Jaynagar
3. Gorakhpur-Varanasi via Aunrihar
4. Jabalpur-Nainpur-Gondia- Ballarshah
5. Chennai-Trichy
6. Indore-Guna-Gwalior-Amritsar
7. Delhi-Jaipur-Udaipur
8. New Delhi-New Coochbehar-Srirampur Assam via Patna & Katihar
9. Ajmer-Howrah
10. Mumbai-Marwar
11. Delhi-Moradabad-Tanakpur

Future Goals

Furthermore, the Indian Railways has set its eyes on December 2023 in which it plans to complete its electrification drive. 

If it manages to meet that deadline, Indian Railways will finally meet its goals of  “net zero” emissions which is the practice in which the entire electrical load is borne by renewable energy sources. 

Western Railways Becomes India’s 1st 100% Electrified Zone: How Will Passengers Benefit?, learn more.