100% Electrification Achieved By This Railway Division: Rs 13,510 Crore Will Be Saved Every Year!

The Eastern Railway has completed 100 percent electrification of its 2,848 km network with the completion of work in the 41 km Hansdiha-Godda section.

Kolkata-headquartered zonal railway’s spokesperson Ekalabya Chakraborty said that now Eastern Railway’s entire 2,848 km network is converted to electrified route.

Railway Electrification, which is environment friendly and reduces pollution, has increased nearly ten times since 2014.

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. 

Govt Could Potentially Save Crores

As the electrification drive chugs along, the Railways could also gain economic benefits by saving on fuel bills due to reduced import of fossil fuels. 

For example, the Ministry of Railways says that the cost per kilometre for diesel traction is 5.1 paise.

For 1km with electric traction, the cost comes down to 1.5 paise

It has been estimated that once electrification is complete, the total savings could amount to Rs 13,510 crore per annum.

Maintenance costs are also reduced since it costs more to maintain diesel locomotives compared to half the cost for electric locomotives. 

Ambitions

The Indian railways had announced last June that the network’s electrification has seen a 10-fold increase since 2014.

All these efforts are in pursuit of becoming the largest Green Railways in the world and becoming a ‘net zero carbon emitter’ before 2030.

Other Initiatives

Along with complete electrification, the Railways is also targeting the upgradation of Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata corridors to 160 kmph and also elimination of level crossings on the Golden Quadrilateral and Golden Diagonal routes.

Other initiatives are being taken such as Head-On-Generation (HOG) systems, LED lights as well as Bio Toilets to recreate the train itself into a mode of travel that is kinder to the environment while maintaining passenger comfort and convenience.