Railways: Trains will now run on electric engines, days of diesel engines are old

Mr Journalist News, Indian Railways: Indian Railways will soon achieve a new target, which is going to be great both in terms of Railways' profits and environmental protection. A senior Railway Ministry official says that the Railways will achieve the target of 100 percent electrification of its broad gauge network in the next few months, i.e. much before the end of this financial year. 

It is noteworthy that in the interim budget presented this year, Rs 6500 crore has been allocated for further electrification projects. With 100 percent electrification, Indian Railways will become the largest green railway in the world. Many areas in India are already 100 percent electrified.

Railways still has 4543 diesel engines

Since 2014, Railways has spent more than Rs 46,425 crore on electrification. However, things have completely changed now with more electric engines than diesel engines. But it will take some time to retire diesel engines and replace them with electric engines. As of December 2023, the Railways has 10,238 electric and 4,543 diesel locomotives.

There will be reduction in carbon emissions

Railways electrified 7188 km of rail network in 2023-24. The routes that were electrified last year include Ahmedabad-Rajkot-Okha 499 km, Bengaluru-Talaguppa 371 km, and Bathinda-Firozepur-Jalandhar 301 km. The transition to electric traction is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 24 percent by 2027-28.

Railway electrification happening at the rate of 19.6 km per day

Since 2014-15, the Railways has electrified more than 40,000 route km on the broad gauge network, compared to only 21,80 km in all the years before 2014. Officials say rail electrification is happening nine times faster than a decade ago, from 1.42 kilometers per day in 2014-15 to about 19.6 kilometers per day in 2023-24.

India is ahead of Britain and America in rail electrification

India is far ahead of the European Union, Britain and America in terms of rail electrification. According to Energy Monitor and Indian Railways data, Indian Railways is 95 per cent electrified, compared to 56 per cent in the EU, 38 per cent in the UK and only one per cent in the US. However, Switzerland is 99 percent electrified.

Officials said the electrification program would also have immense environmental benefits. He said that it also gives impetus to development. Electrification reduces dependence on imported crude oil, creates employment opportunities during construction of projects and positions railways as a growth engine for the country's economy.

However, many experts argue that electrification will reduce costs and also have strategic importance, but railways mostly draw power from the grid and 70-80 percent of the plants use thermal coke to generate power, which leads to pollution. Is. Unless electricity is generated from renewable sources, electrification will simply mean the displacement of carbon emissions.