Finish line in sight for Railways’ electrification post election
₹8,070 crore for electrification, with nearly half now expected to be spent in FY25, the person quoted above said. Query sent to the ministry of railways remained unanswered till press time. This electrification push is part of Indian Railways' strategy to reduce its annual fuel bill of over ₹15,000 crore.
It will also contribute to India’s target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2070. Indian Railways aims for net zero carbon emissions by 2030, with a plan to become the world's largest green railway network. Between 1948 and 2014, about 22,000 route km were electrified.
The pace accelerated significantly from FY18, marking a notable increase to over 6,000 route km annually until FY22. Railways achieved 6,500 route km in FY23 and set a target of 6,500 km for FY24. But this target was only half met with just around 3,500 route km achieved in FY24.
At 95% electrification, Indian Railway is far ahead of its global peers with electrification reaching just about 56% in the EU, 38% in the UK and just 1% in the US. Switzerland, however, has achieved 99% electrification. Milestone Alert!
Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world
