Faster trains, less travel time! West Central Railway becomes first fully electrified Indian Railways zone

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Electrification of this railway section will provide various benefits such as saving fuel, reduction in travel time, as well as environmental protection.

Indian Railways’ West Central Railway zone gets fully electrified! On 30 March 2021, after CCRS Inspection and Commissioning of electrification of Kota – Chittaurgarh railway section (Srinagar – Jalindri) in the state of Rajasthan, West Central Railways has become the first fully electrified railway zone in the country. The zonal railway now boasts 3012 Route Km electrified network. According to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, trains passing through this railway section can now be operated at a faster speed. Electrification of this railway section will provide various benefits such as saving fuel, reduction in travel time, as well as environmental protection.

Earlier this year, with the electrification of the Nimmita – New Farakka railway section in the state of West Bengal, the Eastern Railway zone had also become fully electrified rail network. The Railway Ministry had earlier said that the move will increase the speed of rail as well as minimize the carbon footprint in the environment. During the period 2014-2020, the national transporter invested an amount of Rs 19811.7 crores o­n infrastructural works as well as Rs 710.3 crores o­n passenger amenities in the Eastern Railway zone.

A few days ago, the Railway Minister in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha informed that the pace of railway electrification has been increased over 4.5 times from 608 km per year in 2009-14 to 2,737 Km in the period of 2014-20. The Railway Ministry has targeted 100 per cent electrification of the Broad Gauge rail network by December 2023. The pace of construction of New Lines, Doubling as well as Gauge Conversion has been increased by over 70 per cent from 1520 Km per year in 2009-14 to 2,625 Km in the period of 2014-20. According to the ministry, the speed of freight train services has been doubled in the financial year 2020-21 to 46 km per hour from 23 km per hour in earlier years.