Indian Railways is moving towards 100 per cent electrification of broad gauge tracks with a view to provide environment-friendly, faster and energy-efficient mode of transport. During the calendar year- 2023, Indian Railways has completed 6,577 Route Kilometer (RKM) electrification work. A total of 61,508 route kilometers of broad gauge (BG) network has been electrified by December 2023, which is 93.83 percent of the total broad gauge routes (65,556 RKM) of Indian Railways. Earlier, till 2014, 21,801 km broad gauge network was electrified.
Railway electrification has the following benefits:
- reduction in operating costs
- The greater haulage capacity of electric locomotives allowed operation of heavier freight trains and longer passenger trains, thereby increasing throughput.
- Increase in sectional capacity by eliminating blockage due to traction changes.
- Environment friendly means of transport.
- Dependence on imported crude oil has reduced, thereby saving valuable foreign exchange.