Railway network in 14 states 100% electrified in FY23, Northeast lags

Source: The post is based on the article “Railway network in 14 states 100% electrified in FY23, Northeast lags” published in Business Standard on 27th April 2023

What is the News?

Indian Railways has completed 90% electrification of its broad-gauge(BG) network as of March 31, 2023.

– Note: Gauge refers to the vertical length between railway tracks, with various measurements used across the globe for train operations.

About Electrification of Broad Gauge (BG) Network of Railways

Indian Railways has set a target to complete the Electrification of its Broad gauge network by December 2023.

Till now, it has fully electrified the BG network of 14 states and union territories (UTs).

The pace of electrification between 2014 and 2019 was 7.5 rkm per day which doubled to 15.3 rkm per day between 2020 and 2022.

In FY23, this pace rose further to 18 rkm per day, the highest the national transporter has managed in a single year.

However, the progress in the Northeast, barring Meghalaya is in contrast to the success elsewhere as five states were yet to have a single track electrified.

What are the benefits of the Electrification of the BG network of Railways?

Electrification offers numerous benefits, including saving over Rs 150 crore on fuel bill every year, seamless operations, pollution-free mode of transport and increase average speed.