Source: https://www.zeebiz.com/indian-railways/news-up-to-get-highest-share-of-modernisation-funds-allocated-to-railways-220677
Publisher: Zee Business
Indian Railways Mission 100% Electrification:Â The Indian Railways is inching closer to its mission of 100 per cent electrification. The Ministry of Railways in a tweet on Tuesday informed that a total of 3375 Route Kilometers (RKM) has been electrified in the year 2022-23 till January 31st against 2452 Route Kilometers in 2021-22 for the same period registering a 38 per cent growth.
The feat is remarkable as prior to the year 2014, the electrification of the railway network had been moving at a normal speed. However, now the project has really sped up. Once 100 per cent electrification is achieved, the Indian Railways is going to be a game changer in the Indian energy sector and there is a great opportunity for the country to develop its freight and passenger segment without having to follow the high-carbon pathway that other countries have pursued in the past. But what exactly does electrification of the railway network entail? Let’s find out.
Railway Electrification: What does it mean?
Remember when Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the government’s focus on ‘Green Growth’ in the Union Budget 2023-24? Well, railway electrification constitutes a big part of that. To minimise India’s dependence on fossil fuels and become the largest ‘Green Railways’ in the world, the Indian Railways has completed electrification work in 85% RKMs.
This means when the railway network is 100% electrified, the diesel locomotive-hauled trains will cease to work, thus contributing to eradicating pollution and minimising India’s dependency on imported fuel. The project will help in enhancing the country’s energy security with a vision of providing an energy-efficient and eco-friendly mode of transportation. The electrification is being done in two ways:
The first is by electrifying India’s entire Broad Gauge network and the second one involves unleashing the railways’ potential to use renewable energy, especially solar, by making use of huge land parcels available along the railway track.
Indian Railways’ Mission 100% Electrification: What will be the impact?
– Around 30 billion units of electricity will be required for electrification yearly from 2024 which will create amazing opportunities to generate renewable power.
– Demand for overhead line equipment like conductors, transformers and insulators will automatically increase which will create massive opportunities for the suppliers.
– Agreements for direct power purchase will likely go up with more solar and wind power installations.
– Since more sidings will keep getting electrified, much faster loading, and unloading would be possible, thereby providing opportunities for siding owners to transport more goods through electric trains. For those who don’t know, sidings are low-speed tracks that are separate from the main line, branch line, or spur.
– Electrification will also lead to massive opportunities for rolling stock companies. Even electric locomotives will gain pace.
– Engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contractors are expected to have multiple opportunities in terms of infrastructure creation for railway electrification.
– Sub-stations would also see increased capacity which would create opportunities for transmission and distribution utilities.
