Indian Railways electrifies 99.6 pc of broad gauge network; SCR, AP and Telangana achieve cent percent coverage
New Delhi, July 22 (TNT): Indian Railways has electrified 99.6 per cent of its broad gauge (BG) network, with the remaining sections currently under execution, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Replying to a question, the Union Minister said railway electrification has been taken up in mission mode. While 21,801 route km were electrified in nearly six decades before 2014, an additional 48,072 route km have been electrified between 2014 and 2026.
He added that all new railway lines and multi-tracking projects are now being sanctioned and constructed with electrification.
According to the latest International Union of Railways (UIC) report released in June 2025, India has emerged as one of the world’s most extensively electrified railway systems, with 99.6 per cent electrification, second only to Switzerland (100 per cent).
China’s railway network is 82 per cent electrified, followed by Spain (67 per cent), Japan (64 per cent), France (60 per cent) and the United Kingdom (39 per cent).
The Union Minister said electric traction is both environmentally friendly and energy-efficient. Citing a NITI Aayog report, he said rail transport emits 11.5 grams of CO₂ per tonne-km, compared to 101 grams for road transport, resulting in nearly 89 per cent lower emissions.
Railway electrification has also significantly reduced diesel consumption for traction purposes. Diesel usage declined from 293 crore litres in 2015-16 to about 108 crore litres in 2024-25, resulting in savings of around 185 crore litres and reducing the country’s fuel import bill.
To promote sustainable operations, Indian Railways is increasingly integrating renewable energy into its traction network, he said as of June 2026, it has commissioned 1,161 MW of solar power capacity and 103 MW of wind power capacity.
Among railway zones, South Central Railway (SCR) has achieved 100 per cent electrification, along with Central, East Coast, East Central, Eastern, Konkan, Kolkata Metro, North Central, North Eastern, Northern, South Coast, South East Central, South Eastern, West Central and Western Railways. North Western Railway has achieved 99.8 per cent electrification, while Northeast Frontier Railway and Southern Railway stand at 98.7 per cent.
The Union Minister also informed the House that Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are among the states that have achieved 100 per cent railway electrification, while Rajasthan has reached 99.8 per cent, Tamil Nadu 98.3 per cent, Assam 97.9 per cent, Karnataka 96.8 per cent and Goa 91.4 per cent.
Vaishnaw said Indian Railways aims to progressively meet its traction power requirements through renewable energy sources, including solar, wind and hybrid systems, as part of its strategy to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency.
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