NEW DELHI: Indian Railway is all set to become the world’s first 100 per cent green railway with net-zero emission by 2030 as the electrification of railway routes in the country is progressing 10 times faster since 2014.
To achieve the distinction, Indian railways have started marching towards Mission 100% Electrification of Railway Routes. The target is expected to be achieved by 2023.
With the electrification of routes, other railway establishments would also be made green with solar lights and net-zero emission types of equipment.
A senior railway official disclosed that more than 6,015 kilometres routes have already been electrified during 2020-21 surpassing the record of 5,276 km in 2018-19.
“The most encouraging aspect towards becoming the world’s first green railway is that around 45,881km rail tracks out of 64689 km rail tracks of broad gauge have already been electrified up to March 31, 2021, and the remaining works are being carried out on war-footing”, said a senior railway board official.
The railways are moving swiftly towards becoming the world’s first green railways and has set a tentative target of completing 100 per cent electrification of broad-gauge routes by December 2023.
“Our target to become the world's first 100 per cent green railway with net zero-emission by the year 2030 will be achieved if everything goes as per plan. We will also start meeting energy requirements at all railways stations by installing solar panels on the rooftops of station buildings”, a senior official claimed.
The NDA government, in the earlier budget, had announced that there would not be a dearth of funds required for the project.
According to the Railway Ministry, more than 1000 railway stations in the country already acquire their energy requirements from solar panels.
As per official figures, the country has already electrified several railway sections over the last few years including Mumbai – Howrah via Jabalpur, Delhi – Darbhanga – Jaynagar, Gorakhpur – Varanasi via Aunrihar, New Delhi-Via Katihar-Guwahati, the Chennai – Trichy, the Indore – Guna – Gwalior – Amritsar, the Jabalpur – Nainpur – Gondia – Ballarshah, the Delhi – Jaipur – Udaipur, the Ajmer – Howrah, the Mumbai – Marwar and the Delhi – Moradabad – Tanakpur.