Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that in the last nine years, about 40 thousand km of rail lines have been electrified in India.
“In 70 years only around 20 thousand km of rail lines were electrified in India, while in the last 9 years, about 40 thousand km of rail lines have been electrified in India,” said PM Modi during the inauguration of the International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre in Delhi.
He also proudly said that the world’s highest rail bridge and Asia’s second-largest railroad bridge is in India.
According to the Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE), the unit of Indian Railways responsible for electrification of the network, till March 31, 2023, Indian Railways electrified 58,812 Route Kilometers (RKMs). It is roughly 90 per cent of the whole broad-gauge network (65,300 RKMs) of Indian Railways. Out of a total of 58,812 RKMs, the CORE has done electrification work on 45,912 RKMs. It is around 78 per cent of the electrification work of the entire Indian Railways, the national carrier of the country.
Along with other organizations, by December 2023, the CORE has planned to electrify the entire broad-gauge network routes of Indian Railways. In the last few years, the speed of electrification has gathered momentum. Since 2014, a record 37,011 RKM has been electrified. During 2007-14, electrification was done on only 3,874 RKM.
Notability, out of the entire 58,812 RKM electrified so far on pan India basis, 50 per cent has been electrified only during the last five years, said the CORE.