In order to enhance the travelling experience of the passengers and also for a sustainable, durable, and energy-efficient future, Indian Railways has increased the number of power-saving LED lights in its coaches. According to the Ministry of Railways, 65,000 coaches have been equipped with LED lights and it has led to a significant reduction in energy consumption.
The ministry claims that by doing this, 6,50,00,000 Kwh units of energy will be saved per year. In terms of cost, there will be a saving of Rs 40 crore. It will also have a positive impact on the environment. Per annum, in CO2 emission, there will be a reduction of 4920 tonnes, informed the ministry.
Indian Railways is also paying attention to improving operational efficiency! It is continuously improving infrastructure by renewing tracks for speed and efficiency.
Under the ownership of the Ministry of Railways, the Government of India, Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body. It operates India’s national railway system. As of 31 March 2022, with a total route length of 67,956 km, it is the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size.
In FY20, Indian Railways carried 808.6 crores (8.086 billion) passengers. Daily, it runs 13,169 passenger trains, on both long-distance and suburban routes, covering 7,325 stations across India.
Mail or Express trains run at an average speed of 50.6 km/h. At an average speed of 37.5 km/h, run suburban EMUs. Ordinary passenger trains run at an average speed of 33.5 km/h. However, the maximum speed of passenger trains varies, with the Vande Bharat Express running at a peak speed of 180 km/h.
At several locations in India, IR owns locomotive and coach-production facilities. As of March 2020, it had 1.254 million employees. This makes it the world’s eighth-largest employer. The Government of India has committed to electrifying India’s entire rail network by 2023–24. It wants IR to become a “net zero (carbon emissions) railway” by 2030.
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