Railway Electrification
I Executive Summary of Railway Electrification
With a view to reduce the Nation’s dependence on imported
petroleum based energy and to enhance energy security to the
Country, as well as to make the Railway System more eco- friendly
and to modernize the system, Indian Railways have been progressively
electrifying its rail routes.
In pre-independence period, electrification remained confined to
388 Route kilometers (RKMs) and it is only in the post independence
period that further electrification was taken up. While, 1,810 RKMs
were electrified during Xth five year plan (2002-07), the progress
increased to 4,556 RKMs in the XIth plan, 2007-12 (against the target
of 4500 RKMs). In XIIth plan(2012-17), the target has been further
enhanced to 6,500 RKMs, out of which, 4,042 RKMs have been
electrified in the last three years of XIIth plan i.e. (in 2012-15) as against
the proportionate target of 3,900 RKMs. Upto March 2015, 22,224
Route kilometers has been electrified as compared to total electrified
RKMs on 31st March, 2014 i.e. 21,614 RKMs. On this electrified route
65.40%. of freight traffic & 51.20% of Passenger traffic is hauled with
fuel cost on electric traction being merely 36.32% of the total traction
fuel cost on Indian Railways.
II Plan Period wise Progress of Railway Electrification
S.No Plan Period RKM Electrified
1. Pre-Independence - 1925-1947 388
2. 1st Five Year Plan - 1951-56 141
3. 2nd Five Year Plan - 1956-61 216
4. 3rd Five Year Plan - 1961-66 1678
5. Annual Plan - 1966-69 814
6. 4th Five Year Plan - 1969-74 954
7. 5th Five Year Plan - 1974-78 533
8. Inter Plan - 1978-80 195
9. 6th Five Year Plan - 1980-85 1522
10. 7th Five Year Plan - 1985-90 2812
11. Inter Plan - 1990-92 1557
12. 8th Five Year Plan - 1992-97 2708
13. 9th Five Year Plan - 1997-02 2484
14. 10th Five Year Plan - 2002-07 1810
15. 11th Five Year Plan - 2007-12 4556
16. 1st year of 12th Five Year Plan 1317
17. 2nd year of 12th Five Year Plan 1350
Lifting of ROB for OHE underneath by 18. 3rd year of 12th Five Year Plan 1375
CORE
34 INDIAN RAILWAYS ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2014-15
III Sections Opened for Electric Traction After Inspection
by Commissioner of Railway Safety in 2014-2015.
S.No. Section Railway State RKM
1 Vellore-Villupuram SR Tamil Nadu 150
2 Pathankot-Jammu Tawi NR Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir 100
3 Barabanki-Gonda NER Uttar Pradesh 88
4 Chhapra-Siwan-Thawe NER Bihar 88
5 Khurja-Meerut NR Uttar Pradesh 84 Test Charging of DC-AC Conversion, CR
6 Virudunagar-Vanchi SR Tamil Nadu 143
Maniyachchi-Tirunelveli,
including Vanchi
Maniyachchi-Tuticorin
7 Hajipur-Muzaffarpur- ECR Bihar 140
Bachhwara
8 Kachujor-Sainthia ER West Bengal 22
9 Siwan –Bhatni NER Bihar and Uttar Pradesh 50
10 Vizianagaram-Garudaballi ECoR Odisha 13
11 Mathura-Alwar NCR Uttar Pradesh & Rajasthan 123
12 Kanpur Anwarganj-Kalyanpur NER Uttar Pradesh 10
13 Shoranur-Kozhikkode SR Kerala 84
(Excluding)
14 Manmad-Puntamba-Shirdi CR Maharashtra 81
15 Total 1,176
IV Completion of Electrification from Vellore to
Villupuram to connect two trunk routes i.e Chennai
Beach-Villupuram-Tir uchchirappalli-Madurai-
Nagercoil and Chennai - Katpadi – Jolarpettai-
Thiruvananthapurum-Nagercoil on electric traction
In the year 2014-15, Railway Electrification of Vellore-Villupuram
broad gauge single line section of Southern Railway, covering 150
route kilometers and passing through the State of Tamil Nadu has
been completed. This important rail route connects Vellore (Katpadi)
on electrified (Chennai-Katpadi – Jolarpettai-Thiruvananthapurum-
Nagercoil) trunk route with Villupuram on electrified (Chennai Beach-
Villupuram-Tiruchchirappalli-Madurai-Nagercoil) trunk route. This has
resulted in seamless flow of electric trains in this section as traction
changes/detentions at Katpadi and Villupuram ends is eliminated.
V C-AC conversion in Mumbai area of Western and
D
Central Railways
Initial electrification in India was on 1500 volt DC which included
Mumbai division of Western Railway and Mumbai, Pune divisions of
Central Railway. Electrification in Indian Railways started on 1500 volts
DC on the sub-urban system of Central Railway with first electric train
running on the historic day of 3rd February, 1925. Subsequently, Western
Railway was electrified on 1500 volt DC in the year 1928. Electrification Headquarters Office Building, CORE
INDIAN RAILWAYS ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2014-15 35
of Howrah-Barddhaman section was taken up on 3000 volt DC during
the first five year plan & the same was completed in 1958. Changing times
and a series of events led Indian Railways to switch over to 25000 volt
AC electrification; the first section being Raj Kharswan- Dangoaposi of
South Eastern Railway in the year 1960. Howrah- Bardhaman of Eastern
Railway & Chennai Beach-Tambaram sections of Southern Railway were
subsequently converted to 25000 volt AC by the year 1968.
AC Jan Shatabdi Chair Car Post independence, the electrification was done on 25000 volt AC,
which was a far superior technology, keeping in pace with the changing
times. In the year 1996-97, a decision was taken to convert Mumbai
division of Western Railway and Mumbai & Pune divisions of Central
Railway from 1500 volt DC to 25000 volt AC. The complete section of
Western Railway from Virar to Churchgate was converted from 1500
volt DC to 25000 volt AC on the historic date of 5th February, 2012.
This has resulted in reduction in cost of operation apart from improving
speeds and sectional capacity. This project has also helped to induct
more suburban services, augmentation of suburban services from 9
car to 12/15 car services, thereby leading to substantial improvement
in commuters’ comforts and satisfaction. This has also resulted in
reduction in maximum power demand by 20% to 25% for same level
of traffic, reduced transmission line losses, improved energy efficiency
and reduced energy consumption due to regenerative braking.
On the Central Railway system, which is much larger than the
Western Railway system, conversion work of main line portion upto
Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminius (CSTM) has been completed
in June, 2015. The sections, comprising of Vasai-Diva-Jasai, Panvel-
Karjat, Pune-Kalyan, Igatpuri-Kalyan, Karjat-Khopoli, Kalyan-Thane.-
Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Thane- Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
have been opened on 25000 volt AC for public carriage of passengers.
Work is in progress for completing the balance portion of harbour &
trans harbour lines
VI Major New Electrification Works Sanctioned in
2014-15, under Plan Head-Railway Electrification.
S.N. Section Railway State RKM
1. Manpur- Tilaiya - Bakhtiyarpur ECR Bihar 132
2. Chhapra- Ballia –Ghazi pur- Bihar and Uttar
Varanasi-Allahabad NER Pradesh 330
Total 462
36 INDIAN RAILWAYS ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS 2014-15
