India electrifies 99.6% of broad gauge network, secures global second spot, apprises Vaishnav in Lok Sabha
New Delhi, July 22: The Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that 99.6 percent of the Indian Railways’ broad gauge rail network has been electrified, and with this achievement, India has become the second largest country in the world in terms of railway electrification, after Switzerland.
He said that the remaining railway routes are also being electrified in mission mode.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Vaishnav informed that 48,072 route kilometers of railway route were electrified between 2014 and 2026, whereas in the nearly 60 years before 2014, only 21,801 route kilometers were electrified. He said that now all new railway lines and multi-tracking projects are being built with electrification in mind from the beginning.
He stated that according to the International Union of Railways (UIC)’s June 2025 report, Switzerland’s rail network is fully electrified, while India’s network is 99.6 percent electrified. In comparison, China’s rail network is 82 percent electrified, Spain’s 67 percent, Japan’s 64 percent, France’s 60 percent, and Britain’s 39 percent.
The Railway Minister stated that electrification of railways has significantly reduced dependence on diesel. Diesel consumption for traction in railways has decreased from 293 crore liters in 2015-16 to 108 crore liters in 2024-25. This has resulted in savings of 185 crore liters of diesel, which has also saved foreign exchange and reduced carbon emissions.
He explained that, according to a NITI Aayog report, road transport emits 101 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer of freight, while rail transport emits only 11.5 grams, which is approximately 89 percent less than road transport.
Vaishnav added that Indian Railways is also promoting the use of clean energy. By June 2026, the Railways have installed 1,161 MW of solar power and 103 MW of wind power capacity. The Railways aim to meet its traction power needs from solar, wind, and hybrid renewable energy sources in a phased manner.
He explained that 15 railway zones in the country have been fully electrified, while the remaining work is being completed rapidly in the North Western Railway, Northeast Frontier Railway, Southern Railway, and South Western Railway. At the state level, most states, including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Delhi, and Jammu and Kashmir, have fully electrified broad gauge rail networks.
