Railways’ electrification drive enters final stretch with just 269 km left to complete green network

New Delhi: The Indian Railways is on the verge of completing one of the world’s largest railway electrification programmes, with only 269 route kilometres (RKM) of its more than 70,000-RKM broad gauge network yet to be brought under electric traction, according to the latest railway ministry data.

As of 31 May 2026, 70,002 RKM of the 70,271-RKM broad-gauge network have been electrified, bringing overall coverage to 99.6%. This means the national transporter is within touching distance of achieving 100% electrification, a milestone expected to significantly reduce fuel costs, improve freight efficiency, and help meet its ambitious net-zero carbon target.

The remaining work is concentrated largely in a handful of states, including Karnataka (120 RKM), Tamil Nadu (68 RKM), Assam (55 RKM), Goa (16 RKM) and Rajasthan (10 RKM), reflecting the complexities of completing the last-mile stretches.

The railways allocated ₹5,000 crore for electrification works in 2026-27, with officials expecting the remaining sections to be completed during the current financial year, subject to execution challenges in difficult terrain.

The electrification programme is central to the Railways’ strategy of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, four decades ahead of India’s economy-wide target of 2070. Besides reducing dependence on imported diesel, electric traction also enables regenerative braking and greater use of renewable energy, helping lower the carbon footprint of rail transport.

An emailed query sent to the railway ministry remained unanswered till press time.

The achievement marks the culmination of a programme that has gathered remarkable pace over the past decade. Between 1948 and 2014, Indian Railways cumulatively electrified about 21,400 RKM. In contrast, more than 48,000 RKM has been electrified since 2014, transforming the network into one of the world’s largest electrically operated railway systems.

More than a fuel switch, say experts

The average daily pace of electrification has similarly risen sharply—from 1.2 RKM per day during 2004-09 and 1.7 RKM per day during 2009-14 to 7.5 RKM per day during 2014-19 and 16.7 RKM per day during 2019-24.

The latest figures show that 25 states and Union territories have already achieved 100% electrification. At the zonal level, 14 of Indian Railways’ 18 zones have fully electrified their broad gauge networks, with only a few sections pending completion across the North Western, Northeast Frontier, Southern and South Western Railways.

Former executive director–planning, Railways, V. Shanker, said the programme represents far more than a shift in traction technology.

“Indian Railways’ decision to achieve 100% route electrification is far more than a change in traction—it is a transformational step towards building a cleaner, faster and more efficient national transport system,” he said.

According to Shanker, electric traction will enable the widespread deployment of 9,000- and 12,000-horsepower locomotives, allowing heavier freight trains to move faster while improving acceleration, reducing transit time, and increasing line capacity.

He also said a fully electrified network creates the foundation for distributed power traction in suburban and semi-high-speed passenger trains, improving acceleration, energy efficiency and passenger comfort.

“As the network completes its transition to electric traction, it will emerge as one of the world’s largest green railway systems, setting a benchmark for sustainable transportation,” Shanker added.

Former Railway Board member Jain said the economics of electrification have always favoured electric traction.

“Without going into high-sounding words like sustainability goals and clean energy transition, the fact is that the direct fuel cost of electric traction is only around 60% of diesel traction,” Jain said.

The Railways have saved 178 crore litres of diesel in 2024-25 compared with 2016-17, a saving of 62%, thereby reducing crude oil import dependence. The railways spent ₹32,378 crore on traction energy consumption during 2024-25.

A truly eco-friendly goal?

Indian Railways’ near-complete electrification also positions it among the world’s most extensively electrified railway networks. The transition is expected to improve operational flexibility by eliminating locomotive changes between diesel and electric territories, reducing maintenance costs and enhancing network capacity.

While the railways may be pursuing electrification as a lofty ideal, there are naysayers.

“Electrification has been recently promoted as a clean energy option, little realising that the electricity that powers it is generated largely out of coal and gas,” Shubhranshu, former chief of Rail Wheel Plant, Bela and a sector expert.

Shubhranshu argued that electrification alone doesn't make rail transport more sustainable, noting that no other major freight railroad globally has pursued or planned full electrification. Since traction energy is a small part of overall operating costs, 100% electrification could actually be an inefficient way to cut expenses, he added.