PM inaugurates fully electrified KRCL rail network

Union Minister of State Shobha Karandlaje leads the celebrations at Udupi Railway Station

Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shobha Karanlaje leading the remote inauguration [by Prime Minister Narendra Modi] of the 100% electrification of Konkan Railway Corporation network in Udupi on Monday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi remotely inaugurated the 741-km electrified Konkan Railway Corporation rail network from Bengaluru on Monday, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje said in Udupi that the project is a step towards 100% electrification of the Indian Railway network.

Ms. Karandlaje, who is the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and also MP from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency, led the celebrations at the Udupi Railway Station under KRCL.

Speaking after flagging off an electric loco-hauled freight train, the Minister said that with the complete electrification between Thokur near Mangaluru and Roha in Maharashtra, KRCL will save close to Rs.300 crore annually, apart from saving Rs.150 crore on fuel and a further Rs.120 crore on maintenance cost.

She said that the Prime Minister has set a target of 67,965 km railway route electrification by 2024, while 45,881 km network has already been electrified during the last eight years with an expenditure of over Rs.13,500 crore. As the transport network is the backbone for development, Mr. Modi is keen on strengthening road and railway networks.

KRCL, in a statement here, said that the corporation that helped realise the dreams of people in the Konkan region for easy travel to Mumbai and further North two decades ago, is happy with the complete electrification of its route network.

The inauguration of the electrified network by the Prime Minister is a part of “Mission 100% Electrification-Moving towards net Zero Carbon Emission”, it said and added that trains on electric traction have been flagged off simultaneously in Udupi, Madgaon and Ratnagiri to mark the occasion.

Railway electrification of Konkan Railway was completed in five phases, Thokur-Bijoor, Bijoor-Karwar, Karwar-Thivim, Thivim-Ratnagiri and Ratnagiri-Roha, at a cost of Rs.1,287 crore.

The last section to be commissioned was Ratnagiri-Thivim on March 28, while loco pilots are being trained in a phased manner for operating electric locos.

Railway electrification leads to higher operational efficiency and lower unit cost of transportation, thus benefiting the country as well as the corporation.

Electrification offers numerous benefits, including saving over Rs.150 crore on fuel bill every year, seamless operations, pollution-free mode of transport, increase in average speed as well as throughput on the section.