Lok Sabha Question No. 1688 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-26
Subject: Electrification of Railway Lines
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: KIRTI (JHA) AZAD

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1688 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2017

## ELECTRIFICATION OF RAILWAY LINES

† 1688.  SHRI KIRTI AZAD :

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the railway lines to be electrified in the next five years along with the details of the railway lines electrified during the last three years;
- (b) whether the Railways has taken any steps to speed up the electrification work of railway lines;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Railways to encourage the use of clean fuel to make the railway carbon free?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)

(a) to (d):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  1688  BY  SHRI  KRITI  AZAD  TO  BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 26.07.2017 REGARDING ELECTRIFICATION OF RAILWAY LINES

## (a):     Indian Railways have prepared an Action Plan to electrify 24,400  route  kilometers      in  five  years  (2016-17  to  2020-21). Year-wise details are as under:-

| Year    |   Route Kilometres to be |
|---------|--------------------------|
| 2016-17 |                     2000 |
| 2017-18 |                     4000 |
| 2018-19 |                     6000 |
| 2019-20 |                     6200 |
| 2020-21 |                     6200 |
| Total   |                    24400 |

5186 route kilometres of railway lines have been electrified  during  the  last  three  years  (i.e.  2014-15  to  2016-17). Year-wise details are as under:-

| Year    |   Route Kilometres of Railway Lines electrified |
|---------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2014-15 |                                            1375 |
| 2015-16 |                                            1730 |
| 2016-17 |                                            2013 |
| Total   |                                            5118 |

(b) & (c):   Yes, Madam.   During the last three years (2014-2017) and for 2017-18, total number  of 93 railway electrification projects consisting 16815 route kilometer (RKM) at an estimated cost of ` 17165 crore have been included in Railway Budget and pace of electrification has been increased from present average of 1700 RKM/annum to  4000 RKM in 2017-18.

Further,  to  expedite  electrification  of  railway  lines  in  the country, various steps have been taken, which inter-alia include award of turn-key contracts, better project monitoring mechanism, enhancing power  of field units for award  of contracts  including  sanction  of  estimates  and  increasing  the number  of  executing    agencies  from  existing  three  to  six  by entrusting electrification  works  to  new  agencies  viz.  Indian Railway Construction Company, Rail India Technical and Economic Services and Power Grid Corporation of India Limited.

- (d)   To reduce dependence on fossil fuels, Indian Railways have planned to source about 1000 Mega Watt (MW) Solar Power as a part of the Solar Mission of Railways and about 200 MW of power from wind mill power  plants based on techno commercial assessments.

Further, Railways are taking the following steps to promote use of clean fuels and reduce carbon emissions:

- (i) Use of B5 (5% Bio-Diesel) blends of bio diesel in the diesel locomotives.
- (ii) Use  of  Compressed  Natural  Gas  (CNG)  based  dual  fuel system  on  DEMU  trains  to  achieve  20%  substitution  of Diesel with gas.
- (iii) Development  of  CNG  based  dual  fuel  system  with  40% substitution of diesel for high economy and environmental benefit.
- (iv) Process to establish two bio diesel manufacturing plants with 30 Ton Per Day (TPD) capacity owned by  Railways.
- (v) Promote use of LNG/CNG as environment friendly industrial gas in place of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Acetylene in Railway workshops.
- (vi) Promote and install roof top based solar power generation system in railways workshops and production units.

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