Tripura Railway Network Electrification Set For Completion In August

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has set a target to complete the electrification of the railway track from Lumding to Sabroom in Tripura before August this year, according to an official statement on Wednesday.

Out of the total 265 km track from Dharmanagar to Sabroom via Agartala, electrification has been accomplished along 165 km, with the remaining 100 km slated for completion by August, the official stated.

The electrification work from Lumding to Badarpur, spanning 172 km and considered a hill section, has seen significant progress, with 85 per cent of the work already completed, chief public relations officer of NFR, Sabyasachi De, informed.

De highlighted that 65 per cent of the tracks under NFR's jurisdiction have been electrified to bolster the railway network in the North East. In Assam, 55 per cent of the total railway tracks are covered by the ongoing electrification drive, reports Deccan Herald.

Once the ongoing electrification work from Lumding to Sabroom via Agartala is concluded, premier trains like Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat could be introduced up to Agartala, De mentioned, emphasising steps taken to expedite the electrification project.

NFR aims to gradually phase out diesel-run trains, De asserted, underscoring the benefits of electric trains in terms of cost-effectiveness and reduced carbon emissions. Transitioning to electric trains is expected to significantly decrease expenditure on diesel and promote environmental sustainability, he added.

Indian Railways electrified 62,119 route kilometres (RKMs) till 1 March 2024 which is about 94 per cent of the total broad-gauge network (65,775 RKMs) of Indian Railways. 

The pace of electrification has gathered momentum in the last 10 years as since 2014, a record 40,318 RKM has been electrified against electrification of 5,047 RKM during 2005-14. Remarkably, out of the total 62,119 RKM electrified so far on pan India basis more than 50 per cent has been electrified only during the last six years.

Indian Railways electrified 6,656 RKM in FY 2022-23, the highest ever in the history.