RailEnquiry

‘Aim is to improve efficiency, reduce operational cost of Railways’

Railway Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge has said top priority has been given to electrify railway lines to improve efficiency of the rail network and bring down operational cost of the Railways.Mr. Kharge was speaking after launching the work for the electrification of the 36.63 km-stretch from Wadi Junction to Gulbarga railway station. The project will cost Rs. 42.41 crore.Electrification of rail lines that have high traffic density will be taken up, he said, adding that of the 64,000 km rail line, electrification of a 23,400-km rail line was complete.During the 12th Plan, electrification of railway lines will be taken up on a larger scale. There is a proposal to electrify at least 1,300 km of rail lines each year, he added.General Manager of the Central Railway B.P. Khare said that the Railways was ready to establish a halt station or an island platform at Wadi junction.

It would enable trains passing through the bypass to halt there for the benefit of passengers who want to board trains heading to Secunderabad and Bangalore. The official added that the project can be taken up if the State government provides land for laying an approach road to the proposed halt station.

Referring to the electrification of rail lines between Gulbarga and Wadi railway stations, Mr. Kharge said that the project would be completed before 2015. This would bring the entire Secunderabad-Wadi-Gulbarga route under the electrification network on the 25 kV AC traction.

This would improve rail efficiency and reduce the duration of travel by increasing speed.

For example, the route from Mumbai to Chennai would be 90 minutes shorter if the entire Mumbai-Chennai rail line was electrified.

He said in 2009–10, the Railway Board gave its nod for electrification of the Mumbai-Chennai line at a cost of Rs. 802 crore.

Electrification work has been completed in phases, and the Railways is committed to providing the required funds to complete the electrification of the entire Chennai-Mumbai line at the earliest. The electrification of the rail lines would also increase freight movement and provide faster train service in the metropolitan cities.

Railway Board Member (Electrification) Khul Bhushan, Minister of State for Medical Education Sharanprakash Patil spoke.