railway safety inspected the section with other officials
Keeping pace with Nation’s mission of 100% electrification of Indian
Railways, Western Railway has completed the electrification work of
Surendranagar – Dhola- Dhrangadhara section of 155 RKM. This electrification
work on this newly electrified section is the highest electrification work
undertaken at a stretch over Indian Railways. The Commissioner of Railway
Safety inspected the section on 17th & 18th February, 2020. Sanjeev
Bhutani- Principal Chief Electrical Engineer of WR and other senior officers
were also present on this occasion.
According to a Press Release issued by WR CPRO Ravinder
Bhakar, with the completion of Surendranagar – Dhola-Dhrangadhara section (155
RKM) electrification project, WR has successfully completed the electrification
of total 535 RKM during current financial year upto 20th February 2020. This
includes electrification of various sections namely Indore-Ratlam & Ratlam
-Nimach in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Ahmedabad-Palanpur, Ahmedabad
-Viramgam, Viramgam-Mehsana, Surendranagar–Botad-Dhola & Surendranagar-Dhrangadhra
in the state of Gujarat which is more than four times as compared to the target
achieved last year.
Bhakar stated that further about 300 RKM more is planned for
CRS inspection in March 2020, which will take the grand total to 850 RKM by WR
which is about 25% of total electrification on entire IR during the current
financial year. Also, efforts are being made to electrify the route upto
Pipavav port by March 2020 so as to enable to carry double stack containers
from Pipavav port to Delhi via Palanpur by April 2020.
Western Railway is the first Railway to successfully run
double stack containers in electrified territory for which high raise OHE
having contact wire height of 7.57 mtr. has been provided, which is a first of
its kind in world. With introduction of electric traction, which is pollution
free and energy efficient mode of transport Western Railway is expected to save
about Rs.200 crores per annum on fuel expenses.
To carry 1000 GTKM on electric traction, hardly 4.5 unit of
electric energy is consumed, which costs about Rs.25 as against 2 ltrs. of HSD
oil costing about Rs.150 to carry same load by diesel traction. Thus,
there will be substantial saving in expenses of fuel upon electrification of
various sections on Indian Railways. In addition electrification will help in
improving mobility of trains being more reliable and powerful thus increasing
the line capacity to run more trains in the section.
Goods & Mail/Express trains are being taken over on
electric traction progressively on the electrified sections. Electrification
being most energy efficient mode of transport shall contribute significantly in
maintaining clean & green environment by reduction in Green House Gas
emission and reduction in carbon footprint of the country. Western Railway
has thus taken giant stride in its commitment to promote energy conservation
& help in reducing global warming.
It is indeed noteworthy to mention that due to these
sustained efforts, Western Railway has been awarded 1st prize in Transport
category during National Energy Conservation Award-2019 by the Bureau of Energy
Efficiency, Ministry of Power on 14th December, 2019.