Electrification of the Indian Railway Lines is 99.4 percent Complete

Electrification of the Indian railway lines has been undertaken in a mission mode, with approximately 99.4% of the Broad Gauge (BG) network electrified.

All new railway lines and multi-tracking projects are being sanctioned and constructed with electrification, and the electrification of the remaining network is underway. 

Electrification of Indian Railways officially began in 1925, with the inauguration of the first electric train running between Bombay Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus) and Kurla Harbour. 

However, the pace of electrification remained slow due to various factors. Things have changed drastically in the last decade, with the electrification of the Indian railway lines more than doubling.

In the last 10-11 years, about 46,900 route kilometres (RKM) have been electrified, of which 7,188 RKM were achieved in the financial year 2023-24 and 2,701 RKM in 2024-25.

The details of electrification carried out during 2014-25 and before 2014 are as follows:

According to government sources, an expenditure of Rs. 29,826 crore was incurred on railway electrification projects during the last five years (2020-21 to 2024-25). 

Due to its extensive network, the Indian Railways is divided into 19 zones, of which 4 remain to be electrified: North Western Railway, Northeast Frontier Railway, Southern Railway, and South Western Railway. 

Electrification completion is pending due to factors such as forest and clearances from various authorities, relocation of infringing utilities, geological and topographical conditions of the area, law and order situation, climatic conditions, etc.

The 5 states where electrification is pending are as follows.

While electrification of Indian railway lines has increased energy-related expenditures, it is also yielding significant financial savings and reducing dependence on crude oil imports.

Amount spent by Indian Railways on total energy consumption for traction during 2024-25 is ₹32,378 crores, while the savings on diesel were 178 crore litres in 2024-25 compared with 2016-17, representing a 62% reduction.