With 95% track electrification, India boasts of largest green railway network: Top official

Indian Railways has electrified 95 per cent of its vast 68,000 km track network to emerge as the largest green railway in the world, according to a senior official of the Ministry of Railways.

Mukul Saran Mathur, additional member, Railway Board, said that the railway system caters to two crore passengers daily and has recently operated over 5,000 special trains to assist migrant workers. He said Vande Bharat trains were “flagship products” rail modernisation efforts.

Speaking at the ASSOCHAM National Conference here, Mathur said that the Union Government has allocated Rs. 85,000 crore for railway expansion in the 2023-24 fiscal. Improvements include a faster ticket refund process, now reduced to one or two business days.

Other experts at the conference said that railway modernisation is the key to India's economic growth and a way forward to achieve the Viksit Bharat or developed India goal by 2047. Deepak Sharma from ASSOCHAM stressed that modernising the railways is central to ‘Viksit Bharat’, aiming to enhance connectivity and support economic growth.

Sanjay Bajpai from the National Council on Logistics and Warehousing highlighted the role of AI and machine learning in achieving 100 per cent cargo visibility and last-mile connectivity through the Gati Shakti plan.

Animesh Gupta of Goldratt Research Labs emphasised the need for a 40 per cent rail freight share and reducing the environmental impact of railway operations.

Manish Puri of ACTO and Moonish Ghuge from ABB India Ltd discussed the importance of modern safety measures and infrastructure to meet increasing trade demands and ensure passenger safety.

The discussions underscored the necessity for transparency and reliability in implementing transformative technological solutions for India’s railways. Experts said that railway modernisation is the key to India's economic growth and a way forward to achieve the Viksit Bharat or developed India goal by 2047. Mukul Saran Mathur, additional member- commercial, Union Ministry of Railways, shared how railways operate in challenging times. He added that over 5,000 special trains have recently been operated to transport migrants.