India
Archived — This article has been archived. The information may be outdated.
Southern Railway completes 100 percent electrification
The Indian Express··11 Sept
Southern Railway has achieved 100 percent electrification of its Broad Gauge network, covering 5,068 route kilometres. The final stretch was the 71-km Pattukkottai-Karaikkudi section, inspected on September 9. CPRO SN Narain said electric traction across the zone removes the need for traction changes. Southern Railway's electrification journey began in 1931, when Madras introduced electric trains.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Trains can now run on electric traction across Southern Railway's Broad Gauge network without traction changes at intermediate points.
- The railway said the shift would improve locomotive utilisation and operational flexibility.
- Officials also linked full electrification to lower fossil-fuel dependence in train operations.
What's Happening
- The milestone followed completion of electrification on the Pattukkottai-Karaikkudi section spanning 71 km.
- Statutory inspection of the newly electrified section was completed on September 9.
- Southern Railway said the fully electrified network covers 5,068 route kilometres across the zone.
A Century Of Electric Traction
- On May 11, 1931, Madras became the second Indian metro after Bombay to introduce electric traction.
- In 1968, 25 kV AC electrification was commissioned on the Madras Beach-Tambaram section.
- India's first electric train ran in 1925 between Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla Harbour on a 1,500-volt DC system.
all-news
