South Central Railway (SCR) under the "Mission Electrification” programme of the Indian Railways, which aims to electrify all the existing broad gauge routes by December 2023, has completed 162.4 route km of electrification across three sections this month.
It includes Gadwal-Raichur for a distance of 57.70 Rkm, Kohir Deccan–Khanapur for a distance of 60.40 Rkm, Pimpalkhuti–Kosai for a distance of 44.30 Rkm covering parts of Telangana, Karnataka and Maharashtra States, informed senior officials on Monday.
Section between Gadwal–Raichur is the new railway line commissioned in 2013 for a distance of 57.70 km and was sanctioned for electrification in 2018-19 at an estimated cost of ₹46 crore. This line provides shortest and direct rail connectivity between two major sections of Secunderabad–Dhone and Wadi–Guntakal.
Out of 57.70 km, 37 km falls in TS, while 20.70 km falls in Karnataka. Electrification works of the entire section have been completed and commissioned. Stretch between Kohir Deccan–Khanapur for a distance of 60.40 km is part of Vikarabad–Parli section (269 km), which is sanctioned for electrification in 2018-19 at an estimated cost of ₹262 crore.
Stretch between Vikarabad–Kohir Deccan for a distance of 45 km was commissioned in March last year and out of 60.4 km, 26.7 km falls in Karnataka, while 33.7 km is in TS. A continuous stretch of 105 km has been electrified with completion of the 60.4 km between Kohir–Khanapur, they said.
Trains originating and terminating from Bidar to different directions can be run with electric engine, which will help in energy saving while works in the remaining stretches are also in fast progress. Stretch between Pimpalkhuti–Kosai of 44.3 km is part of Mudkhed–Pimpalkhuti (183 km), for which electrification was sanctioned in 2018-19 at an estimated cost of around ₹167 crore. Out of 44.3 km, 40.3 km fall under TS, while 4 km is under Maharashtra State.
General Manager Sanjeev Kishore informed in a press release that electrification of these railway lines will significantly strengthen rail infrastructure thereby providing seamless movement of freight and passenger traffic, besides reducing the enroute detentions. It will help railways reduce fuel expenditure and carbon footprint.
He complimented the officials concerned for completing the works and affirmed the zonal railways commitment to achieve the set target of electrification of about 500 Rkm by the end of the financial year.
