India’s Broad Gauge railway network has reached 99.6% electrification, placing it second globally only to Switzerland’s fully electrified system and ahead of China (82%), Spain (67%), Japan (64%), France (60%) and the United Kingdom (39%), according to data presented by Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The government said the milestone was achieved after 48,072 route km were electrified between 2014 and 2026, more than double the 21,801 route km electrified in the roughly six decades before that.
Indian Railways electrification in 5 numbers
- 99.6% of India’s Broad Gauge network now electrified, second globally after Switzerland’s 100%
- 48,072 route km electrified between 2014 and 2026, versus 21,801 route km in the ~60 years before
- 185 crore litre drop in diesel consumption for traction, from 293 crore litres (2015-16) to 108 crore litres (2024-25)
- 89% lower CO₂ emissions from rail versus road transport per tonne-km (11.5 gm vs 101 gm)
- 1,264 MW combined solar (1,161 MW) and wind (103 MW) capacity commissioned to power low-carbon operations
Diesel use for traction falls sharply
Diesel consumption for railway traction dropped to about 108 crore litres in 2024-25, down from 293 crore litres in 2015-16, which is a reduction of 185 crore litres.
The government said this has helped save foreign exchange that would otherwise have gone toward fuel imports, while also cutting carbon emissions. Rail transport emits about 89% less CO₂ than road transport per tonne-km (11.5 gm versus 101 gm), citing a NITI Aayog report on freight transport.
Solar and wind capacity scales up
Indian Railways has commissioned about 1,161 MW of solar capacity (rooftop and land-based) and 103 MW of wind power as of June 2026 to support low-carbon traction operations.
The ministry said electrified networks are better suited to integrating renewable power, and that Railways aims to progressively increase the renewable share of its traction energy mix through solar, wind and hybrid storage systems.
Zone and state-wise status
Fifteen of Railways’ 19 zones are now 100% electrified, including Central, Eastern, Northern, Western and both Coast Railways.
South Western Railway is the least electrified zone at 96.1%, followed by Southern and Northeast Frontier Railway at 98.7% each. Among states, 26 are fully electrified; Goa is the least electrified at 91.4%, followed by Karnataka (96.8%) and Assam (97.9%).
The ministry attributed the pace of progress to steps including a Project Monitoring Group portal to resolve execution bottlenecks, assured funding, and enhanced financial powers for field units, noting that electrifying already-operational lines poses distinct engineering challenges.
