Chhattisgarh's Broad Gauge Network Becomes 100 Percent Electrified | 20 Mar 2023

Why in News?

According to the information given by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) of the Government of India on 18 March 2023, in order to achieve the target of Net Zero Carbon Emitter i.e. Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030 Indian Railways has decided to develop 100 percent electrified of the existing network of broad gauge in Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• 1,170 km Electrification of route has resulted in saving of foreign exchange by reducing line haul cost (about 2.5 times less), increasing heavy haulage capacity, increasing sectional capacity, reducing operation and maintenance cost of electric locos, energy efficiency and reducing dependence on imported crude oil and becoming an environment friendly mode of transport.
• Apart from this, in line with the policy of 100 percent electrified network of Railways now a new broad-gauge network will be sanctioned along with electrification.
• It is known that the area of Chhattisgarh state comes under the jurisdiction of Southeast Central and East Coast Railway. Bilaspur, Raipur, Durg and Korba are some of the major railway stations in Chhattisgarh.
• Bilaspur is the largest railway station in Chhattisgarh and is situated on the Mumbai-Howrah main line. It is an important junction and connects major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
• The state of Chhattisgarh carries the highest freight traffic in the country and the Railways receives the highest revenue from here. Rail network plays an important role in the transportation of minerals, agricultural products and other goods from Chhattisgarh to other parts of the country.
• Some of the prestigious trains of Chhattisgarh state are: Durg-Jagdalpur Express, Chhattisgarh Express, Samta Express, Kalinga Utkal Express. These trains provide convenient connectivity to different parts of the state and other major cities of India.