Union Minister RK Singh on Friday announced that at least 50 more Vande Bharat trains will be flagged off during the current financial year and the entire Broad Gauge railway network will be electrified by 2023-24.
Singh said that till date, more than 90% of the Broad Gauge network has been electrified. “Hundred percent electrification of Broad Gauge will be achieved in the current financial year,” he said, while addressing the media at the National Media Centre.
Singh, who is the Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, was addressing the media on transformative and future-ready developments in the infrastructure sector covering various ministries, including roads and highways, railways, civil aviation, shipping, ports and waterways and telecom sectors.
Speaking on Railways, the Minister said that in 2022-23, the highest-ever electrification of 6,565 route km was achieved — 10 times of what it was in 2013-14.
The Indian Railways electrified 58,812 Route Kilometers (RKM) till March 31, 2023, which is about 90% of the total broad-gauge network (65,300 RKM) of Indian Railways.
50 MORE VANDE BHARATS BY 2023-24
The Minister also said that the indigenously developed semi-high speed, Vande Bharat trains, were introduced first in February 2019.
“So far, 25 train sets have started covering all states with electrified tracks across India. 150 services are targeted to be rolled out in the current year. More than 800 trains are planned by 2030,” Singh added.
One Vande Bharat train is offering two services — up and down. Currently 25 trains are running offering 50 services.
Adding to what Singh said, Anil Kumar Khandelwal, Principal Executive Director/ Gatishakti at the Ministry of Railways, said that the 150 services include the 50 operational ones. “We need 50 more trains to offer 100 additional services,” he said.
TRAIN CONNECTIVITY TO KASHMIR, MIZORAM
Singh also said that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (UPBRL) project will be completed in the current financial year. This 272-km route will connect Kashmir with the rest of the country through trains.
Further, speaking on the connectivity, Singh said that all North-Eastern states are connected with Broad Gauge network, except Sikkim, where work is in progress.
“Three state capitals (Assam, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh) are already connected and Mizoram will also be connected in the current year. The works for connectivity of remaining capitals (except Meghalaya) are also under progress,” Singh added.
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