National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has prepared a draft policy for Indian Railways to set up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at railway stations across India, in a bid to promote the use of EVs.

The draft policy was shared with the Ministry of Railways. It also suggests supplying renewable energy to the charging stations in line with the Indian Railways' goal of net-zero emissions by 2030.

CEO of Niti Aayog, Amitabh Kant, said that the draft policy is under discussion with the Ministry of Railways. The draft policy had recommended that the railways could set up EV charging stations at all the stations in a phased manner till 2030. The charging facility can be immediately provided at 123 redeveloped railway stations.

Director-General of the Railway Ministry, Rajeev Jain, said that the railway stations are landmark locations and play a crucial role in the transportation sector. The railway stations will be strategic locations for providing EV charging facilities to the public.

Under the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EV (FAME-II) scheme, the centre promotes the adoption of EVs. The scheme supports around 7,000 electric buses, 500,000 electric three-wheelers, 55,000 electric four-wheeler passenger cars and one million electric two-wheelers through subsidy.

For this, access to EV charging stations is crucial. The centre has taken up initiatives to promote EV charging stations. The railway stations can provide a secure and accessible charging facility to the public, the official said.

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