+
Rail Electrification Now Set for FY26 End
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

Rail Electrification Now Set for FY26 End

Indian Railways' ambitious broad-gauge electrification drive has hit delays, pushing the revised completion target to the end of FY26. Initially aimed for September 2024, the project now faces bottlenecks in last-mile connections—especially in Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Rajasthan and Goa. As of March 2025, 68,701 km, or 98.83 per cent of the 69,512 km network, has been electrified, according to the Ministry of Railways.

Progress has been hampered by geographic and infrastructure constraints, particularly in the northeast. Although Tripura is fully electrified, 382 km remain unfinished in Assam. Other remaining segments include 93 km in Rajasthan, 151 km in Karnataka, 169 km in Tamil Nadu, and 16 km in Goa.

Electrification progress slowed in FY25, with only 2,701 km completed—well below the 6,000 km-plus annual average since FY21. Officials attribute the delay to complexities in the final routes involving tunnels, bridges, and curved tracks that require precision engineering.

Of 30 Indian states and union territories for which data is available, 25 are now fully electrified. Four others are above 90 per cent, and one exceeds 85 per cent completion. The government has allocated Rs 61.59 billion for electrification in FY26, including unspent funds from the previous year.

Electrification is a critical part of Indian Railways' decarbonisation strategy, aiming to cut its Rs 150 billion fuel bill and achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. Since independence, nearly 22,000 km has been electrified, with most of that achieved after FY18. At its peak, Indian Railways was electrifying over 16 km per day—one of the fastest rates globally, outpacing the EU (56 per cent), UK (38 per cent), and the US (1 per cent), with only Switzerland ahead at 99 per cent.

Indian Railways' ambitious broad-gauge electrification drive has hit delays, pushing the revised completion target to the end of FY26. Initially aimed for September 2024, the project now faces bottlenecks in last-mile connections—especially in Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and parts of Rajasthan and Goa. As of March 2025, 68,701 km, or 98.83 per cent of the 69,512 km network, has been electrified, according to the Ministry of Railways.Progress has been hampered by geographic and infrastructure constraints, particularly in the northeast. Although Tripura is fully electrified, 382 km remain unfinished in Assam. Other remaining segments include 93 km in Rajasthan, 151 km in Karnataka, 169 km in Tamil Nadu, and 16 km in Goa.Electrification progress slowed in FY25, with only 2,701 km completed—well below the 6,000 km-plus annual average since FY21. Officials attribute the delay to complexities in the final routes involving tunnels, bridges, and curved tracks that require precision engineering.Of 30 Indian states and union territories for which data is available, 25 are now fully electrified. Four others are above 90 per cent, and one exceeds 85 per cent completion. The government has allocated Rs 61.59 billion for electrification in FY26, including unspent funds from the previous year.Electrification is a critical part of Indian Railways' decarbonisation strategy, aiming to cut its Rs 150 billion fuel bill and achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. Since independence, nearly 22,000 km has been electrified, with most of that achieved after FY18. At its peak, Indian Railways was electrifying over 16 km per day—one of the fastest rates globally, outpacing the EU (56 per cent), UK (38 per cent), and the US (1 per cent), with only Switzerland ahead at 99 per cent.

Next Story
Real Estate

DLF Returns to Mumbai with Premium Andheri Residential Project

Delhi-NCR based real estate major DLF announced its return to the Mumbai market on 17 July with the launch of its premium residential project, The WestPark, in Andheri. The first phase includes 416 apartments spread across four towers, with two towers launched on the announcement day. The company plans to invest over Rs 8 billion in the project and expects a topline exceeding Rs 20 billion from Phase 1.“We have launched two towers and, given the strong response, plan to unveil the remaining two towers ahead of schedule, within the next few days,” said Aakash Ohri, Joint Managing Director o..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

APCRDA Advances Net Zero Goal with IGBC Training for Officials

In a significant stride towards Andhra Pradesh’s Net Zero target by 2040 and the Swarna Andhra 2047 vision, the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA), in partnership with the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), conducted a high-level capacity-building programme for senior officials in Vijayawada on Friday.Held at a city hotel, the session saw the participation of over 50 senior APCRDA officials, including the Engineer-in-Chief, Chief Engineer (H&B), Director (Planning), Director (Environment), and heads of key departments. The training centred on IGBC’s Green B..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Assam Solar Project Halted as Waaree EPC Contract Is Cancelled

Following the Assam government’s withdrawal from its proposed solar project, the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract awarded to Waaree Renewable has been suspended. Waaree Group’s EPC division informed the stock exchange of this development through a regulatory filing.The Assam solar project was suspended due to funding challenges, which rendered the initiative unviable for the state government. Waaree Renewable Transmission Limited (RTL) explained that the Government of Assam has withdrawn the project’s funding via the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan. Consequentl..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?