Indian Railways (IR) is emerging as one of the world’s leading railway networks, driven by its initiatives and commitment to a greener future. It has taken several steps towards sustainability, such as optimising energy usage and reducing carbon emissions.
Energy efficiency
The pace of electrification over the past four years has been remarkable. About 95 per cent of the Indian broad gauge (BG) network is already electrified and efforts are underway to complete the remaining electrification by 2024. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Meghalaya, Telangana and Puducherry have successfully completed 100 per cent electrification of all their BG railway lines. Besides, funds worth Rs 65 billion have been allocated for electrification under the Interim Budget 2024-25.
The other key energy efficiency measures include increasing the number of electrical multiple unit (EMU) and mainline EMU trains with regenerative features, adopting an insulated-gate bipolar transistor-basedthree-phase propulsion system, deploying light emitting diode lights and five-star rated appliances across the entire railway ecosystem (which includes buildings and coaches), utilising head-on generation technology to reduce diesel consumption and shifting to manufacturing of three-phase electric locomotives.
Several other significant interventions that have contributed to the reduction of carbon emissions in the sector include procuring power from renewable energy sources and shifting from diesel to electric traction. As of December 2023, IR has deployed 216.36 MW of solar power capacity. During 2023, around 71.37 MW was installed, comprising 21.37 MW of rooftop based solar power plants and 50 MW of land-based solar power plants. Meanwhile, the total installed wind power capacity has reached 103.4 MW as of December 2023, with 92.9 MW installed between 2014 and 2023.
For non-traction applications, an extensive policy has been formulated, covering sustainable buildings, cloud-based data monitoring and a management portal. The policy has also made provisions for the procurement of five-star rated equipment certified by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.
Reducing freight costs
The dedicated freight corridor (DFC) project is likely to improve efficiency in freight operations by increasing throughput per wagon, lowering energy consumption and reducing transit time. Construction work on the Eastern DFC, connecting from Ludhiana to Sonnagar and covering 1,337 km, is complete. Meanwhile, the Western DFC, extending from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal to Dadri and covering 1,506 km, is currently under construction with 1,220 km completed so far. Together, they are expected to reduce about 457 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over a 30-year period.
Further, under Union Budget 2024-25, the government will implement three major kinds of economic corridors – energy, mineral and cement corridors, port connectivity corridors, and high traffic density corridors. The energy, mineral and cement corridors aim to reduce the pollution on roads while lowering logistics costs. Meanwhile, the port connectivity corridors will facilitate seamless connectivity to ports through railways in a multimodal “Gati Shakti” way. The “Amrit Chaturbhuj” will be similar to the golden quadrilateral on the railway network, focusing on high density traffic routes.
Key collaborations
IR aims to become a net zero carbon emitter by 2030. To this end, it has been undertaking several collaborations. It recently signed an MoU with the Confederation of Indian Industry for the promotion of sustainable initiatives by lowering water and energy consumption. The MoU will focus on energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities and railway workshops, green railway stations, implementation of newer technologies, etc. The Union Cabinet has also approved the signing of an MoU between IR and the United States Agency for International Development India, with key focus areas being long-term energy planning, formulation of an energy efficiency policy and an action plan for IR buildings, clean energy procurement, large-scale renewable procurement, support for IR in the promotion of e-mobility, etc.
In sum
In order to promote cleaner operations, hydrogen powered trains are planned to be manufactured on a pilot basis. These are based on hydrogen fuel cell technology as an alternative to diesel engines. Manufactured by Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, the first of these trains is likely to run on the Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railways. The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, which entails the redevelopment of over 1,300 railway stations, also promotes a gradual shift towards sustainable measures and more environmentally friendly solutions to transform railway stations into green zones. These initiatives, coupled with IR’s sustainability measures, will contribute to achieving its net zero carbon emission target by 2030, paving the way for a greener future.