Assam's broad gauge rail network fully electrified, says Northeast Frontier Railway
The Northeast Frontier Railway has completed electrification of Assam's entire broad gauge network of 2,589 route km, with the Lumding-Badarpur hill section the last to be covered.
Assam's broad gauge railway network has been fully electrified, with the completion of work on the Lumding-Badarpur hill section closing out the exercise across the state. The network spans 2,589 route kilometres and falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone.
The hill section was the final piece. In June, the zonal railway energised a 132 KV transmission line linking the Haflong Grid Sub-Station with the New Haflong Traction Sub-Station, a step that helped complete electrification work on the stretch.
Earlier in the year, three major electrification projects were dedicated to the nation from Guwahati: the Rangiya-Murkongselek section (558 km), the Chaparmukh-Dibrugarh section (571 km), and the Badarpur-Silchar and Badarpur-Churaibari sections (315 km).
The development is part of Indian Railways' broader effort to electrify its existing broad gauge network and new routes across the country. India's railway electrification programme dates back to 1925, when the first electric train, running on a 1,500-volt DC system, operated between Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla Harbour in Maharashtra.
With electric traction now available throughout Assam, trains can run across the state without changing traction at intermediate points, which is expected to streamline operations and improve the use of electric locomotives. The zonal railway expects the shift to raise sectional capacity and bring down the operating and maintenance costs associated with electric locomotives.
The fully electrified network is also expected to offer greater operational flexibility, support more reliable services and allow faster movement of trains. For passengers, the wider use of electric traction is expected to translate into more efficient train operations across the zone.
Electrification also reduces reliance on fossil fuels and is expected to make railway operations more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable.