Mitigating Climate Change: India’s Railway Electrification Programme

The Indian Railways is the fourth-largest railway network in the world, with 1,04,647 kilometres of running track and a route length of 68,426 kilometres, of which 60,451 kilometres of track is electrified. Since the onset of the National Democratic Alliance regime in 2014, the Indian Railways has undergone considerable transformation in both the core and non-core segments of railway operations. The government placed particular emphasis on improving the speeds of freight and passenger trains through dedicated corridors and complete electrification of the railway network by 2047, which would help reduce its dependence on diesel fuel and help the railways save $100 billion annually. India’s commitment to the Paris Agreement (2015) and the COP26 declaration further reinforces the government’s commitment towards a net-zero carbon emission railway system by 2047. The Mission 41K report released in 2017 aims to create energy-efficient and ecologically sustainable railways. The proposed paper uses secondary data sources to examine the ecological impact of India’s Railway electrification programme. These will include working papers, books, reports from the ministry, and case studies of countries such as the United Kingdom, Japan, and China. The study will examine the progress of electrification post-Independence using the Institutional Framework Theory. The study will also investigate the role of institutions and external actors in India’s electrification programme and the challenges associated with India’s railway electrification.