Indian Railways has achieved 99.6% electrification of its broad gauge network, positioning India as a global leader in railway electrification second only to Switzerland (100%) according to the International Union of Railways June 2025 report. This represents one of the world's largest infrastructure transformation programs completed in a decade, with 48,072 route kilometers electrified during 2014-26 compared to 21,801 kilometers achieved in the approximately 60 years before 2014.
The electrification drive has resulted in significant operational and environmental benefits. Diesel consumption for traction purposes has reduced dramatically from 293 crore liters in 2015-16 to 108 crore liters in 2024-25, representing a reduction of 185 crore liters. This has resulted in substantial foreign exchange savings for the Government of India by reducing fuel imports. Environmentally, rail transport emits approximately 89% less CO₂ than road transport, with railways producing 11.5 gm of CO₂ per tonne-kilometer compared to 101 gm for road transport according to NITI Aayog's June 2021 report.
To support low-carbon operations, Indian Railways has commissioned 1,161 MW of solar plants (both rooftop and land-based) and 103 MW of wind power plants as of June 2026, totaling over 1,260 MW of renewable energy capacity. The organization is committed to progressively meeting its electric traction power requirements through renewable energy sources including solar, wind, and hybrid systems.
The mission faced significant challenges as it involved electrifying railway lines already in operation, requiring the formation of a Project Monitoring Group portal to resolve constraints during commissioning, ensuring effective project monitoring mechanisms, assured funding, and enhanced financial powers to field units.
Zone-wise electrification status shows 16 out of 19 zones have achieved 100% electrification, including Central Railway, East Coast Railway, Eastern Railway, and Western Railway. The remaining zones show high completion rates: North Western Railway (99.8%), Northeast Frontier Railway (98.7%), Southern Railway (98.7%), and South Western Railway (96.1%).
State/UT-wise data indicates that 25 out of 30 states and union territories have achieved 100% electrification, including major states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. The remaining states show high completion rates: Rajasthan (99.8%), Tamil Nadu (98.3%), Assam (97.9%), Karnataka (96.8%), and Goa (91.4%).
This information was provided by Union Minister for Railways Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a reply to a question in Lok Sabha on July 22, 2026.