#RAILWAY #ELECTRIFICATION
HISTORY & PRESENT STATUS
Electric traction was first introduced on 3rd February’ 1925 on the then Great
Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR) between Bombay VT to Kurla Harbour (16 Route
kilometers)...
more... on 1500 V DC system. It was further extended up to Igatpuri & Pune. On
BB & CI Railway (now Western Railway), the first electric train on 1500 V DC was
introduced in 1928 between Colaba & Andheri. Same success story was replicated
again between Madras Beach & Tambaram section on 15.11.1931. During preindependence period, electrification remained confined to 388 Route kilometers and
it is only in the post independence period that further electrification was taken up.
Electrification of Howrah-Burdwan section was taken up on 3000 V DC during the
first five year plan & the same was completed in 1958. Changing times and a series
of events led Indian Railways to switch over to 25 kV AC electrification; the first
section being Raj Kharswan- Dongaposi of South Eastern Railway in the year 1960.
Howrah-Burdwan of Eastern Railway & Madras Beach-Tambaram section of
Southern Railway were subsequently converted to 25 kV AC by the year 1968.
Similarly challenging task of conversion from DC to AC has been successfully
completed on 05.02.2012 on the entire Western Railway portion.
Since then there has been no looking back and Indian Railways have slowly
but steadily electrified its routes. By March 2012, electrification on Indian Railways
has been extended to 22224 RKMs which includes 25 RKMs of Kolkatta Metro. This
constitutes 34.48% of the total Railway Network and 40.27% of the BG system
respectively.
