Piyush Goyal: Rly to fully run on electricity by 2023

Mumbai: Union railway minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said that the Railways had identified five high-speed corridors, including the Agra-Varanasi line, which would complete the journey within 3.30 hours. Speaking at the India Summit 2018 by The Economist in a hotel in SoBo, the minister claimed that by 2023, Indian Railways would be fully running on electricity and would thus eliminate carbon emissions.

Mr Goyal said that Prime Minister Narendar Modi is committed to developing the infrastructure of the country as he has clearly recognized that it is a prerequisite for long-term development and growth of the country. No country can be developed without strong infrastructure. Connectivity through roads, highways, railways and digital world is essential for engaging more easily. India’s position can be maintained and strengthened only through the backing of infrastructure, he said.

Mr Goyal said that one of the most important reforms of the current government was the elimination of the railway budget.

“It was a completely politicised exercise. Trains were announced for a political constituency. Every year, a number of projects were announced but those projects have not been seen the light of day for 30-40 years.”

The minister also said that his ministry has studied five different routes like the Delhi-Chandigarh, Mumbai-Bangalore and Agra-Varanasi. “I am hoping to establish a semi-high speed connectivity between Agra and Varanasi, which is a distance of 700 kilometers, within 3.30 hours.”    

He added, “An exciting project that I'm working on is the mission to electrify 100 per cent of Indian Railways by 2023. Nearly 40 per cent has already been electrified supporting 65 to 70 per cent of the traffic. In the next 10 years, I hope to make the Indian Railways emission-free, with absolutely zero contribution to environment pollution.”