India

Southern Railway Completes Full Electrification of Broad Gauge Network After Nearly a Century

By Anish Mondal

Southern Railway has achieved 100 per cent electrification of its Broad Gauge network, spanning 5,068 route kilometres across the zone. The milestone was reached following the completion of electrification work on the final stretch, the 71-kilometre Pattukkottai-Karaikkudi section. A statutory inspection of this newly electrified section was carried out on September 9.

SN Narain, Chief Public Relations Officer of Southern Railway, said the completion of electrification would enhance the efficiency and flexibility of train operations throughout the zone. With the entire Broad Gauge network now electrified, trains can run on electric traction across Southern Railway without requiring a change in traction at intermediate points. This is expected to streamline operations and improve the utilisation of electric locomotives.

The fully electrified network is anticipated to offer greater operational flexibility, more reliable train services, and faster train movement. The transition to electric traction is also expected to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, supporting more energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable railway operations. For passengers, the expanded use of electric traction is likely to improve overall efficiency of train services while furthering Southern Railway's broader modernisation and sustainability goals.

Southern Railway's journey toward full electrification spans nearly a century. On May 11, 1931, Madras became the second Indian metropolitan city after Bombay to adopt electric traction. Another key milestone occurred in 1968, when 25 kV AC electrification was commissioned on the Madras Beach-Tambaram section.

India's railway electrification history dates back to 1925, when the country's first electric train, running on a 1,500-volt DC system, operated between Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla Harbour in Maharashtra.

In an earlier statement, the Ministry of Railways noted that the completion of electrification projects depends on multiple factors, including forest clearances, relocation of infringing utilities, statutory approvals from various authorities, geological and topographical conditions, law and order situations at project sites, and the number of workable months in a year due to climatic conditions.