Switching to electric power has saved Railways ₹6,000 crore: Vaishnaw in Lok Sabha
The Hindu
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reports ₹6,000 crore savings from electric power switch and highlights Railways' cargo success.
The Railways has saved ₹6,000 crore by shifting from diesel to electric energy to run trains, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday (March 17, 2026).
Responding to a debate on demands for grants of the Railway Ministry, he also said that the national transporter has become the second largest cargo carrier in the world.
Mr. Vaishnaw said that during the tenure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, 35,000 km of railway track has been laid while 27,000 km has been electrified.
He said while staff cost is the biggest expenditure of the Railways, energy is the second biggest expenditure.
He noted that in coming times diesel locomotives will fade away making way for electric locomotives.
Mr. Vaishnaw said since the Modi government came to power in 2014, politics of performance has taken over from politics of vote.
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