Southern Railway chugs towards achieving net zero carbon emission

CHENNAI: The Southern Railway has announced an achievement in its green transportation journey, having electrified over 97% of its entire Broad Gauge network, thus chugging towards net zero carbon emission.

As of December 15, around 4,995 route km (RKM) out of 5,116 RKM are now powered by electricity, marking a 97.63% electrification level.

The year 2030 is the target for Mission ‘Net Zero Carbon Emission by 2030’ in which 100% Electrification is an important part.

This significant progress places the zone on the brink of becoming almost fully electrified, a key pillar in Indian Railways’ national strategy for sustainable and energy-efficient transport. Electrification drastically cuts carbon emissions, reduces dependence on imported fossil fuels, and enhances operational efficiency, a press release said.

In recent years, a concerted drive has seen major routes across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Puducherry transition to electric traction.

A small portion of the network, just 53 RKM, remains excluded from electrification plans due to technical infeasibility. This includes the iconic, UNESCO-listed Mettupalayam-Udagamandalam (Ooty) mountain railway, a heritage hill section, and a short stretch near the Naval Air Base between Ernakulam and Kochi Harbour Terminus. Excluding these sections, the electrifiable network stands at 5,075 RKM. Of this, only 132 RKM are currently non-electrified.

Four of the six divisions under Southern Railway have already achieved 100% electrification: Chennai, Madurai, Palakkad, and Thiruvananthapuram. The Salem division follows closely at 98%, while the Tiruchchirappalli division has electrified 88% of its network.

“Reaching this milestone underscores our unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship and operational excellence,” said a senior Southern Railway official.