New Delhi: While geopolitical tensions in West Asia once again threaten to disrupt the global fuel supply chain, Indian Railways has achieved a milestone with 99.4 per cent of its large-scale network electrified as of January 2026, according to a note by Riding Sunbeams, a UK-based organization working on railway electrification.
“Electrification of Indian Railways has reduced diesel consumption by 178 lakh liters in 2024-25, achieving a 62 per cent reduction since 2016-17,” the note said, also noting that India depends on the Strait of Hormuz for nearly 40 per cent of its crude oil imports and more than 20 per cent of its LNG supplies.
India is at the forefront of railway electrification across the world and is far ahead of major railway economies including China and the UK in terms of share of network electrification, the note said. “Very few countries have succeeded in setting up fully electrified railways, and the Indian railway network is thirteen times the size of the next railway network in Switzerland,” he added.
Riding a Sunbeam, which has been monitoring the progress made by the Indian Railways in this area over the past four years, noted that at a time when India imports more than 85% of its crude oil needs and remains vulnerable to fluctuations in global supply routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, this achievement significantly enhances national energy resilience.
“Every sustained rise in global crude oil prices increases the country’s annual import bill, putting pressure on inflation, public finances and household costs. By shifting the backbone of its rail mobility from diesel to electricity, India has reduced this exposure while strengthening its climate commitments. India’s electrification has already led to a significant decline in India’s diesel consumption compared to the baseline in the mid-2000s, lowering operating costs and insulating rail operations from fossil fuel price shocks,” the organization said.
Electric traction, where trains derive power from overhead power lines rather than diesel engines, is approximately 70 percent more economical than diesel traction. Riding Sunbeams noted that switching from diesel to electric provides long-term savings to the public purse while maintaining some of the most affordable passenger fares in the world.
With over 26 million passengers traveling daily, Indian Railways remains a vital tool for overall mobility and economic productivity. In March 2023, the railway set a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
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