Team News Riveting
New Delhi, October 23
The Indian Railways has planned to phase out about 2700 diesel locomotives in next five years.
The move is aimed to reduce emissions and use of fossil fuel in train operation, paving the way for 100 per cent electrification in broad gauge routes.
The state-run transporter has written to the Central Pollution Control Board with a detailed action plan to phase out 2695 diesel locos from the operation in the next five years.
While actual number of diesel locos withdrawn from operation is expected to be much higher, these 2695 locos are the minimum number to be grounded from the mainline, Railway Ministry stated in its recent letter to CPCB and Environment Ministry.
According to the phase-out plan, total 970 diesel locos would be off the tracks in 2020-21, followed by 360 in 2021-22, 365 in 2022-23 and 505 in 2023-24. Remaining would be withdrawn in the later two years.
Presently, about 5000 diesel locos and an equal number of electrical locos are in the railways fleet. The aim is to have about 10,000 electric locos for train operation with gradual switching over to electrical traction and subsequent withdrawal of diesel locos, officials in the ministry of railways said.
Railways is going ahead with a complete electrification programme and expects to achieve the target by December 2022 as only 2500 km long track is left to be electrified.
According to the officials, there would not be a complete withdrawal of diesel locos from the system as it would be required for strategic and emergency services.
The diesel locos are mostly operational now in the North Frontier and North Western zones.
