Ahmedabad, September 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday highlighted the sharp decline in Indian Railways’ diesel consumption and the rapid expansion of electrification, citing the changes as evidence of the transformation of the railway network in recent years.
Speaking at a railway programme in Sabarmati, Shah said diesel consumption for railway traction had declined from 293 crore litres in 2015-16 to 108 crore litres in 2024-25. The Railway Ministry has also reported the same figures, attributing the reduction primarily to the expansion of electric traction.
Shah said the eventual target was to bring diesel use for traction down to “zero” as electrification progresses.
He also highlighted the pace of railway electrification, saying the network had moved from limited annual electrification to nearly complete coverage. According to Railway Ministry data, 99.6 per cent of the broad-gauge network had been electrified by 2026, with the remaining network under electrification.
The ministry data cited by Shah puts Switzerland’s railway electrification at 100 per cent, followed by India at 99.6 per cent, China at 82 per cent, Spain at 67 per cent, France at 60 per cent and the UK at 39 per cent.
Shah also referred to increases in the railway safety budget and locomotive production capacity, putting the rise at 67 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively. He highlighted the expansion of bio-toilets and production of Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches as other areas of railway modernisation.
On railway investment in Gujarat, Shah said the state received an average annual allocation of Rs 589 crore during 2009-14, compared with Rs 17,366 crore allocated for 2026-27.
The Home Minister attributed the changes to the government’s focus on electrification, indigenous manufacturing and railway infrastructure, saying the figures reflected a significant expansion in investment and modernisation.
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