With the completion of the electrification of the 139-km line connecting Bengaluru and Mysuru in Karnataka, rail travel between the two cities will improve. Electrification will pave the way for the introduction of electric locomotives in a region long served by diesel engines.
The switch will lead to substantial cost savings for the railways, since operating a diesel loco costs Rs 40,000 (EUR 514) per trip while an electric loco would cut the cost by more than half. “We will not only save money by moving to electric trains. We will also be using a clean energy source which will help protect our environment,” said E Vijaya, chief public relation officer at South Western Railway (SWR). Besides the significant reduction in carbon emissions, the electric trains run at a higher speed and maintenance is easy.
The SWR would initially operate the Shatabdi Express (which shuttles between Chennai and Mysuru) using electric locomotives. “We have plans to introduce electric trains in place of three mail and 2-3 passenger trains by March 2018,” E Vijaya added.
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