Entire broad gauge network of 347 km in Uttarakhand gets electrified

The Indian Railways on Monday said it has completed the electrification of Uttarakhand, after the completion of the process in Uttar Pradesh recently.

It also said it was working in a mission mode to become the largest green railway in the world and was moving towards becoming a "net zero carbon emitter" before 2030.

According to a statement from the ministry of railways, the existing broad gauge network of Uttarakhand is 347-km route, which is 100 per cent electrified, resulting in saving on account of reduced line haul cost (about 2.5 times lower), heavier haulage capacity, increased sectional capacity, reduced operating and maintenance cost of electric loco, energy-efficient and eco-friendly mode of transportation with reduced dependence on imported crude oil, saving of foreign exchange.

Uttarakhand state's territory falls in the Northern and North Eastern Railway's jurisdiction. Some of the major railway stations in Uttarakhand are Dehradun, Haridwar, Roorkee, Rishikesh, Kathgodam and Tanakpur.

Some of these stations have religious importance and some are tourist attractive places. Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Hemkund Sahib, Mussoorie, Nainital, Jim Corbett and Haridwar are a few to name.

Kathgodam station is an important station with an annual passenger footfall of about 7 lakh and this terminating station acts as the entry of Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. The first train to this station reached on April 24, 1884, according to the statement.

Some of the prestigious trains of Uttarakhand state are Nanda Devi Express, Haridwar Express, Mussoorie Express, Utkal Express, Kumaon Express, Doon Express and Shatabdi Express. These trains provide convenient connectivity to various parts of the state and other major cities in India, helping greatly to state in tourism business.

( With inputs from ANI )