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RITES Ltd., a consultancy arm of Indian Railways, won contracts to repurpose six diesel-electric locomotives for export to African railways, marking a significant development in international collaboration.
These locomotives will be converted from India's broad gauge (1,676 mm) to the Cape Gauge (1,067 mm) used in some African countries, requiring extensive re-engineering.
This export involves second-hand locomotives, a first for Indian Railways, as previous exports involved new or slightly used locomotives.
Redundancy of Diesel Locomotives
As part of the Indian Railways' electrification efforts, over 760 diesel locomotives are stored and have become redundant, many still in good working condition.
More than 60% of these stored locomotives have a residual life of over 15 years, highlighting a significant waste of resources.
The redundancy is largely due to the government's aggressive policy of electrifying the broad gauge network at a fast pace, leaving thousands of diesel locomotives unused.
Questionable Justifications for Electrification
While the electrification drive aims to reduce diesel consumption, Indian Railways' diesel use constitutes only 2-3% of the country's total diesel consumption, making any savings negligible in the broader national context.
The environmental justification is flawed, as India’s electricity is still largely generated from coal (around 50%)
Meaning the shift from diesel to electric locomotives may only move the pollution source from the tracks to the power plants.
The claim of turning Indian Railways into a "green railway" by switching to electric traction is unrealistic
Flaws in the Electrification Plan
The rapid electrification plan leads to the waste of numerous serviceable diesel locomotives, which are still in good condition and could continue to be used efficiently.
About 2,500 diesel locomotives are being retained for "disaster management and strategic purposes," raising doubts about the actual need for these locomotives to be set aside.
Additionally, around 1,000 diesel locomotives will remain in service for several more years, indicating that the full electrification goal may not be achieved in the near future, causing financial inefficiencies.
The electrification mission, while aimed at reducing carbon emissions, instead results in unnecessary expenditure, as the process is driven by political slogans rather than well-thought-out policies
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