Railways looking at natural gas as fuel option for locomotives

The Indian Railways plans to increasingly use natural gas in place of diesel as fuel in locomotives, in an effort to substantially reduce carbon emission and make the railway system environment-friendly.

The Railways through the Research, Design and Standard Organization (RDSO), is doing considerable work in developing highly fuel efficient diesel locomotives, railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge in New Delhi today.

Inaugurating 10th edition of the International Rail Exhibition and Conference organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the capital today, Kharge said the Indian Railways has taken a global lead in starting development of the Common Rail Electronic Direct Fuel Injection system for its fleet of diesel locomotives.

For this purpose, an Indian manufacturer has established as joint venture with a reputed foreign firm for design and development of the system under over supervision of Research Design & Standard Organisation (RDSO), a research wing of Indian Railways.

Kharge further said the Indian Railways is looking forward to partner industry with new ideas in terms of technology, management systems and investment models that can be adopted or adapted by the Railways towards its unrelenting objective of growth, expansion and economic empowerment for rail users.

The Railways, he said, proposes to add new routes, augment capacity on existing routes, and invest in terminals, rolling stock and in workshop and maintenance facilities during the 12th Plan.

In absolute terms, he said, the Railways plan to add 4,000 km of new lines besides over 7,500 km of doubling and 5,500 km of gauge conversion and 6,500 km for electrification. Further, the Railways also plan to procure over one lakh wagons, 24,000 coaches and nearly 4,000 locomotives.