PM Modi throws open Bengaluru-Mysuru electric railway line

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the electrification of Bengaluru-Mysuru railway line, which is set to reduce the travel time between the two cities.

With the launch the rail travel between Bengaluru and Mysuru will see a big transformation. While doubling itself came as a boon to passengers, electrification will now pave way for the introduction of electric locomotives in a region long served by diesel engines. The switch will lead to substantial saving in costs for the railways.

Here's all you need to know about electrification project

• The Bengaluru-Mysuru track doubling and electrification project commenced in the year 2007.
• A historic development from the point of view of transport infrastructure linking the two cities, the electrification of tracks between Mysuru and Bengaluru was part of the recently completed track doubling work and was taken up concurrently.
• The main motive behind electrification and track doubling on this 138.3-km stretch connecting the two important cities of state was to reduce the travel time for commuters.
• The journey took 3 hours when one travelled on normal trains. It is expected that the travel time between the two cities may now be cut by around half an hour, though the congestion at both the railway stations may delay the actual time of the journey.
• The Bengaluru-Mysuru Shatabdi Express is now connecting the two cities in just two hours, down from around two-and-a-half hours earlier.
• With nearly 24 trains operating between the two cities, the Railways is expected to save nearly Rs 10 lakh on a daily basis, which comes to over Rs 3 crore a month.
• The diesel locomotive consumes at least 700 litres of diesel, which costs nearly Rs 41,000. On the other hand, the same trip would require roughly 2,600 units of electricity, which would cost Rs 17,000, at Rs 6 per unit.
• The other advantage of switching to an electric locomotive is enhanced speed. While a diesel locomotive needs a few minutes to pick up speed that is not the case with an electric one. Also, an electric motive can be braked instantly in the event of an emergency.

OneIndia News