Indian Railways Becomes World’s Second-Most Electrified Rail Network: Complete List of Countries

Last Updated: Jul 23, 2026, 13:52 IST

Indian Railways emerges as second largest global leader in electrification with 99.6% broad gauge network electrified, after Switzerland. Read more about the electrification of the Indian Railways and top countries. 

Indian Railways Becomes World’s Second-Most Electrified Rail Network: Complete List of Countries
Indian Railways Becomes World’s Second-Most Electrified Rail Network: Complete List of Countries

Indian Railway become one of the fastest growing railway electrification programs in the world. According to the International Union of Railways (UIC) report, India emerges as a global leader in Railway electrification with 99.6% Broad Gauge Network, second only to Switzerland.

Indian Railways promoted rapid electrification to promote cleaner mobility and low carbon emissions.  

The diesel consumption for railway traction falls from 293 crore litres in 2025-16 to 108 crore litres in 2024-2025. It promoted solar and wind power consumption over the decade to support low carbon operations on Indian Railways. 

According to the UIC report, Indian Railways’ achievement in railway electrification stands out globally and has made the country one of the most extensively electrified large railway systems in the world with 99.6% of its broad-gauge network

List of Countries with Highest Electrification

Electrification of the worlds transportation system is not only feasible to the energy efficient, However, the goal is to reduce gases like CO2, SO2, Co and emissions of other Green House gases in transporations. 

S. No 

Country

Railway Electrification

1

Switzerland 

100%

2

India

99.6%

3

China

82%

4

Spain

67%

5

Japan

64%

6

France

60%

7

United Kingdom

39%

Indian Railway Zones with an Electrification Network

Indian Railways is committed to sustainable operations through 100%  total Railway Electrification with the use of renewable energy sources. It is based on strategic power procurement planning to reduce the carbon footprint. 

S. No

Zone 

Percentage (%) Electrified

1

Central railway

100%

2

East Coast Railway

100%

3

East Central Railway

100%

4

Eastern Railway

100%

5

Konkan Railway

100%

6

Kolkata Metro

100%

7

North Central Railway

100%

8

North Eastern Railway

100%

9

Northen Railway

100%

10

South Central Railway

100%

11

South Coast Railway

100%

12

South East Central Railway

100%

13

South Eastern Railway

100%

14

West Central Railway

100%

15

Western Railway

100%

16

North Western Railway

99.8% 

17

Northeast Frontier Railway

98.7% 

18

Southern Railway

98.7% 

19

South Western Railway

96.1% 

The electrification is through renewable energy sources including solar, wind and hybrid systems (solar, wind and energy storage). As of June, 2026, about 1161 Mega Watt (MW) of solar plants both on Rooftops and on land and about 103 MW of Wind power plants have been commissioned. 

Manisha Waldia
Manisha Waldia

Executive - Editorial

Manisha Waldia is a distinguished content strategist with 5 years of experience crafting premium educational content for UPSC and State PCS, with a focus on deep conceptual analysis across Polity, Geography, History, and Environment. She currently brings this expertise to Jagran Josh, where she covers major national and international events, current affairs, and static general knowledge. Over her career, Manisha's specialized insights have led her to curate high-impact materials and serve as a UPSC Mains answer-evaluator for India’s top institutes—including Drishti IAS, Shubhra Ranjan IAS, Study IQ, GS Score, and PWonlyIAS. She has also worked alongside leading NGOs like Oxfam India and Avani Kumaon.

Contact: manisha.waldia@jagrannewmedia.com

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First Published: Jul 23, 2026, 13:52 IST

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