Railways plans to set up EV charging points at major stations in 3 years

Over the next three years, the Indian Railways will install EV charging points at all major stations across the country under a new policy

Over the next three years, the Indian Railways will install electric vehicle (EV) charging points at all major stations across the country under a new policy of promoting e-mobility, reported The Economic Times (ET) on Tuesday.

In the first phase of installation of charging points for electric vehicles, railway stations in megacities with a population of over four million each will be taken up, the ET report stated.

According to a document, the Indian Railways envisages the installation of EV charging stations in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, and Surat by December 2024, the report stated.

The move is aimed at curtailing the use of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles by 2025 for the Indian Railways' internal use, as it aims to become a net zero carbon emitter by 2030.

According to the ET report, the railways has proposed a two-pronged strategy, one to focus on EV adoption, and another on proliferation of affordable and accessible charging infrastructure at railway stations.

In the second phase of the plan, which will culminate in December 2025, all big cities with a population of more than a million and other remaining megacities will be taken up.

The Indian Railways will install the EV charging stations on the remaining stations by December 2026, based on feasibility studies by the zonal railways on a case-by-case basis, the ET reported.

According to the report, the EV charging points will either be set up through a budgetary grant with the zonal railway owning the stations, or, under the developer mode. Under the developer mode, EV charging points will be installed by the investments of charge point operators, with a licence rent payment to the railways.