Indian Railways pacing towards net zero emissions, says Railway Board

According to the Board, it is making efforts to grant net zero status to Railway premises across the country with a focus on meeting Railways' energy needs entirely through renewable sources

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Indian Railways is rapidly progressing towards its goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030, the Railway Board said on Tuesday.

According to the Board, it is making efforts to grant net zero status to Railway premises across the country with a focus on meeting Railways' energy needs entirely through renewable energy sources.

"The Northeast Frontier Railway zone of Indian Railways has achieved a significant milestone by converting its buildings to net zero carbon emission structures.

"The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Ministry of Power, has honoured six different buildings of the zone with the 'Shunya Label' recognition as Net Zero Energy Buildings," the Board said in a statement.

It added, "Over the past decade, from 2014 to 2024, there has been a significant increase in renewable energy production capacity."

As of June 30, 2024, Indian Railways' solar energy production capacity has exceeded 238 MW, and wind energy production capacity has surpassed 103 MW, it said.

The solar energy production, it stated, was only 3.68 MW, and wind energy production was just 10.5 MW before 2014.

"These figures demonstrate that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, significant efforts to increase renewable energy production have been made, with Indian Railways contributing substantially to the expansion of solar and wind energy capacities," the Board said.

According to the Board, the Indian Railways is not only using renewable energy to operate trains, but also powering Railway stations and buildings with solar energy.

"Currently, over 1,950 railway stations across the country are powered by solar energy," it said.

Talking about it's future initiatives, the Board mentioned that it plans to operate trains with green energy.

"With the continuous increase in the budget allocated to Railways by the Central Government, it is clear that the production of renewable energy by Indian Railways will continue to grow rapidlly," it said.

"Increasing solar and wind energy production will not only help Indian Railways achieve its Net Zero Carbon emissions goal but also enable it to make a notable contribution to environmental conservation," the Board added.