India, US sign MoU to establish collaboration in greener railways

Indian Railways signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States Agency for International Development/India on June 14 to establish collaboration in bringing greener railway technologies in India. 

Broad tenets of the agreement include long-term energy planning including clean energy for Indian Railways, developing an energy efficiency policy and action plan for railway buildings, planning for procurement of clean energy, technical support for addressing regulatory barriers, and bid design and management support for large scale renewable procurement, a statement by the ministry of railways said.

The ministry aims to make railways the first mode of national transport to achieve net-zero carbon emissions as it looks to achieve this by 2030. The two countries will also collaboratively host events, conferences, and capacity-building programs in the identified areas including field visits and study tours.

Shifting away from diesel consumption, the ministry has made significant strides in electrification of the railway network. However, the proliferation of renewable energy like solar still lags in some rail operations. In the Union budget for 2023-24, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced plans to establish ultra-mega solar power plants for the national transporter.