Vijayawada, Feb 3 (PTI) – The Vijayawada Division of the South Central Railway (SCR) zone celebrated the centenary of Indian Railways' electrification on Monday with a grand walkathon and an insightful photo exhibition.
Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Narendra A Patil inaugurated the walkathon at Vijayawada Railway Station, which saw enthusiastic participation from railway staff, students, and passengers. The event was part of a larger initiative to commemorate 100 years of electric traction in Indian Railways.
Adding to the celebration, a photo exhibition was organized to showcase the electrification journey of Indian Railways, which had only 387 km of electrified track before independence. According to an official release, the first-ever electric train journey in India took place on February 3, 1925, running between Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) and Kurla in Mumbai.
Highlighting the progress made, DRM Narendra A Patil emphasized that Indian Railways is on course to achieve 100% electrification within the next two years. Currently, 96.99% of the broad-gauge network—equivalent to 64,421 route kilometres—has already been electrified.
Dinesh Reddy, Senior Divisional Electrical Engineer (Traction Distribution), noted that 99.6% of the Vijayawada Division is electrified, with the only exception being a minor single-line stretch between Kotipalli and Kakinada. As per the release, the division has successfully electrified 1,009.997 route kilometres and 2,875.74 track kilometres.
The milestone celebration not only paid tribute to the historic achievement but also underscored Indian Railways' commitment to a fully electrified and sustainable future.
