Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Indian Railways would soon achieve 100% electrification of its network, a level he said only Sweden has achieved on a much smaller railway system, as he flagged off the country’s first LNG-powered train at Sabarmati Railway Station in Ahmedabad and inaugurated railway development works.
“The people of the country should tell Congress leaders who make baseless statements to discuss issues with facts and figures. What did you do during your tenure? Shah began the day at Shela in Ahmedabad, where he attended a programme marking the 92nd birth anniversary of Jain Acharya Padmasagar Surishwarji Maharaj and sought his blessings.
Speaking at an event where he inaugurated projects worth ₹ 1,472 crore, Shah said railway electrification stood at only 30% before Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office, while the remaining 70% was completed during his tenure. He said that under the Modi government, the railway safety budget has increased by 67%, while locomotive production capacity has increased by 66%. “Electrification covered just 75 kilometres in an entire year in 2010-11, whereas 7,188 kilometres were electrified in a single year in 2023-24. Today, 99.6% of the railway network is electrified and we will soon complete the remaining 0.4% as well,” he said. Apart from scams, scandals and corruption amounting to ₹ 12 lakh crore over 10 years, they did nothing. But no one has been able to accuse PM Modi of corruption of even four annas in 12 years,” Shah said. He said that in 2015-16, the railways consumed 293 crore litres of diesel, but this had declined to 108 crore litres in 2024-25.
He said Prime Minister Modi launched the concepts of ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, and as a result, the country has now made significant progress towards manufacturing equipment such as locomotives domestically.
Shah said India had moved ahead of several countries in railway electrification. Hitting out at the Congress, he said the party “speaks nonsense” and that the public should demand a debate on figures. In a social media post, he described the acharya’s life as “an unparalleled example of sadhana, restraint and public service” and said his sermons inspire people towards non-violence, compassion and good conduct.
