The train will be run by the Pipavav Railway Corporation (PRCL) – a 50:50 joint venture company of Indian Railways and the Gujarat Pipavav Port (GPPL), set up to construct, maintain and operate a 271 km-long broad-gauge railway line connecting Port Pipavav to the Surendranagar Junction of Western Railway, in the state of Gujarat.
According to Western Railway, the electric train will help reduce fuel costs, provide an energy efficient mode of transportation, and in the future, help in increasing the average speed of freight trains. The new connectivity with Pipavav Port is the beginning of a new era for Western Railway, as well as Indian Railways, toward smooth, easy, and quick transportation from ports in India.
The news also comes at a time when Indian Railways is focusing on 100% electrification of the rail network in India. The country hosts the fourth latest rail network in the world, with 68,000km. In the past the network was largely fueled by coal and diesel, but in recent years a significant proportion has been switched to electric.
According to Indian Railways, the share of electrified track has surged in past 3-4 years, rising from 24% in 2000 to 40% in 2017 and to more than 65% by the end of 2020. Indian Railways has embarked upon an ambitious plan of electrification of its complete broad-gauge network by 2023-24.