Taking Charge of the Iron Horse
Electric mobility has grown massively all over the world in the past decade or so, spurred by multiple factors like increase in oil prices, environmental awareness about emissions and depleting fuel reserves, new technological developments in battery storage and drop in prices of associated equipment. In India, small battery-powered e-rickshaws were the first to gain some mainstream popularity, at least in the metros and some of the tier-2 cities. These were followed by electric 2-wheelers, then by cars and buses. Electric 2 wheelers are becoming more popular, and there are special incentives offered on purchase of electric cars. Some cities are conducting pilot studies on use of electric buses in their public transport system. But one mode of transport which has been using electricity for several decades now is the railways. The commercial use of electrified railways grew rapidly from the 1890s to the 1920s. The first ever electric train in India ran in 1925 . Over 300 km of lines i...