GURUGRAM: After much delay, the work on electrification of the railway line between Delhi and Rewari, a distance of around 78km, will begin from next Tuesday. Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh made the announcement on Wednesday. At present, all trains on this route ply on diesel engines.
"The proposal to electrify the entire railway line from Sarai Rohila station in Delhi to Rewari in Haryana, was first proposed in the 2014-15 railway budget. People of this area have been demanding that the line be electrified for a long time. However, the project suffered from unforeseen delays. Finally, in June this year, the tender to electrify this route was granted to a private firm," said Singh.
The...
more... work, which will begin from August 8, is expected to be finished by 2018. Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu is expected to join the August 8 ceremony to mark the beginning of construction work, via video conferencing.
"I've been following up with the Union minister to expedite the tender process, so that electrification can be completed at the earliest," said Singh, who is also the MoS for urban development and housing.
Commuters expressed their happiness at the announcement. "Keeping in mind that about hundred trains use this route every day, imagine the air pollution it leads to, as they all use diesel engines. That this line will finally be electrified is welcome news. I'm also hopeful that with electric engines in place, the efficiency of trains will increase," said Kamal Kishore, a commuter.