Vijayawada, Feb 3 (PTI) The Vijayawada Division of the South Central Railway zone commemorated the centenary of Indian Railways' electrification on Monday by organising a walkathon and a photo exhibition.
Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Narendra A Patil flagged off the walkathon, which saw participation from railway staff, passengers, and students.
Furthermore, the division has also organised a photo exhibition showcasing the electrification journey of Indian Railways, which had only 387 km of electrified track before independence.
The first electric-powered train journey in India took place under the British Raj on February 3, 1925, between Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) and Kurla in Mumbai, Maharashtra, according to an official press release from the division.
"Marking the historic milestone of 100 years of electric traction in Indian Railways, the Vijayawada Division of SCR organised a grand walkathon today at Vijayawada Railway Station," stated the release.
"Indian Railways is on track to achieve 100 per cent electrification in the next two years, with 96.99 per cent of its broad-gauge network—equalling 64,421 route kilometres—already electrified," Patil said, in the press release.
Likewise, Dinesh Reddy, senior divisional electrical engineer (Traction Distribution), highlighted that 99.6 per cent of the Vijayawada Division has been electrified, except for a minor single-line stretch between Kotipalli and Kakinada.
"Currently, the Vijayawada Division has achieved electrification of 1,009.997 route kilometres and 2,875.74 track kilometres," the release added. PTI STH SSK ADB