Page 137 - Technology Roadmap Transportation

TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP: TRANSPORTATION

2.0
INDIA vs. GLOBAL TRENDS

– PRESENT AND FUTURE

SCENARIO

There are various parameters which can be and these are – China, Russia, United States[5],
measured while comparing the Indian railways and India. Various key global technology areas and
with other countries. However, the standard trends are examined in this section, and compared
indicator is the length in km, which includes urban/ with the current state of technology in India.
suburban mass transport system.
Rail transport is used widely in many countries.
According to the International Union of Railways In Europe and Japan, electricity is a major energy
(UIC), Indian railways to be counted as one of source for rail, while diesel is a major source in
the best in the world, but still lags behind the North America. Coal is also still used in some
developed countries (United States of America developing countries. In India, it is dominated by
(USA), Germany, France and Japan) in terms of diesel as major energy source for locomotives;
route-km per square km or route km per million however, just around 33% of IR route km has
populations served. United States has over been electrified so far, on which, around 66.5% of
3,00,000 route km owned by nearly 215 agencies freight and 51% passenger traffic is hauled, the fuel
including all types of lines, all 1435 mm standard cost on electric traction remaining just 31% of the
gauge. China has nearly 1,44,000 route km total fuel cost[6] .
comprising 3 gauges of 1435 mm (predominant),
1520 mm (Russian gauge) and 1000 mm (metre The technology prowess of any railway system is
gauge) whereas, Russia has 128,000 route km often gauged by their high-speed operation. Japan
comprising 2 gauges of 1520 mm (predominant) was one of the pioneers of high speed technology
th
and 1067 mm (cape gauge). India is at the 4 with its (Shinkansen) bullet train, initially running at
position with 66030 km of route length of a commercial speed of about 230 km/h. This was
predominantly broad gauge (1676 mm)[4]. subsequently raised to 300 km/h and 320 km/h,
and recently its maglev bullet train
3,00,000 km has reached a speed of 603 km/h.
US 1435 mm Standard gauge French National Railways (SNCF)
high-speed train TGV (Train of
Grande Vitesse) recorded a test speed
1520 mm Russian gauge of 574.80 km/h, on April 3, 2007.
1,44,000 km
China started developments on high
China 1435 mm Standard gauge speed operation rather late but soon
(Predominant)
overtook all the players by operating
1000 mm Metre gauge the world’s fastest trains at 380 km/h.
France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea
and China are the countries in the
Cape gauge
Russia 1,28,000 km 1067 mm Russian gauge elite high speed club. High speed is a
1520 mm
relative term, and today in the global
(Predominant)
300 km/h can be considered as a
66,030 km context, commercial speeds of above
India 1676 mm Broad gauge high-speed operation, though in Indian
context, speeds above 200 km/h can
be treated as high speed. Fig 2.1 gives
a country-wise comparison of the
In terms of originating freight per year, there are operation speeds (maximum speed in revenue
only four countries in the world that carry more service)[7].
than 1 billion tonnes of originating freight per year

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