Western Railway Commissions India’s First 2x25 kV Traction Substation under ‘Mission Raftaar’.

National

In August 2025, Western Railway (WR) successfully commissioned India’s first 2x25 kilo Volt (kV) electric traction substation at the Nagda–Khachrod section of the Ratlam Division, Madhya Pradesh, under the ambitious ‘Mission Raftaar’ initiative aimed at increasing train speeds and operational efficiency.


      - The newly commissioned substation is equipped with two Scott-connected 100 Mega-Volt-Ampere (MVA) Power Transformers, designed to efficiently feed electrical load to the Overhead Equipment (OHE) and ensure reliable traction power supply.

      - The project was executed collaboratively by the Divisional Electrical Engineering team of Ratlam, the Construction Department of Western Railway, the Traction Distribution (TRD) team, and M/s BNC Power Projects Limited, showcasing coordinated efforts in technical execution.

     

Main Point :-   (i) The 2x25 kV system is expected to significantly enhance energy efficiency, increase traction power availability, and enable higher train operating speeds, contributing to improved performance of passenger and freight operations.

      (ii) ‘Mission Raftaar’ was introduced in the Railway Budget of 2016–17 by Indian Railways to increase the average speed of freight trains and upgrade railway infrastructure for faster, more efficient transport services nationwide.


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