Overview
- The Ministry of Railways said the ghat section is ready for electric operations after the December 28 trial, making the corridor fully electrified.
- The 55-km stretch posed rare engineering difficulty with a 1-in-50 gradient, 57 tunnels, 226 bridges, 108 sharp curves and no approach road in a landslide-prone zone.
- Work launched in December 2023 added five switching stations and full overhead equipment, with restricted spacing between traction poles and materials often moved by rail through heavy rain and rockfall.
- Tunnel electrification used 427 main and 427 spare brackets across 57 tunnels, supported by geological studies and pull-out tests with the National Institute of Rock Mechanics and Bangalore University.
- Officials say the upgrade enables faster electric services, including Vande Bharat trains as stated by the ministry, strengthens freight flows to the coast and lifts India’s broad-gauge electrification past 99% with a few stretches slated for 2026.