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Railways approves electric traction upgrade on key routes in Telangana and Karnataka

Indian Railways has sanctioned the upgradation of electric traction systems on two major rail routes in Telangana and Karnataka.

The project will enable the sections to handle higher traffic volumes and support heavier freight trains, among others. (Image generated using AI)The project will enable the sections to handle higher traffic volumes and support heavier freight trains, among others. (Image generated using AI)
Written by: Anish Mondal
3 min readJun 8, 2026 07:33 PM IST First published on: Jun 8, 2026 at 07:33 PM IST

Indian Railways Electric Traction System Upgrade: Indian Railways on Monday sanctioned the upgradation of the electric traction system on two key rail routes in Telangana and Karnataka. The project is part of the national transporter’s efforts to enhance network capacity and build a future-ready railway system.

The upgrade is expected to benefit both passengers and industries by improving rail infrastructure, operational efficiency and the ability to handle higher traffic volumes, it said.

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Upgradation of Electric Traction System in Telangana

In Telangana, the electric traction system will be upgraded on the Mahbubnagar-Secunderabad-Medchal section of the South Central Railway. It is part of one of the country’s important High-Density Network (HDN) routes and falls on the Dharmavaram-Dhone-Mahbubnagar-Secunderabad-Medchal-Mudkhed-Indore-Ajmer rail corridor.

According to Railways, the existing 1×25 kV electric traction system will be upgraded to a modern 2×25 kV electric traction system. “The work will be undertaken over this approximately 141 route kilometre rail section at a cost of Rs 285.01 crore.

The introduction of the 2×25 kV system will provide a more stable and efficient power supply for train operations, making rail services smoother, safer and more reliable.” it said.

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Upgradation of Electric Traction System in Karnataka

In Karnataka, the electric traction system will be upgraded on the Bengaluru-Tumkur section. The stretch is one of busiest railway corridors in the South Western Railway. The section forms part of the strategically important Highly Utilized Network (HUN) Route-10, which connects major economic and industrial centres along the Pune-Hubballi-Chikjajur-Birur-Tumkur-Bengaluru-Salem-Kanniyakumari corridor.

According to Railways, the upgradation project involves the conversion of the existing 1×25 kV electric traction system to a 2×25 kV electric traction system over a stretch of 120 Track Kilometres (TKM) at a cost of Rs 162.57 crore.

“The upgraded system is expected to support the operation of heavier freight trains and longer passenger services while improving overall reliability of electric traction infrastructure.

The project will contribute to decongesting a key rail route serving the Bengaluru metropolitan region and adjoining districts, while also supporting smoother movement of passenger and freight traffic across Karnataka and southern India,” the Ministry of Railways said.

Anish Mondal is a journalist with over nine years of experience covering the railways and roadways. ... Read More

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