Eco-friendly trains in Northeast

Measures initiated by the Northeast Frontier Railway authorities to cut down diesel consumption are highly welcome. Apart from reducing emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases it also cuts down wasteful expenditures in train operation. Burning of fossil fuel results in emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases which trap heat in the atmosphere and thus contribute to global warming and climate change. The NFR has achieved significant reduction in diesel consumption through adoption two technologies – fitting Auxiliary Power Units to a diesel locomotive and modifying the passenger coaches to run with Head on Generation (HOG) technology. Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) can maintain reservoir pressure, battery charging, thermal management in the driver's cabin other small load when the train is not moving, and the engine is in idle condition. The main engine of the train fitted with APU needs to be started when it is actually required for movement. According to NFR, a diesel engine consumes about 25 litres of diesel per hour during when the train is not moving. This is reduced by one-tenth of consumption, i.e. 2.5 litres per hour when APU is in operation. So far 94 of the total 399 diesel locomotives in NFR have been fitted with APU. Fitting of APU in rest of the locomotives will contribute to significant reduction of diesel consumption in NFR. From July 15, the NFR authorities have started running two pair of trains- Delhi-Dibrugarh Brahmaputra Mail Special and New Delhi – Agartala Rajdhani Special- on HOG technology from Delhi up to Jalpaiguri section of the two routes on which the trains now run on electric traction. With this technology the power is tapped from overhead power lines to the train engine which is then distributed to the coaches for train lighting, air conditioning, fans and other equipment that runs on the electrical power supply. The existing Linke Hofmann Busch passenger coaches are designed to run on End-on-Generation system with two power cars employing two diesel generator sets on either end. With HOG technology the generator cars of both the trains are kept in shutdown condition from Delhi to New Jalpaiguri and back. The NFR estimates that power generator cars consume about 100 litres diesel an hour and therefore the diesel fuel saving in these two trains on this account is expected to be around 1132 kilo litres a year. This will result in yearly saving of fuel cost of about Rs. 7.16 crore which is a substantial amount. In NFR out of total 49 LHB rakes, 23 rakes have been made as HOG compliant and the remaining 26 LHB rakes are planned to be converted as HOG compliant during the current year, 2020-21. The NFR authorities say that the diesel generators pollute the air by producing about 1724.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 7.48 tonnes of nitrogen oxides annually apart from producing about 100 decibel of noise and brining all these to zero level is a significant contribution towards having a cleaner environment. For ecologically fragile northeast region under NFR the reduction of fossil fuel emission holds much more importance. The region, a biodiversity hotspot, will be benefited from HOG technology only when 100 per cent electrification of railway lines in the region is done. Of the total 4112 km of Broad-Gauge railway track under NFR, only 319 km has been electrified till March. An amount of Rs 2542 crore was sanctioned in the budget of 2017-18 for electrification of 100 per cent of railway track under NFR including branch lines. Electrification work up to Guwahati is expected to be completed within the current year. Expediting the electrification project will supplement the efforts of NFR to cut down fossil fuel consumption for a greener environment besides increasing the speed of the trains. However, the source of energy for meeting the supply of electricity to railway track will remain a grey area. If mega hydropower projects and thermal projects run on coal mining in eco-sensitive areas in Northeast region are linked to meeting the increased electricity demand of Indian railways for running trains on electrified tracks, then it will negate the benefits of AUP and HOG technology derived from less fossil fuel consumption. Apart from the concern of adverse impact in downstream areas, mega hydropower projects in fragile ecological environment in the Northeast have also triggered apprehension of irreversible damage to environment and forest as these projects require massive felling of trees. Undertaking a more comprehensive and scientific cost-benefit analysis and placing it in the public domain will remove all doubts. Environmental cost of running the diesel locomotives in the region due to delay in electrification of tracks of the existing and new tracks that are coming up will also need to be factored in. The NFR authorities can alleviate the apprehension and doubt by putting things in right perspective.