New Delhi: Indian Railways is set to replace around 500 kg of LPG and 2,500 litres of diesel used daily at 22 railway establishments with piped natural gas (PNG). The move follows a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Northern Railway and Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL).
The agreement aims to reduce fuel costs, improve energy efficiency and encourage the use of cleaner fuel across railway facilities in Delhi-NCR.
According to IGL, the initial PNG consumption under the agreement is estimated at 3,000 Standard Cubic Metres per Day (SCMD). This demand is expected to rise to 8,000-10,000 SCMD in the coming years as the gas supply network and infrastructure expand.
The agreement covers railway establishments across Delhi, Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. It is also part of the government’s National PNG Drive 3.0, which aims to increase the use of natural gas among institutional and commercial consumers.
PNG Supply to Begin at 22 Railway Locations
Under the first phase, PNG will be supplied to 22 designated railway establishments. These include departmental mechanised laundries at Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Old Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal, Hazrat Nizamuddin and New Delhi railway stations.
The gas will primarily be used to operate boilers at these laundries.
Other facilities covered under the agreement include officers’ rest houses, base kitchens, running rooms, subordinate rest houses, guard lobbies and Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) lobbies.
The partnership is also expected to expand as PNG infrastructure develops across IGL’s authorised areas, including Ajmer, Banda, Rewari and Muzaffarnagar.
Railway Officials Highlight Fuel Cost Savings
Pushpesh Raman Tripathi, Divisional Railway Manager of Delhi Division, Northern Railway, said the agreement would help Indian Railways reduce its energy expenses.
He added that the railway administration plans to extend PNG connectivity to railway hospitals and residential colonies in the future.
IGL Chairman Subhankar Sen said the partnership would help replace a substantial quantity of LPG with natural gas. This would also reduce dependence on imported fuel and the associated subsidy burden.
He said the initiative could open the way for a wider shift from LPG to PNG across the Indian Railways network.
IGL Managing Director Kumar Shanker described the agreement as a pioneering model of cooperation between Indian Railways and city gas distribution companies.
The MoU was signed in the presence of senior officials from both organisations, including Mohit Bhatia, Director (Commercial) of IGL.
The initiative is expected to make fuel handling easier, improve the reliability of energy supplies and support the use of cleaner energy across railway establishments.