Ahmedabad: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for railway projects worth ₹1,472 crore in Ahmedabad and flagged off what the government described as India’s first LNG-powered train from Sabarmati Railway Station.
Shah also inaugurated a ₹700-crore WAG-12 locomotive maintenance shed and launched the Kavach train protection system on the Sabarmati–Kalol–Sabarmati section. Work on extending Kavach to the Ahmedabad–Palanpur and Ahmedabad–Samakhiali sections has also commenced, along with doubling of the Sabarmati–Sarkhej railway line.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said the LNG-powered train would contribute to efforts aimed at reducing the environmental impact of railway operations. He also highlighted the development of Dedicated Freight Corridors, Rapid Rail systems and upgraded railway stations since 2014.
The minister said the WAG-12 locomotive, with a combined 12,000-horsepower capacity, can haul freight equivalent to nearly 600 trucks, reducing the need for multiple locomotives for heavy freight movement.
Shah also referred to the successful trial of a long-haul double-stack container train between the Mumbai region and Vadodara, saying the technology could substantially increase freight-carrying capacity on existing railway infrastructure.
According to Shah, railway diesel consumption declined from 293 crore litres in 2015-16 to 108 crore litres in 2024-25. He attributed the reduction to increased electrification and the adoption of newer technologies.
He said railway electrification, which stood at about 30% before 2014, has now reached 99.6%, with the remaining portion expected to be completed soon. He also highlighted an increase in locomotive production capacity and spending on railway safety.
Shah said the government’s emphasis on ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ has helped expand domestic manufacturing of railway equipment and locomotives.
He further said that modernisation efforts include the introduction of hydrogen-powered train technology, which, according to him, has placed India among a small group of countries developing such technology.
Shah compared railway allocations for Gujarat during different periods, stating that the annual allocation between 2009 and 2014 was around ₹589 crore, while the allocation for 2026-27 has risen to ₹17,366 crore.
He said the projects inaugurated and initiated in the Sabarmati division focus on passenger amenities, railway safety, freight movement and environmental sustainability.
Shah also used the occasion to criticise previous governments, alleging large-scale corruption during their tenure and contrasting it with the record of the Narendra Modi government. These remarks were part of his political criticism of the Opposition.
The programme was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and other senior officials and public representatives.
