Diesel locomotive is in fact an Electric Locomotive carrying its own powerhouse. Today’s modern Diesel locomotives with 6 KMs of Electrical wiring is much more Electric than an Electric locomotive with 4 KMs of wire.
Electric locomotive provides an easy means of drawing larger units of power from the OHE for the same axle load.
Development of Technology for Low weight energy efficient engine and its controls delayed the advent of modern diesel locomotives.
Superior Technology - Diesel or Electric ? - (iii)
Today, technological development in both tractions has levelled of.
And for the same weight, Diesel traction has 10% or higher load hauling capability.
It is conceded that technology of high speed Passenger operation beyond 220 Kmph has advanced on Electric traction, but this is perhaps quite irrelevant to us today.
Diesel locos with Electric transmission have all the benefits of modern technology such as AC-AC transmission.
Population of Diesel Locos in the World is 3.2 times that of the Electric locomotives (Source: World Bank Railway Database 2000)
Electrification on IR (ii)
Railway Electrification on the IR was taken up in a big way in the late 70s, as a knee jerk reaction to the 1974 oil crisis.
Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE) was created to speedily electrify the high density routes; this task has already been completed in the early 90s. While talking of 1980 Secretary’s report, we have blanked off Gujral Committee Recommendations and the falling crude prices in later years.
It is felt that Electrification of Low density non-viable and uneconomic routes continues unabated, perhaps to sustain the organisation.
Time has perhaps come, to pause and examine if the need for further electrification still persists.
