Indian Railways Achieves Electrification of One of Its Toughest Ghat Sections: Sakleshpur–Subramanya Road

The Indian Railways has just marked a major engineering milestone: the full electrification of the Sakleshpur–Subramanya Road Ghat Section in Karnataka.

Route Electrified:
55 km stretch between Sakleshpur and Subramanya Road.

Challenges:
- Steep ruling gradient of 1 in 50
- 57 tunnels, 226 bridges, and 108 sharp curves
- Terrain prone to landslides and heavy monsoon rains

Engineering Solutions:
- 5 switching stations built
- Overhead electrification with traction poles spaced at max 67.5 m
- Special tunnel electrification with 427 brackets installed
- Geological studies and pull-out tests for safety
- Timeline: Work began in December 2023, completed with successful trial run on 28 December 2025.

Impact
- Connectivity: Entire Bengaluru–Mangaluru rail route now fully electrified.
- Efficiency: Lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions, and faster operations.
- Modern Services: Enables running of Vande Bharat trains and other superfast electric services to Mangaluru.
- Economic Boost: Strengthens trade and travel links between Bengaluru (IT hub) and Mangaluru (port city).
- National Achievement: India has electrified over 99% of its Broad Gauge network, with ~33,000 km electrified between 2019–2025—almost equal to Germany’s entire railway network.

This achievement is being hailed as a game-changer for sustainable rail travel in India’s coastal and ghat regions.