Southern Railway Completes Full Electrification of Its Broad-Gauge Network

Exam-focused facts from the 13 September 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Southern Railway has completed 100% electrification of its entire 5,068 route kilometre broad-gauge network, enabling seamless electric train operations across the zone without traction change.
The milestone was reached after the statutory inspection of the newly electrified 71 route kilometre Pattukkottai–Karaikkudi section by principal chief electrical engineer Ganesh on September 9, 2026.
Electric traction in the region dates back to May 11, 1931, when Madras became the second metropolitan city in India after Bombay to introduce it.
The first 25kV AC electrification in the zone was commissioned between Madras Beach and Tambaram in 1968.