Trace how communication and traction technology on Indian Railways evolved from the inter-war period to near-total electrification today. What lessons does this hold for infrastructure modernisation?

In 1926 Duncan McDougald, a director of the Canadian National Railways, came to Madras to study Indian railways. He called the radio service on Canadian express trains his network's "most spectacular innovation" [1]. A century later, Indian Railways has electrified about 99.2% of its network [2]. It has moved from steam and telegraph to electric traction and digital safety, and that journey holds clear lessons for building infrastructure.

Evolution of traction

• Inter-war: Steam engines did almost all the work. India's first electric train ran in 1925 between Bombay VT and Kurla Harbour on a 1500 V DC system [2].
• Post-Independence: Steam was gradually replaced by diesel and electric locomotives, and more of them were built in India. The railways also moved to the 25 kV AC standard for main lines.
• Mission mode: Electrification sped up sharply in recent years. About 99.2% of the network was electrified by November 2025 [2].

Evolution of communication and signalling

• 1920s: Trains ran on the telegraph and manual signalling. Some Dominion railways already had on-train radio at that time [1].
• Later decades: Electrical interlocking, optical-fibre links and mobile train radio replaced manual control over time.
• Today: Kavach, India's home-grown automatic train protection system, has been deployed on about 1,465 route km [4]. Communication has become a safety system, not just a convenience.

Steam + Telegraph (1920s) → Diesel/Electric + Interlocking → ~Full Electrification + Kavach (2020s)

Flowchart: a century of railway technology

Lessons for infrastructure modernisation

• Stable financing matters: The 1924 separation of railway finances aimed to make the accounts steady through an assured contribution from railway revenue [3]. The 2017 merger with the Union Budget now favours planning across all sectors together.
• Standards should last: Mumbai's early DC system later had to be converted to AC at great cost. When choosing standards, plan for the long run.
• Mission-mode targets work: Time-bound goals turned slow progress into near-total electrification [2].
• Indigenisation: Kavach shows how home-grown technology cuts costs and dependence on imports [4].
• Learn from other countries: McDougald's visit to compare railways [1] reminds us that comparing with peers speeds up adoption.

Taken together, Indian Railways moved from imported steam technology to home-grown, nearly all-electric operation with digital safety. The way forward is to finish Kavach coverage, power trains with renewable energy and plan through PM Gati Shakti. That would match SDG 9 (resilient infrastructure) and support a self-reliant, low-carbon India.