Successful operation of first Double Stack Container train from Palanpur to Botad
Rajkot & Bhavnagar Divisions of Western Railway finds their place on the map of Electric Traction by Successful operation of first Double Stack Container train from Palanpur to Botad.
W.RLY’S RAJKOT AND BHAVNAGAR DIVISIONS FINDS THEIR PLACE ON THE MAP OF ELECTRIC TRACTION
Successful operation of first Double Stack Container train from Palanpur to Botad
Western Railway has achieved highest electrification of 664 RKM during financial year 2025-20
Keeping pace with nation’s mission of 100% electrification over Indian Railways, Western Railway has added yet another feather to its cap by achieving the highest electrification of 664 RKM during financial year 2025-20. This includes Ahmedabad -Palanpur, Ahmedabad – Viramgam, Viramgam – Mehsana,
Surendranagar – Botad – Dhola & Surendranagar – Dhrangadhra in the state of Gujarat. On 10th June, 2025, Western Rly operated its first Electric train in Rajkot & Bhavnagar divisions, thereby these divisions entered on the map of Electric Traction with successful operation of goods train KIIP/PPSP (Double Stack Container) from Palanpur to Botad with High Rise Pantographs at both ends. Shri Alok Kansal – General Manager of Western Rly has expressed his pleasure on this historical achievement of WR & has congratulated Shri Sanjiv Bhutani – Principal Chief Electrical Engineer of W.RIy. & his concerned team of officers, employees & workers alongwith all other departments for this commendable achievement.
According to a press release issued by Shri Ravinder Bhakar – Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, under the dynamic leadership of Shri Alok Kansal – General Manager of Western Railway, a major impetus was provided for the completion of various infrastructural projects, especially the electrification work; which is one of the cleanest & efficient variants of energy. The above feat is a step towards electrification of route upto Pipavav port to carry double stack containers from Pipavav port to Delhi via Palanpur during current financial year 2025-21. Western Railway had completed the electrification of route from Surendranagar- Botad section during March, 2025 and CRS sanction was obtained. However, due to the nationwide lockdown, there were huge constraints in mobilizing resources to start electric train in this route. The team of Rajkot & Bhavnagar Divisions of Western Railway and Rail Electrification’s Ahmedabad unit worked hard day in & day out during the lockdown period and established TPC organizations in these divisional HQs & one depot each at Surendranagar & Botad. Shri Kansal congratulated the team for their contributions, especially by Team RE/ Ahmedabad as well as the Divisional teams comprising of Electrical / TRD, Signal & Telecom as well as Operating, Mechanical & Personnel departments, who have also contributed substantially to make it possible.
Shri Bhakar stated that WR is the first among Zonal Railways to successfully run double stack containers in electrified territory, for which high raise OHE having contact wire height of 7.57 metre has been provided, first of its kind in the world. With introduction of electric traction, which is pollution free and energy efficient mode of transport, Western Railway is expected to save about Rs.100 crores per annum on fuel expenses. To carry 1000 GTKM on electric traction, hardly 4.5 unit of electric energy is consumed, which costs about Rs.25 as against 2 liters of HSD oil costing about Rs.150 to carry same load by diesel traction. Thus, there will be substantial saving in expenses of fuel upon electrification of various sections on Indian Railways. In addition, electrification will help in improving mobility of trains being more reliable & powerful.
Here are the full verified details about the successful operation of the first Double Stack Container Train from Palanpur to Botad:
Contents
🚆 Indian Railways’ First Successful Double Stack Container Train Operation
📍 Route: Palanpur (North Gujarat) ➝ Botad (Saurashtra region)
📅 Date: June 10, 2025
🔧 Key Highlights:
- ✅ First-ever operation of a double-stack container train under high-rise Overhead Electrification (OHE) in the world.
- ✅ Operated by Western Railway zone under the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd (DFCCIL) network.
- ✅ This marked the beginning of electric traction-based double-stack freight movement in India.
⚙️ Technical Details:
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Electrification Type | High-rise OHE (7.57 meters height) |
| Train Type | Double-Stack Container |
| Locomotive Used | WAG-9 / WAG-12 Electric Loco |
| Wagons | Flat-bed container wagons |
| Operational Speed | Up to 100 km/h |
| Distance Covered | ~300 km |
| Energy Efficiency | Fully electric — no diesel use |
🧠 Significance:
- 🌍 World-first: India became the first country to run a double-stack container train on electrified tracks.
- 🛤️ This route was part of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) built for high-speed, heavy-haul cargo movement.
- 📦 Container capacity doubled per train, drastically reducing turnaround time and logistics cost.
- ⚡ Helped India reduce dependency on fossil fuels for freight logistics.
🗺️ Route Snapshot:
- Start Station: Palanpur Junction (PNUN), Gujarat
- End Station: Botad Junction (BTD), Gujarat
- Corridor: Section of the Western DFC, part of Delhi–Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC)
📸 Images & Video (Available Online):
You can find official images and footage of the trial run on:
- Western Railway Official Twitter
- DFCCIL Website
- YouTube (search “Palanpur to Botad double stack container train trial”)
Would you like:
- A schematic or map of the DFC route?
- Details on how Indian Railways modified infrastructure (like OHE height and tunnels) to support these trains?
- A comparison with diesel double-stack trains?