Tag: Electric

U.S., EU lawmakers feel cut out of Biden’s electric vehicle trade agenda

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“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again so there is no confusion: Congress will not, under any circumstance, forfeit our constitutionally mandated oversight responsibility of all trade matters,” Rep. Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), chair of the House Ways and Means trade subcommittee, said in a statement Friday. “This is unacceptable and unconstitutional, and I intend to use every tool at my disposal to stop this blatant executive overreach.”
According to a proposed rule the U.S. Treasury Department released Friday, the term “free trade agreement” as it applies to the Inflation Reduction Act includes deals in which the U.S. and other countries reduce, eliminate or refrain from imposing tariffs and export restrictions, and aim to raise standards in areas such as labor rights and environmental protection. That’s a broader definition than has traditionally been used.
Under those criteria, a critical minerals agreement the Biden administration signed with Japan this week, as well as the one the U.S. and EU soon hope to sign, will qualify as “free trade agreements,” even though they have not received congressional approval. That would clear the way for electric vehicles made with minerals from Japanese and European companies to receive additional U.S. tax breaks.
Members of Congress are likely to protest that interpretation in their comments to Treasury, and some have hinted they may take legal action or attempt to pass new legislation in response.
In the U.S., the negative reaction wasn’t limited to one side of the aisle. Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said the administration has an obligation to obtain congressional consent on any critical minerals agreements.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), the top Democrat on the Ways and Means trade subcommittee, said the proposed rule “contradicts congressional intent and adds to a troubling pattern of this Administration disregarding Congress’ constitutional role on international trade.” He added that he hopes the administration would “reconsider their course.”
“The Administration is proposing more than guidance around a clean vehicle tax credit, it is redefining a Free Trade Agreement,” Blumenauer said.
The tug of war between the White House and Congress over trade policy is not new, but it has become more acute under the Biden administration, said Kathleen Claussen, a Georgetown University law professor who specializes in international economic law. She anticipates the administration’s definition of “free trade agreement” could wind up in court.

“At stake is the sort of future of how we think about what a trade agreement is,” said Claussen, a former associate general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. “It’s important for Congress to decide sooner rather than later where it is going to draw the line.”
The Inflation Reduction Act — a crucial element of President Joe Biden’s climate agenda — provides a tax credit worth up to $7,500 for consumers who purchase electric vehicles produced in North America, which members of Congress who voted for the law say is critical to spurring the domestic clean tech manufacturing sector.
“We intentionally structured tax credits to not just decarbonize the U.S. economy, but to erase the lead that China and other countries have in manufacturing green infrastructure,” Democratic Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Sherrod Brown of Ohio wrote in a letter to the Treasury Department sent Thursday.
To qualify for the full IRA tax credit, the vehicle must include a battery made with critical minerals from the U.S. or a “free trade agreement” partner.
That creates a semantic imperative for the U.S. and EU to call any minerals deal a “free trade agreement,” even though such pacts would traditionally require the approval of Congress and, in the European Union, its member countries as well as the European Parliament.
“This is procedurally just very, very complicated,” said one EU diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing deliberations. “We want to call it a non-binding instrument, but we have to think about the American domestic context as well. So, it’s better to call it an FTA-light.”
The view from Washington
American presidents have long negotiated “free trade agreements,” but the term is not technically defined in U.S. law. It is commonly understood to be a pact designed to lower tariffs and open foreign markets after winning the approval of Congress, a concept that has been forged through decades of practical experience.
The Biden administration appears to be breaking from that tradition. While the Trump administration did not seek congressional approval for trade deals it brokered with China and Japan, stoking the ire of lawmakers, it did not attempt to define those pacts as equivalent to comprehensive free trade agreements.
USTR has inked sector-specific agreements in the past without seeking the approval of Congress. And the Treasury Department asserts it has the authority to designate a “free trade agreement” in the context of the Inflation Reduction Act because Congress did not define the term when it wrote the text. The definition Treasury released Friday is slated to take effect April 18.
But this week, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office updated its online roster of U.S. free trade agreements to include a new category of deals. There are the “comprehensive free trade agreements” that already exist with 20 other countries, and then there is the new “agreement focusing on free trade in critical minerals” with Japan, which USTR signed earlier this week. Both are designated as “free trade agreements.”
U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle flatly condemned the pact with Japan, not only for the terms of the deal but for how the administration went about negotiating it.
Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Ways and Means ranking member Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who also happens to have been U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai’s former boss when she was a congressional staffer, declared the agreement “unacceptable” in a joint statement.
“It’s clear this agreement is one of convenience,” the two senior Democrats said. And they warned that Tai had exceeded the power given to her by Congress. “The administration does not have the authority to unilaterally enter into free trade agreements.”
Wyden and Neal’s Republican counterparts, Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), were also quick to skewer the deal. Smith offered perhaps the most colorful language, saying the administration is “distorting the plain text of U.S. law to write as many green corporate welfare checks as possible.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), one of the key negotiators on the IRA, threatened legal action over the Treasury Department’s interpretation of the electric vehicle tax credit on Wednesday. But he also suggested partners like Japan and the EU should qualify for the perks. His office declined to clarify his position.
In response to lawmaker criticism over the process for finalizing a similar critical minerals deal with Japan, a USTR spokesperson pointed to Tai’s recent congressional testimony in which she said “further enhancements” would make it easier for congressional staff to review negotiating text, make text summaries available to the public and hold more meetings with the public.
The view from Brussels
In Brussels, four EU diplomats, who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak freely, told POLITICO they are increasingly nervous about the critical minerals negotiations because the legal format of the final deal remains unclear.
The EU’s trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis said at an event earlier this week that “we are currently discussing with the U.S. the exact content and the potential legal procedures.”
Two EU officials, who spoke to POLITICO on the condition of anonymity to discuss the unfinished deal, insist the European Commission needs to secure a mandate from member countries for any free trade agreement, even if it’s limited in scope. What’s more, such deals typically require the approval of the European Parliament and EU countries, a process that usually takes several months.
Miriam García Ferrer, a spokesperson for the European Commission, declined to say whether the deal requires a mandate from EU countries. “This will be a specific and targeted arrangement to ensure that EU companies are treated the same way as the U.S. companies under the IRA,” García Ferrer said.
Not all EU members share the same concerns about a mandate. Some EU countries in Brussels are keen to move quickly and avoid distractions that tend to arise in trade negotiations, saying it’s best to keep the end goal in sight of getting concessions from Washington on the Inflation Reduction Act.
Three of the EU diplomats said it would make more sense to wait until the end of the negotiations to determine the legal process on the EU side. “It’s too soon to discuss this,” one diplomat said. “Let’s wait and see what the Commission actually comes up with.”
Another diplomat added that “form should follow substance” and that most EU countries just want the European Commission to come up with a good result.
Moens reported from Brussels. Jakob Hanke Vela and Sarah Anne Aarup also contributed reporting from Brussels.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 31, 2023
Treasury imposes binding rules on tax breaks for electric cars

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“We know that in order to meet our energy security, climate and economic goals, we need to build a clean energy supply chain that is not dependent on China,” a senior Treasury official said, speaking anonymously as part of the administration’s ground rules during a call with reporters.
The sourcing requirements will temporarily reduce the number of vehicles eligible for the full incentives, the official conceded. “However, we believe these requirements will significantly increase the number of vehicles made and sold in the U.S. over the next decade as new investments and American production come online.”
For now, though, it’s unclear whether the Treasury rules will prove so restrictive for automakers that it stunts sales of electric vehicles. That would be a major blow to Biden’s goal of having zero-emission vehicles account for half of all new U.S. car and truck sales by 2030.
The department’s list of eligible vehicles is expected by April 18 and will be updated monthly, officials said on the call.
The administration’s early attempts to navigate the climate law’s requirements have drawn accusations from EU officials that the U.S. is applying the made-in-America requirements too restrictively. But some U.S. lawmakers including Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) have charged that Biden is offering too much leeway to foreign suppliers, in defiance of the statute.
“It is horrific that the Administration continues to ignore the purpose of the law which is to bring manufacturing back to America and ensure we have reliable and secure supply chains,” Manchin, who wrote much of the law, said in a statement Friday. He called the Treasury proposal “a pathetic excuse to spend more tax payer dollars as quickly as possible,” adding that it “further cedes control to the Chinese Communist Party in the process.”
But the reality is that the climate law has already ruled out the full tax credit for the vast majority of electric vehicles now on the market, the head of one automotive trade group said — and the Treasury guidance will take even more off the table. The question is whether the long-term growth that the administration envisions will come to pass.
“Given the constraints of the legislation, Treasury’s done as well as it could to produce rules that meet the statute and reflect the current market,” said John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation.

What Treasury’s proposal does
The climate law, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, offers a credit of up to $7,500 for electric vehicles that meet stringent production requirements.
For a vehicle to be eligible, at least half of its battery components must be made in North America. In addition, at least 40 percent of the battery’s critical minerals must be either sourced domestically — extracted or processed in the U.S. or recycled in North America — or in a country with which the U.S. has a free trade agreement. Those percentages will increase annually under the law, beginning next year.
Vehicles can qualify for half the credit if they meet either the battery or critical minerals requirement.
The vehicle itself must be assembled in the United States.
Until now, though, U.S. carmakers rushing to develop their domestic supply chains haven’t known exactly how the Internal Revenue Service intends to carry out the law’s sourcing requirements.
Treasury’s guidance was originally due in December, but the department postponed the proposal’s release until Friday. In the meantime, it allowed the credit to go into effect without any restrictions on where a vehicle was produced — a move that incensed Manchin. Since January, electric vehicle buyers have been able to receive the credit as long as they did not exceed an income threshold and the car was below a certain price.
In April, the requirements get a lot tighter. The new Treasury rules apply to vehicles picked up by their owners on or after April 17, even though they won’t be final until at least June.
Automakers get some leeway
Now that the guidance is out, automakers must determine how their complex supply chains align with the sourcing rules. The carmakers will certify to the IRS each month which of their vehicle models qualify, and the agency will update a list on its website, the officials said.
The Treasury document offers some olive branches to automakers worried about the rules being overly restrictive.
For instance, the department provided flexibility in how it interprets the IRA’s requirements regarding trade partners and the sourcing of powders contained in battery electrodes. The administration sees this leeway as critical to keeping sales of electric vehicles growing while automakers race to create domestic supply chains.
Some of those interpretations angered Manchin, who in recent days threatened to take the administration to court if it opened the door too much to supplies from abroad.
In contrast, Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee from auto-industry-heavy Michigan told POLITICO last week that he was “looking for the broadest application possible” of the sourcing rules, and was “just hopeful that there isn’t an unnecessary narrowing of the credit to the point that it’s really not substantial.” He said he thought Manchin “may not have fully understood the implications of what that language was going to mean.”
Kildee said he’d support revisiting the language in the law, but that it wasn’t likely to be loosened while Republicans control the House.
“Look, we’ve got two problems,” said his fellow Michigan Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell. “We can’t be dependent upon China. And we’ve got to make [electric] vehicles affordable.”
No quick end to tensions with Europe
In one of the most eagerly anticipated aspects of the guidance, the Treasury Department opened the door for a broader range of U.S. allies to qualify as trading partners under the critical minerals requirement. Those could eventually include the European Union, although the proposal released Friday doesn’t say that explicitly.
Under Treasury’s rules, automakers will be able to obtain critical minerals from the 20 countries with which the U.S. has formal trade agreements, including Chile and Australia, two of the top sources of lithium needed for electric vehicles batteries. The EU has no such agreement with the U.S., so for now it’s excluded.
Canada, Mexico, Israel and South Korea are also on the initial list of countries that can supply minerals for vehicles eligible for the tax break.
But the guidance released Friday also allows countries to qualify for the credit if they have made narrower agreements with the U.S. on trade in critical minerals. Japan signed such an agreement this week, allowing Treasury to add it to its list of approved suppliers.
Trade negotiators from the U.S. and Europe are trying to work out a similar agreement. The two sides hope to complete it by the time Treasury publishes the final guidance.
Manchin said in January that when he crafted the critical minerals language, he was unaware that the U.S. and EU lacked a formal free trade agreement. He said he supports opening the credit to allies — but he draws the line at any interpretation of the law that allows Chinese companies to be involved in the supply chain for eligible vehicles.
In the meantime, automakers including German giant Volkswagen have announced plans to expand in North America, seeking certainty their models will qualify for the incentives.
In 2024 and 2025, the credit will become even more stringent as provisions go into effect prohibiting the sourcing of any battery parts and critical minerals from “foreign entities of concern” — which most likely will include China. That could be a significant new hurdle, given that many top mining companies are partially Chinese-owned or process their minerals in China.
The climate law does not spell out exactly which countries — or companies with partial foreign ownership — would fall under the “concern” label, and automakers were eagerly anticipating such an interpretation as part of Friday’s guidance.
Administration officials said on the call, however, that guidance on the “foreign entities of concern” provision would not be released until later this year. Some industry watchers believe it could align with stringent guidance issued by Treasury last week that defines “foreign entities of concern” under the CHIPS and Science Act.
Some crucial details
Much of Friday’s proposed rule hews closely to interpretations that Treasury offered in a white paper outlining its thinking last year.
As in the white paper, the proposed guidance Friday defines the metal powders contained in an EV battery’s electrodes as “critical minerals,” rather than “battery components.” That’s a vital distinction because those powders are almost exclusively processed in Asia. Defining them as battery components would have imposed even more severe restrictions on vehicles eligible for the credit.
Some battery companies and Manchin had made an 11th-hour push to reverse the interpretation, arguing it would determine whether entire factories and thousands of jobs end up in the U.S. or other countries. The electrode powders make up most of the value of a battery.
The Treasury guidance draws a distinction between two parts of the battery-making process — the sourcing of the minerals, and the manufacturing of the batteries, including cell and battery assembly. It places the powders into the former category, increasing the number of countries that can provide them.
The guidance also lays out a multi-step process for verifying the critical mineral and battery component percentages required to qualify for the credit, a daunting issue given the complexity of the supply chain. Automakers will have to certify under penalty of perjury that their cars qualify.
What’s next
Treasury will publish the guidance proposal in the Federal Register on April 17, launching a 60-day comment period before Treasury issues final guidance.
Treasury is also set to release guidance in the coming months on IRA tax credits for other clean energy industries, and the interpretations taken in the proposed electric vehicle guidelines could be applied to those tax credits.
Tanya Snyder contributed to this report.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 31, 2023
BabyPro Lab Tested – Certified (Set of 12) Electric Socket Covers 5 Amp. & 15 Amp, Child Safety Switch Board Cover Plugs and BabyProofing Protector Guards for Kids and Baby Safety (White)

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Product Description

100% Protection: BabyPro’s electric socket covers protect tiny ones from electric shocks
Applications: Useful for covering up outlets to secure your cute pets, minimise air leaks and prevent fires
Easy to Install: The socket covers can be easily plugged into the electric sockets
Package Inclusions: 2 unit electric socket cover of 15 amp. & 10 units electric socket cover of 5 amp.

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March 31, 2023
PROTOWARE Baby Safety Electric Socket Plug Cover Guards (Pack of 12) White

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Our plug covers arrived to offer you more peace of mind at home
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Package Include: 10 pcs 5 Amperes Socket Cover & 2 pcs 15 Amperes Socket Cover

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March 29, 2023
Incidents of fire accidents reported in electric two-wheelers, informs ministry

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New Delhi: Incidents of fire accidents have been reported in electric two-wheelers manufactured by Okinawa Autotech, Pure EV, Jitendra Electric Vehicles, Ola Electric and Boom Motors, Minister of State for Heavy Industries, Krishan Pal Gurjar, said in a written reply submitted in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
“As per information received from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), incidents of fire accidents have been reported in electric two-wheelers manufactured by Okinawa Autotech, Pure EV, Jitendra Electric Vehicles, Ola Electric and Boom Motors. The prototypes or components of electric vehicles are tested by the testing agencies notified under Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, for compliance to standards notified by the MoRTH,” said the reply.
The MoRTH had constituted an investigating team of independent experts from DRDO, Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bengaluru, and Naval Science & Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam, to investigate the root cause of fire in EVs and recommend remedial measures.
As per the reply, the MoRTH had also constituted a committee of experts to suggest formulation of safety standards for the battery and its components, BMS and related systems in electric vehicles.
Based on the recommendation of the committee, the ministry has brought amendments to the automotive industry standards (AIS). The said amendments are applicable from December 1, 2022 and some clauses of these AIS will be effective from March 31, 2023, said the reply.
The MoRTH had issued the draft notification, dated August 25, 2022, for the requirements of conformity of production (COP) in respect of all categories of electric vehicles, including quadricycles, e-rickshaws, two-wheelers and four-wheelers.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 28, 2023
Raise Awareness About Judicious Use Of Electric Appliances: CS

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SRINAGAR: In a bid to spread awareness among masses about the judicious use of electric appliances, Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, in a high level meeting, impressed upon the officers of the Power Development Department (PDD) to run large scale campaign in this regard.
Dr Mehta enjoined upon the officers to make the masses fully acquainted about the consumption of electricity by different electric appliances like ACs, water heaters, room heaters and other appliances so that they become aware about costs and use these gadgets judiciously.
He asked them to use the power of our youth in changing the attitude of people by making them champions of change in the society.
The Chief Secretary stated that losses suffered on power purchases exceed more than Rs 3500 Crore annually with previous liabilities piling up by each passing year. He reiterated that these resources belong to our people and should optimally be utilized in creation of jobs for youth or other welfare measures for the people of JK. He observed that people should be sensitized about the same through massive outreach campaign and this gap in power purchase and revenue realization should be minimized for the general good of masses particularly the educated youth of the UT.
He further added that the overall AT&C losses should be brought down to less than 20% in the UT. He emphasised on having a proper mechanism to redress the grievances related to billing of consumers. He told them to fix Electric Division wise targets for demand side management.
The Chief Secretary also emphasized on making the flat rates less attractive so that people prefer switching to metering of their power connections. He observed that most of the people are ready to pay for their consumption. The new mantra should be 100 percent payment and 100 percent electricity. He made out that people who clear their dues regularly deserve to be provided quality power round the clock.
The Chief Secretary further exhorted upon the officers that the smart metering of all the urban areas of the UT should be completed by August this year. He asked them to establish dedicated enforcement teams in each circle to ensure proper monitoring and surveillance of the consumers.
The Principal Secretary, PDD, Rajesh Prasad in his presentation stated that the Department has formulated plan to reduce AT&C losses to 41% from current 49% during the coming financial year which would further be decreased to 20% till financial year 2025-26. He also stated that the gap between Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and Average Revenue Realised (ARR) for the year 2022-23 is Rs 1.79 which is going to be further minimized to Rs 1.60 in the next fiscal and to Rs 0.58 by 2025-26.

He further apprised the meeting that the Department has conducted 166134 inspections in the UT thereby imposing a penalty of Rs 15.03 Cr and making 133534 disconnections of erring customers till February this year. In addition the Department has recovered Rs Rs 54.92 Cr in the shape of arrears from both domestic and commercial consumers.
As far as bringing efficiency in distribution system is concerned, the Department is going to implement the projects worth Rs 5641 Cr sanctioned by GoI under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) to install the Smart meters to the tune of Rs 1046.71 Cr and carry out other loss reduction works to the tune of Rs 4595.20 Cr. The completion of these projects are going to greatly reduce the AT&C losses further thereby making additional energy available to Department for providing 24×7 quality power supply to consumers across JK.

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( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

March 27, 2023
Telangana: Man accused of stealing electric wires beaten to death

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Sangareddy: A 30-year-old man was “beaten” to death by some villagers after being tied to a tree for allegedly stealing electric wires in Sangareddy district on Sunday, police said.
His family members alleged that he was beaten up and electrocuted.
According to the police, the man Mallesh was caught by some villagers in the agriculture fields of Gummadidala village this morning when he was allegedly stealing electric wires from farm motors and he was later tied to a tree and beaten resulting in his death. Mallesh belongs to the same village.
“He was beaten up and also given electric shock. Is it justifiable? He should have been handed over to the police. What kind of system is this,” family members told media.
Asked about reports stating that the man was electrocuted, a police official said the body was shifted to a government hospital and the exact cause of death will be established after receiving the postmortem report.
Police registered a murder case and are further investigating to identify those involved in the killing of the man.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 26, 2023
Telangana: Man accused of stealing electric wires beaten to death

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Sangareddy: A 30-year-old man was “beaten” to death by some villagers after being tied to a tree for allegedly stealing electric wires in Sangareddy district on Sunday, police said.
His family members alleged that he was beaten up and electrocuted.
According to the police, the man Mallesh was caught by some villagers in the agriculture fields of Gummadidala village this morning when he was allegedly stealing electric wires from farm motors and he was later tied to a tree and beaten resulting in his death. Mallesh belongs to the same village.
“He was beaten up and also given electric shock. Is it justifiable? He should have been handed over to the police. What kind of system is this,” family members told media.
Asked about reports stating that the man was electrocuted, a police official said the body was shifted to a government hospital and the exact cause of death will be established after receiving the postmortem report.
Police registered a murder case and are further investigating to identify those involved in the killing of the man.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 26, 2023
Treasury guidance on electric vehicle tax credit due next week

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Treasury Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy Lily Batchelder said the department will work with the private sector to ensure a “smooth transition” on which vehicles qualify for the incentives and for what amount.
“The adoption of clean vehicles is central to reducing emissions in transportation while protecting Americans from the kinds of spikes in gas prices that we saw at the outset of Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine,” Batchelder said. “However, we can’t trade dependence on foreign oil for dependence on foreign batteries and our forthcoming guidance will strengthen our supply chain.”
The Treasury Department released a white paper late last year signaling the U.S. could use expanded definitions for free trade agreements for imports of critical minerals during the tax credit rulemaking process.
Manchin has repeatedly expressed outrage over the delay in guidelines for the law’s EV tax credits and has accused the administration of trying to undermine congressional intent.
On Wednesday, Batchelder said China’s control over critical minerals processing globally underscores the need to strengthen U.S. supply chains “along with like-minded partners.” She pointed to recent, initial talks between President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Treasury’s actions “will advance economic security and stability by ensuring that the United States and allies and partners are not reliant on China for critical minerals in the decades to come,” she added.
The department did not provide any specific details on the proposed rule for EVs beyond that it will be released next week.
The Inflation Reduction Act included provisions aimed at lowering the cost for electric vehicles, while also increasing domestic manufacturing across clean energy technologies and components. Since the law’s enactment, companies have announced tens of billions of dollars in EV and battery manufacturing facilities.

CORRECTION: This article has been updated to correct an error in a quote by Lily Batchelder.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 23, 2023
Meghalaya gets its first electric train: Northeast Frontier Railway

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Guwahati: Meghalaya has got the electric train for the first time after the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has commissioned the 22.82 km track of Dudhnai-Mendipathar railway line, officials said on Friday.
Sabysaschi De, CPRO of NFR said that the Railways has achieved a milestone by commissioning Dudhnai-Mendipathar single-line section and Abhayapuri-Pancharatna 34.59 track km double-line section on Wednesday.
The Central Organisation for Railway Electrification (CORE) has carried out the electrification works in these sections.
“Mendipathar is the only railway station in Meghalaya which is in operation since 2014. After commissioning of electric traction, trains hauled by electric locomotive will now be able to operate directly from Mendipathar in Meghalaya which will increase the average speed,” De said.
He further claimed that more passenger and freight carrying trains will be able to operate through these sections with full sectional speeds.
Punctuality will also increase in this section. Parcel and freight carrying trains hauled by electric locomotives from other states will be able to reach Meghalaya directly.
According to Railway officers, electrification will significantly improve the mobility of trains in the Northeast.
In addition to the reduction in pollution due to the shift from fossil fuel to electricity, the efficiency of the Railway system in the region will also improve.

“This would facilitate seamless traffic and also save time of the trains moving to and from northeastern states apart from savings in precious foreign exchange,” the officer added.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 17, 2023