According to the company, the transition is expected to reduce daily consumption by around 500 kg of LPG and 2,500 litres of diesel. The initiative is expected to help the railway reduce its fuel expenditure while moving towards cleaner energy sources.
Under the agreement between IGL and the Delhi Division of Northern Railway, natural gas will initially be supplied at a rate of approximately 3,000 standard cubic metres per day (SCMD). The gas will be used across various railway facilities, including mechanised laundries, officers' rest houses, base kitchens, railway employees' running rooms, and lobbies for guards and ticket examiners.
The arrangement will cover railway establishments in Delhi, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Five Railway Stations to Switch Laundry Boilers to PNG
As part of the initiative, boilers at mechanised laundries located at five railway stations will be converted to operate on PNG.
The stations included in the plan are Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Old Delhi, Anand Vihar Terminal, Hazrat Nizamuddin and New Delhi.
These facilities currently use LPG and diesel to operate their boilers. Once PNG supply begins, dependence on conventional fuels is expected to decline, helping the railway reduce its energy expenditure.
The transition is part of the broader plan to introduce natural gas across railway establishments in the Delhi-NCR region.
Natural Gas Consumption Could Rise to 10,000 SCMD
According to IGL, the initial gas supply will be around 3,000 SCMD. In the coming years, consumption could increase to between 8,000 and 10,000 SCMD.
To accommodate the anticipated increase, the pipeline network and gas connectivity will be expanded.
IGL Chairman Subhankar Sen said the partnership with the railway would promote the use of natural gas as a replacement for LPG. The initiative could also help reduce dependence on imported fuels and lower the burden of government subsidies.
The expansion of PNG infrastructure is expected to support the railway's growing natural gas requirements across its establishments.
PNG Connections May Reach Railway Hospitals and Residential Colonies
According to Delhi Divisional Railway Manager Pushpesh Raman Tripathi, the use of PNG will help reduce the railway's energy costs.
The railway is also planning to extend PNG connections to its hospitals and residential colonies for employees in the future.
The initiative is expected to increase the use of natural gas across railway institutions while reducing the need to store LPG cylinders and handle diesel.
However, the actual savings will depend on the prices of natural gas and other fuels, as well as their consumption.
With the agreement covering 22 railway establishments and the possibility of expanding gas consumption in the coming years, the initiative marks a shift in the railway's fuel-use strategy in Delhi-NCR. The proposed expansion to hospitals and residential colonies could further extend the reach of natural gas across railway facilities.
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