Full Form of CORE

Indian Railways is taking the lead in reducing the nation’s dependence on petroleum-based energy by accelerating the electrification of railway tracks. In recent years, the Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE) has contributed to electrified sections of the Indian Railways.

The Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE) was formed in 1979 under the Ministry of Railways. Its main objective is the electrification of railway tracks on Indian Railways. In order to electrify important railway routes for extracting maximum benefits from their traffic potential.

The Central Railway Electrification Organization in Prayagraj has achieved an extraordinary achievement in the history of the CORE by electrifying 4276 route kilometres (RKM) in a financial year, breaking all its records so far.

At the national level, Indian Railways has electrified 6366 route kilometres in the same period, i.e., FY 2021-22, the highest ever in its history.A total of 30,446 RKM have been electrified, up from 3,874 RKM between 2007 and 2014. Out of the total 52,247 RKM electrified so far on a pan-India basis, 50% have been electrified only during the last five years.

History of CORE

The first railway service between Mumbai and Thane began in 1853. The first electric train ran between Mumbai and Thane in 1925, roughly 75 years later.

With the country's industrial growth and the growing need for an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. the Indian Railways' focus gradually shifted to electric traction.

After independence, the first five-year plan (1951–56) had a small target of electrifying 141 RKM of tracks. The target kept gradually increasing, and in the 12th five year plan (2012–17), we had a challenging target of electrifying 6500 RKM of tracks. The targets are increasing rapidly every year.

Railway Electrification was established in 1961 with the mission of electrifying Indian Railway tracks that had been approved by the Government of India. The unit initially based at Kolkata was called PORE (Project Office for Railway Electrification)

It was headed by an engineer-in-chief. However, with the growing emphasis on electrification, a separate unit called the Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE) was set up in 1971. The headquarters at Allahabad. The head of the unit is the general manager.

The first electric train ran in India with the inauguration of services between Bombay and Kurla Harbour on February 3, 1925. The section was electrified at 1500 volts DC. Following that, the central railway up to Lgatpuri on the northeast line was made electrical.

Advantages of Railway Electrification

• Energy Conservation through Railway Electrification: Electrification will provide an energy-efficient, environment friendly mode of transport and also improve system throughput by modernization of the railway system.
• Role of Electric Traction in Suburban Transport: Electrification will help in increasing the average speed of freight trains thereby helping in achieving the objective of "Mission Raftar."
• Electric Traction for Heavier Freight Trains and Longer Passenger Trains: Electrification makes it possible to run heavier freight trains. With the 6000 HP Thyristor locomotives. A train of two of these locomotives can now handle 4500-tonne trains in gradients.
• Clearer environment: One of the major advantages of electric traction is the pollution-free atmosphere it provides, not only to the travellers but also to the surrounding environment. Electric traction could reduce noise and air pollution while also causing less disturbance to the region's wildlife.
• technology upgradationThe introduction of railway electrification has caused a major impetus for technology upgrades on Indian Railways. Some of these are as follows:
  1. Modernization of Equipment
  2. Supervisory Remote Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA)
  3. 2 x 25 kV system
• Signalling and telecommunication: With the electrification, Overhead telecom wires were replaced by underground cables, along with the provision of emergency communication sockets all along the railway track, to avoid induction effect on telecom circuits.
  1. Optical Fibre Communication
  2. Radio Communication in trains
• Generate employment: Employment of about 5.5 lakh man-years will be generated during the execution period of mission’s electrification.

Innovations

In order to achieve economy, improve reliability, and keep pace with the advancements in technology of various equipment. A lot of modifications have been made in the design and constuction practices of various systems over the years. The following are examples of railway electrification innovations:

• Input HT power supply: To reduce the penalty for low power factor and exceeding maximum demand. We can gain the benefit of diversity factor in railways.
• Substations: reduction in area of control room buildings. Development of a miniaturised microprocessor-based control and relay panel (Anupam panel) for improved power supply reliability.
• Remote control system: Strowger-type remote control equipment based on an electromechanical system. It has been replaced with microprocessor-based and, lately, PC-based systems.

[wp-faq-schema title=" Full Form of CORE FAQs" accordion=1]