Northern Railway & IGL to Switch Delhi Stations to PNG
Northern Railway partners with IGL to replace LPG and diesel with PNG at 22 establishments in Delhi to reduce pollution and costs.
In a major step toward sustainable operations, the Delhi Division of Northern Railway has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) to transition its facilities to cleaner energy. The agreement, signed on October 31, 2026, aims to replace conventional LPG and diesel fuels with Piped Natural Gas (PNG) across various railway establishments.
This initiative aligns with the government's National PNG Drive 3.0, which focuses on reducing environmental pollution and lowering operational costs for large-scale infrastructure.
Targeting 22 Railway Establishments
The project is set to cover 22 different railway establishments located throughout Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar. The initial phase of the rollout will prioritize departmental mechanised laundries, where PNG will be used to power boiler operations. Key stations included in this phase are:
- New Delhi
- Old Delhi
- Anand Vihar Terminal
- Hazrat Nizamuddin
- Delhi Sarai Rohilla
Beyond laundries, the scope of the PNG transition includes base kitchens, officers' rest houses, running rooms, subordinate rest houses, and various guard and TTE lobbies.
Massive Reduction in Fuel Consumption
The shift from liquid and bottled fuels to piped gas is expected to result in significant daily savings. Once fully implemented, the transition is projected to replace approximately:
- 500 kilograms of LPG daily
- 2,500 litres of diesel daily
The initial gas supply is estimated at 3,000 Standard Cubic Metres per Day (SCMD). However, as the infrastructure scales up, consumption is expected to reach between 8,000 and 10,000 SCMD.
"This initiative is expected to significantly reduce energy expenditures," stated Pushpesh Raman Tripathi, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Northern Railway Delhi Division. He further noted that there are plans to extend PNG connectivity to railway residential colonies and hospitals in the future.
A Model for the National Network
The MoU was signed in the presence of high-level leadership, including DRM Pushpesh Raman Tripathi and IGL officials such as Chairman Subhankar Sen, Managing Director Kumar Shanker, and Director (Commercial) Mohit Bhatia.
Highlighting the broader impact, IGL Chairman Subhankar Sen noted that the partnership will help decrease national import dependence and reduce the overall subsidy burden. This successful implementation in the Delhi Division could potentially serve as a model for the entire Indian Railways network.