Transport in Transition as focus shifts to e-mobility

 

 

 

Transport sector in the city is undergoing a rapid change with thrust on green energy to combat the rising emissions as Nagpurians are still all out for private vehicles whose number continue to grow each passing year. To address the situation, Government-run transport sector has latched onto e-buses to combat the problem of rising pollution. The lead has been taken by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) as it transits into fully e-buses for its city bus service. During the year 2025, the civic body expanded its electric buses fleet by adding 30 in the middle of the year. Further, by the end of the year, first lot of additional 29 PM e-buses reached the city, taking the total e-buses operated by NMC to 289. Although the NMC is now having plenty of e-buses, the problem is that the required charging and maintenance stations are not yet ready. In the meantime, the old buses that completed 15-years time period were scrapped providing relief from emission level. Hopefully, by mid-2026, the civic body will be able to ready its e-buses depot and deploy all the buses received under various grants from Central and State Government. NMC has set target of reaching upto 850 buses to meet the growing demand for public transport.

 

 

For the NMC, there is one good factor as the number of daily travellers on city buses has reached nearly 1.75 lakh. The figure, though not satisfying, compared to population base, still compared to past the data, is quite comfortable. Especially induction of e-buses has been a game changer as they being air conditioned, the hassles of people sweating it out in rusty old buses is now over.

 

 

Following the suit of other public transporters, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is also slowly expanding its e-buses fleet. The slowdown on part of suppliers has put the Nagpur Division in a tight spot as, from the sanctioned 228 e-buses, the officials say they have got deliveries of only 60 units in 2025. The buses deployed in the fleet are 30 nine-metre e-buses and 30 twelve-metre e-Shivai buses. These new e-buses are being operated from Ganeshpeth, Imambada, and Wardhaman Nagar depots. These buses are running on inter-district and regional routes like Amravati, Akola, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Bhandara and Ramtek. The challenges for MSRTC stem from non-readiness of the charging and maintenance depots. Funds shortage to non electrification of transformers are hampering full scale operation of new depot planned in the vicinity of Central Bus Stand at Ganeshpeth. Same has hampered rolling out new e-buses.

 

 

Indian Railways has major presence in city with two divisions, one of Central Railway and other of South East Central Railway (SECR) having their headquarters here. A new Vande Bharat train was flagged off by CM Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to Pune. There has been significant progress in upgradation of Nagpur and Ajni Railway Station and also the Itwari Railway Station. These three major stations in city are being remodelled to meet the rising needs as IR remains mainstay of long distance travel in the country. Vinayak Garg took over reins of Central Railway’s Nagpur Division and is overseeing major expansion of track network to ease the congestion. Division’s focus is now on readying Nagpur-Wardha 3rd and 4th line so that they can be fully utilised and ease pressure on Grand Trunk and Mumbai-Howrah route. Non-interlocking at Nagpur, Ajni, Butibori need to be completed and hopefully, next year, the work would get complete.