RAS question
With 99.6% railway network electrification, Indian Railways became the world's largest electrified rail network. Which of the following correctly ranks the countries by their railway electrification percentage (highest to lowest)?
Correct answer: (A) India (99.2%) > China (82%) > Japan (64%) > UK (39%).
Among the listed countries, the correct descending order of railway electrification is India at 99.2%, China at 82%, Japan at 64%, and the United Kingdom at 39%.
Explanation
The ranking turns on comparing percentages, not network size. The Press Information Bureau release from the Ministry of Railways says Indian Railways has electrified about 99.2% of its Broad Gauge network, putting it ahead of the other listed systems. The same official release cites railway electrification levels of 82% for China, 64% for Japan, and 39% for the United Kingdom, based on the June 2025 UIC report. Therefore, India must come first, followed by China, Japan, and the UK. This also explains why the question links the figure to India’s wider green-transport push: electrification reduces dependence on diesel traction while expanding a cleaner rail network.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) It places China above India even though China is listed at 82% and India at 99.2%, so the first two positions are reversed.
- (C) It puts Japan at 64% above China at 82%, which breaks the required highest-to-lowest order.
- (D) It assigns 82% to Japan and 64% to China, but the official figures are Japan 64% and China 82%, and India still ranks above both.
Concept
This tests Science and Technology through transport infrastructure, especially railway electrification as a marker of energy transition and public-sector modernisation. RAS often repeats such topics because they connect official data, sustainability, and flagship infrastructure achievements.