CAPITAL COSTS
The capital cost of an electric loco is 3.22 crore. At least 7 MW is required to run an electric loco an the tracks. With Rs 4.25 crore per MW needed to set up one power plant, Investment per loco is Rs 29.25 crore. The cost of electrification per route km is Rs 50 lakh. With one loco in every 5 km, additional cost of overhead electrification per loco comes to Rs 2.5 crore. Thus, the comparative capital cost of different locos are:
Diesel = Rs 4.62 crore
Electric = Rs 34.97 crore

PERSONNEL PRIORITIES
Personnel required for every diesel loco is between 6 and 10; an additional 0.2 person is needed for fuel installation. On the other hand, an electric loco needs 5 persons for overhead electrification and another 20.3 persons at the power generation centre. For total overhead, diesel locos turn out to be less labour intensive:
Diesel = 8.2 person/loco
Electric = 32.3 person/loco

SPEED SPECIFICATIONS
The 4,000 hp diesel loco currently under procurement from US compares more than adequately with the 6,000 hp electric loco from Switzerland. The accelerating torque of the new diesel loco is higher than that of the new electric ones. This will ensure that diesel locos take less time to haul trains with frequent stops. We compare the speeds of two currently used locos: Diesel = 22.3 kmph
Electric = 22.1 kmph

MAINTENANCE MARGINS
Maintenance cost of the 3,112 operating diesel locos comes to Rs 441.30 crore, against the 2,097 electric locos demanding Rs 238.57 crore. As there are no electric locos engaged in shunting operations, maintenance cost of 747 diesel shunting locos are to be disounted. For total maintenance cost, we need to add the cost of spares (Rs 11.96 crore for diesel and Rs 55.55 crore for electric locos). Also, for the electric tractions, we need to add the maintenance cost of overhead electric lines which came to rs 167.90 crore in 1994.95. Here are the total as well as the average maintenance cost per loco:
Diesel(total) = Rs16.5 lakh
Electric(total) = Rs 24.8 lakh
Diesel(average) = Rs 390.57 crore
Electric(average) = Rs519.55 crore

RELIABILITY REALITIES
During 1995-96, 1,886 diesel locos lost punctuality against 1,399 electric locos. Another 303 electric locos lost time on OHE account. Total diesel and electric locos plying on mail and express links are 1,374 and 576 respectively. The number of trains that lost punctuality per loco per annum is:
Diesel = 2.74 trains
Electric = 5.90 trains

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Energy output on rail as percentage of fuel burnt is 36% less in diesel traction. But diesel locos turn out to be more efficient when the transmission loss for electric tractions is accounted for. Also, cost of electricity to the Indian Railways has increased 149% since 1988, whereas the diesel cost has increased only 96.5%. The annual fuel bill for locos are:
Diesel = Rs 1449.71 crore
Electric = Rs 2141.88 crore