India, July 17 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India's large-scale railway electrification programme helped the country avoid major disruptions during the recent Strait of Hormuz crisis, highlighting it as an example of long-term planning and infrastructure development.

Speaking at a public event in Haryana after flagging off India's first hydrogen-powered train, the Prime Minister said that if a similar geopolitical crisis had occurred before 2014, Indian Railways would have faced serious challenges because of its heavy reliance on imported diesel.

Modi said that over the past 12 years, the government has focused on electrifying railway lines across the country, reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels and strengthen...