Guwahati, April 28: The Northeast Frontier Railway plans to use jatropha oil, a green fuel, to run trains in two years.

Chief public relations officer of NF Railways Trikalagya Rabha said the board has already planted 4.47 lakh jatropha plants along the railway tracks and in vacant railway spaces. The board?s target is to grow five lakh plants.

?We are going all out to reach the target by finding more space to plant jatropha. The use of jatropha oil will cut down on one of the railways? biggest expenditure ? fuel,? said Rabha.

Officials said jatropha, which would be planted on both sides of the tracks, would improve safety by preventing cattle from straying onto the railway tracks.

The wonder plant, Jatropha Curcas (ratan jyoth), is a shrub with a smooth grey bark, which exudes a whitish, watery latex when cut.

It generally grows to a height of three to five meters, but can shoot up to eight or 10 meters under favourable conditions.

The plant adapts well to arid and semi-arid conditions and does not require fertile soil and moisture. Therefore, it grows almost anywhere, even on gravely, sandy and saline soil.

The jatropha plant produces seeds with oil content of 37 per cent, which can be used as a fuel without being refined. It burns with a clear smoke-free flame and has tested positive as a fuel for simple diesel engine.

Railway officials said the bio-diesel would not only enable the board to cut down on fuel bills, but also control pollution levels.

Sulphur and lead emissions are reduced significantly when bio-diesel is used.

The railways consume 10 per cent of the country?s total diesel and are keen on blending jatropha oil with diesel to minimise petro-diesel consumption.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is currently engaged in testing the bio-diesel.

The Indian Railways have signed a memorandum of understanding with the IOC for an important pilot project for production of bio-diesel for the railways in 2003.

The jatropha seeds will yield 500-800 metric tonnes of bio-diesel in two to three years.

The railways have already tested the bio-diesel, supplied by the IOC in Lucknow, on a trial run in diesel locomotives hauling Shatabdi Express between New Delhi and Amritsar.