NaMo will make Indian Railways world class

The Narendra Modi Government in its upcoming budget is likely to introduce high-speed trains on the lines of those running in Japan, China and several European nations. The move will give India a giant leap to fulfill its ambition of joining elite club of high-speed trains. This will be a part of reforms in the cash-strapped Indian Railways, which needs immediate attention.

As per a report published in Hindustan Times, new Railway Minister DV Sadanand Gowda, in the run up to his maiden budget presentation in Parliament next month, is going to revive the two-year-old plan favouring off-the-shelf purchase of high-speed train sets.

Report says, the Ministry has proposed purchase of two such train-sets, whose cost may lie between Rs 170 and 300 crore a piece, to give India a significant technological boost and fulfill its ambition of joining elite club of high-speed trains – without having to re-invent the wheel.

Sources said that a presentation was given to Rail Minister recently – predicting the possibility of buying such trains on lease from the French, German or Japanese vendors.

According to a PIB report, studies conducted by International Organisation on High Speeds (UIC) showed – High-speed trains would improve accessibility, result in substantial savings of time and thereby help in enhancing productivity, attract new economic activities, result in better land use, reduction in accident rate and generating additional capacity for railway systems.

Besides providing for a 44 per cent increase in average speeds, such trains are capable of reducing energy consumption by 29 per cent and reduce travel time by 30 per cent, UIC report says.

However, on existing broad gauge tracks these trains would not be able to achieve their maximum speed of 300-350 km per hour. These trains are proposed to be run at 130 km per hour but it will reduce the travel time by an estimated three hours between Delhi and Howrah and Delhi and Mumbai.

The Ministry is also vigorously pursuing the proposal to build high-speed corridor between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.

The move gains further ground as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed bringing in speed trains and bullet trains to improve the standards of Indian Railways, which is among world’s largest railway network.

Apart from focusing on developing the Diamond Quadrilateral network for high-speed trains, development of railway infrastructure will be the top priority of the Modi Government. Revamping the outdated and broken down railway network might also find a mention in the Rail Budget. Safety and security of passengers is also an area that needs immediate attention.

Frequent incidents of trains derailing, collisions and fires have always raised questions over safety standards of the Indian carrier. There are hardly any safety measures brought in place to tackle such issues. The Government needs to brainstorm over developing anti-collision device and check the death of beasts over railway tracks.

News of hundreds of wild elephants, rhinos, deer, etc. coming under trains is a daily affair. The Government needs to take steps to reduce it.

Soon after taking office, Gowda hinted that the new dispensation has intended to bring major changes in the railway sector and that he would focus on the ‘four S’- safety, service, security and speed.

Safety and security of passengers is always at risk due to ever increasing crime on trains. It is a major area of concern for Indian Railways and needs to be dealt strictly. Railway staff must be sensitive towards the plight of women passengers.

In a slew of measures to improve the standard of Indian Railway system, the Rail Minister would constitute an expert team to guide him in the functioning of the department. If things work out well then ‘Metro Man’ E Sreedharan could also be a part of it.

Another major sector that requires a makeover is the service. People might not mind paying extra on fares provided the quality of coaches – which includes proper seats, toilets and ventilation – and the quality of food being served to the passengers is improved. Improvement in standards of cleaning and sanitation of stations as well as coaches needs utmost care.

Indian Railways is losing Rs 900 crore per month and the Government needs to find a way out. Reeling under financial crunch, it had proposed 14.2 per cent hike in passenger fares and 6.5 per cent increase in freight rate on May 16. The hike was to be effected from May 20. However, it put the hike order notification on hold and issued another saying let the next Government take a decision on it.

Asked whether Railways will go for a hike in passenger fares and freight rates as proposed by the previous Government, the Union Rail Minister had said he will explore all the pros and cons of things before coming to any decision. But, a final decision over the same would be taken by the Prime Minister.

In yet another move to boost railway’s revenue receipts, Gowda, in his maiden budget, might also to announce 100 per cent FDI in railways and a more investor-friendly PPP model.

Thus, Narendra Modi Government’s first Rail Budget will emphasise in these areas to bring the ailing Indian Railways on track. more