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The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has accorded priority to development and expansion of railway infrastructure in the Common Minimum Programme (CMP). Modernization of Railways, safety and security of passengers, replacement and renewal of assets, particularly track renewal, cleanliness, improvement in passenger amenities, control over expenditure and prevention of leakages of revenue have been given priorities as thrust areas for improving rail services to the nation.
In keeping with the above-professed policy of the Government, an Integrated Railway Modernization Plan (2005-2010) has been launched envisaging all round modernization including upgradation of line capacity and improved safety standards to make Indian Railways a world-class Railway.
The Plan envisages upgradation of passenger and freight business segments besides other modernization initiatives that include track and its maintenance practices, bridge management system, signaling, the disaster management and telecom, mechanical and electrical system. The passenger business segment seeks to provide speed trains that run150 kilometres per hour (kmph) on New Delhi-Chennai and New Delhi-Patna-Howrah routes, induction of latest technology coaches in all Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains, expansion of Passenger Reservation System (PRS) and Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) across the country. In coaches, it also proposes to introduce improved safety features such as crash-worthiness and fire retarding and environment friendly toilets. Freight business segment envisages running of freight trains at 100 kmph speed on Golden Quadrilateral and its diagonals, introduction of higher axle load, double stack containers and roll–on-roll-off wagons on the identified routes, introduction of light weight and corrosion resistant steel and aluminium wagons, extension of Freight Operations Management System to cover Terminal, Rake and Crew Management System. It also seeks completion of works identified under National Rail Vikas Yojana along with some other over all enhancement works.
The Modernization Plan has been conceived at an estimated expenditure of Rs.24,000 crore. Allocation of resources, out of total availability of funds every year, would be made to the works already identified.
As per the commitment of the Government, the identified activities for modernization seek to make Indian Railways responsive and responsible organization, besides enhancing its efficiency and customer care at reduced costs. Added to this, the modernization programme encompasses upgradation of freight terminals to meet ever-increasing demands of traffic. This is also intended to facilitate faster release and better utilization of rolling stock. Safety and maintenance related modernization initiatives such as Anti-Collision Device, track circuiting, mechanized maintenance and modern training facilities outlined in the Corporate Safety Plan (2003-2013), are being pursued as per the target.
The Modernization Plan has identified targets for completion of each activity along with funding requirements. A large number of these works are already sanctioned as a part of Railway’s successive Annual Plans and would be financed through normal funding channels. The required balance funds would be generated through measures such as increased internal generation, extra budgetary resources and enhanced budgetary support. In 152 years of its existence since April 16, 1853, Indian Railways have come a long way. It is now carrying over 15 million tons of freight traffic and 15 million passenger traffic, equivalent to the population of 46 nations in the world, covering 4 times the distance between the earth and the moon with 15,000 trains running daily. The number of trains includes 9000 passenger and 6000 freight trains.
Keeping in view the ever-increasing demands, the Railways have to go miles ahead and the Government has been able to put in place a sound base for a leap forward in technological upgradation, modernization, increasing line-capacity, enhancing throughput with faster, safe and secure rail services to the nation. The emerging globalization of Indian economy has thrown a major challenge for the Railways and it must keep up with the ever-increasing demands as already committed by the Government. All measures are afoot to make Indian Railways a world-class railway, ensuring that it remains ahead of the targets and enjoys primacy in the development of the core sector of the national economy.(PIB Features)
**Chairman, Railway Board
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