The Indian Railways, taking note of increased
demand in the passenger travel sector, has been seeking to upgrade the
infrastructure. Subsequently, it is planning to procure new trains with a total
investment of ₹1 lakh crore over the next few years, said Union Railways
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
There are many aging good trains which
need to be upgraded and the government wants to ensure the availability of
trains for goods and services, informed the Railways Minister.
“The goal is to replace aging rolling
stock for which 7,000-8,000 new train sets will be needed. Tenders for the same
will be called in the next four to five years. This will entail floating train
procurement tenders worth around ₹1 lakh crore which will be honoured over the
next 15 years by replacing the older rolling stock,” said Vaishnaw.
Vaishnaw continued the Railways has
already utilised 70 per cent of their ₹2.4 lakh crore budget for the Financial Year
2024, adding that the track laying project is progressing according to the plan.
He added, “We will need an investment of
close to ₹12 lakh crore in the Indian Railways to cater to the current level of
economic growth by 2030.”
The proposed procurement of trains will include
maintenance contracts and specific conditions mandating their production within
Bharat, leveraging existing Railway infrastructure.
Advancing Railway Infrastructure
He presented a list of significant
structural and procedural reforms that expedited capital spending within the
Railways. The capital budget is particularly earmarked for a substantial
renovation, covering the enhancement of key infrastructure such as trains,
tracks, safety technology, and stations.
On specific projects, Vaishnaw said completion
of the 1,337 km Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor will pave way for new
industrial hubs and facilitate Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals. Nearly 80 per cent
of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor is also complete.
According to Vaishnav, as much as
5,000-6,000 km of tracks have been laid in the current fiscal – averaging 16 km
of work on daily basis. This is an increase compared to 5,243 km of tracks laid
in FY23, which averaged 14 km per day.
Eliminating Waiting Lists
The Indian Railways currently runs 10,754
daily train trips, and the plans to include 3,000 additional trains to eliminate
waiting lists entirely.
“To resolve the issue of waiting lists
in passenger categories, except during peak demand months, we aim for a 30
percent increase in trips by the end of this decade,” shared Vaishnav.
The Indian Railways has already
increased trips by 568 in comparison to pre-Covid years, permitting it to accommodate
700 crore passengers on yearly basis. This figure is likely to rise to 1,000
crore annual passengers by 2030.
NE Watch Desk
