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Rly facelift needs Rs 14L cr, PM told
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Friday sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s help to fine tune the finances of the country’s largest transport. In a meeting ahead of the Budget Session, Trivedi gave to the PM a blueprint for Railway’s modernisation plan that projects a requirement of Rs 14 lakh crore to modernise the rail network across the country.
This amount would be required over the next decade for modernisation of rail network, which include automation of signaling system, strengthening of track and procurement of modern rolling stock.
Railways finances are under acute stress following an increase in its operational cost and implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission. In the lack of any additional budgetary support from the Finance Ministry, work on many railway projects have slowed down.
The Railway is at loggerheads with the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission over the latter’s proposal for a blanket hike in passenger fares and freight charges. Under Mamata Banerjee and now Trivedi, the Railways intend to mop up revenue through alternate means without taking the route of fare hike that returns negative electoral dividends.
Railway sources said in his meeting with the PM, Trivedi emphasised on the need for a separate safety plan and sought a liberal grant from the general exchequer outside the rail budget. The safety plan involves speedy installation Train Protection warning System, upgradation of signal and telecommunication system and mechanised maintenance of tracks.
Besides, the ambitious safety plan also envisages induction of fire-resistant LHB coaches and locomotives as a long-term measure and elimination of unmanned level crossings to do away with mishaps on the tracks. The last few years have seen minimal investment in the safety infrastructure due to poor financial health of the railways.
There is growing concern about the maintenance of railways’ vast network of tracks and the slow pace of installation of anti-collision devices and train protection warning systems. The Railway Minister had on Thursday said that “the present railway system has outlived its utility” and “we are in some kind of Victorian age” where “signalling is archaic”.
Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Friday sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s help to fine tune the finances of the country’s largest transport. In a meeting ahead of the Budget Session, Trivedi gave to the PM a blueprint for Railway’s modernisation plan that projects a requirement of Rs 14 lakh crore to modernise the rail network across the country.
This amount would be required over the next decade for modernisation of rail network, which include automation of signaling system, strengthening of track and procurement of modern rolling stock.
Railways finances are under acute stress following an increase in its operational cost and implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission. In the lack of any additional budgetary support from the Finance Ministry, work on many railway projects have slowed down.
The Railway is at loggerheads with the Finance Ministry and the Planning Commission over the latter’s proposal for a blanket hike in passenger fares and freight charges. Under Mamata Banerjee and now Trivedi, the Railways intend to mop up revenue through alternate means without taking the route of fare hike that returns negative electoral dividends.
Railway sources said in his meeting with the PM, Trivedi emphasised on the need for a separate safety plan and sought a liberal grant from the general exchequer outside the rail budget. The safety plan involves speedy installation Train Protection warning System, upgradation of signal and telecommunication system and mechanised maintenance of tracks.
Besides, the ambitious safety plan also envisages induction of fire-resistant LHB coaches and locomotives as a long-term measure and elimination of unmanned level crossings to do away with mishaps on the tracks. The last few years have seen minimal investment in the safety infrastructure due to poor financial health of the railways.
There is growing concern about the maintenance of railways’ vast network of tracks and the slow pace of installation of anti-collision devices and train protection warning systems. The Railway Minister had on Thursday said that “the present railway system has outlived its utility” and “we are in some kind of Victorian age” where “signalling is archaic”.
