The Ministry
of Railways have taken major initiatives during the last four
years of the Government since October 13, 1999 to improve rail
infrastructure and augment rail services to meet the challengers
of emerging globalization of Indian economy. Besides, safety
was given top priority.
The major initiatives
included introduction of a non-lapsable Special Railway Safety
Fund at a cost of Rs. 17,000 crores, National Rail Vikas Yojana,
an outside budgetary initiative, with a corpus of Rs. 15,000
crores and the Corporate Safety Plan (2003-2013) at a cost of
Rs. 31, 835 crores, fixing accountability for all railway functionaries
from the apex down the line upto the gangmen for improving safety
of rail services. Rail link to Kashmir Valley from Jammu-Udhampur-Katra-Qazigund-Srinagar-Baramulla
was declared a National Project, funded by the General Exchequer,
to be completed by August 15, 2007.
In addition, a
total of 591 kilometres of new lines, 1,363 kilometres of gauge
conversions and 765 kilometres of doublings were completed.
Added to this, 1,618 route kilometres were electrified.
Other important
initiatives, during the period, include a number of public-private
partnerships that Indian Railways have entered by way of equity
participation in
Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) on cost sharing of the projects.
Some of the initiatives taken in this regard to augment rail
infrastructure are : cost sharing of suburban projects by the
Governments of Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra
Pradesh; participation through SPV route by the Governments
of Karnataka and Maharashtra; cost sharing in non-suburban projects
by the Governments of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Jharkhand; private
participation through SPV in Pipavav Rail Corporation Limited;
a private railway system for providing rail connectivity to
Mundhra Port. Some other programmes include Mumbai Urban Transport
Project and Multi-Modal Transport System.
In the area of
passenger amenities, 599 new trains including 16 Jan Shatabdie
trains were introduced, services of 481 trains extended and
frequency of 148 trains increased. A massive sanitation and
cleanliness system was also introduced. Thirteen multi-cuisine
Food Plazas have been established at major stations and 34 Food
Plazas were underway. Free infant food below five years has
also been introduced in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains. Railways
own packaged mineral water Rail Neer has also been introduced
to provide pure and hygienic water to rail users. Menu and tariff
of standard casserole meals, breakfast, tea and coffee have
been rationalized and catering services in Jan Shatabdi made
optional.
With major initiatives,
Indian Railways are on a sounder footing with its operating
ratio having reduced from 98 to 92.3 in 2002-2003, with ever
increasing hauling capacity both in passenger and freight traffic
to meet the ever growing demands of increase in bulk movement
of people as well as from trade, commerce and industry.
