Indian railways and NITI Ayog prepare roadmap for running private trains
Railways are expected to get an investment of more than 22 thousand crores by allowing 150 private trains to operate on 100 rail-routes. The Indian Railways and NITI Aayog have prepared a roadmap regarding this.
According to news agency PTI, a discussion paper titled ‘Private Partnership: Passenger Trains’ has been brought about the investment. In this, 100 routes have been identified, on which investment of Rs 22,500 crore will come from allowing private units to operate 150 trains. The important thing is that foreign companies will also be able to invest in it.
It has been told in the discussion paper that private companies will be allowed to charge the fare according to the market in their trains. According to their convenience, they will be able to install different categories of bogies in these trains, as well as select stations with their stoppage on the route. Apart from this, privatization of trains will help in bringing modern technology and reducing the cost of maintenance. At the same time, along with providing world class facilities to the passengers, it will also help in reducing the demand and supply gap.
Routes of private trains operating include Mumbai Central-New Delhi, New Delhi-Patna, Ahmedabad-Pune and Dadar-Vadodara’s Indore-Okhla, Lucknow-Jammu Tawi, Chennai-Okhla, Anand Vihar-Bhagalpur, Secunderabad-Guwahati and Howrah-Anand Vihar is included. Right now India’s first private train Tejas is running between New Delhi-Lucknow. IRCTC is responsible for running Tejas.
These are the characteristics of Tejas
In this, in addition to compensation for the delay of the train, the passengers get many special facilities. The train features personal LCD entertainment-cum-information screens, on board Wi-Fi service, comfortable seats, mobile charging, personal reading lights, modular bio-toilets and sensor tape fittings like the aircraft. Tejas Express has a carrying capacity of 758 passengers.
