#REGRET/WL: Railway tableau fails to confirm berth for Republic Day parade

New Delhi: The Indian Railways will not be showcasing its projects or achievements at the Republic Day parade this year as its tableau has been rejected by an expert committee. This year, the Railways’ theme was based on connectivity to remote parts of the country, like the North East, ease of booking tickets through mobile phones, cleanliness and other upgraded amenities at trains and stations. [caption id=“attachment_2593750” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The tableau Ministry of Railways passes through the Rajpath during the 66th Republic Day Parade 2015, in New Delhi on 26 January 2015. Image courtesy PIB[/caption] Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in November 2014 flagged off the first train connecting Mendipathar in Meghalaya to Guwahati and it was part of the replica this year. However, the theme was rejected as the experts committee responsible for selection of tableaux did not find it very interesting, said a senior railway ministry official. A replica of “bullet train” mounted on the Railway tableau drew applause from the crowd as the national transporter showcased the ambitious high speed train project at the Republic Day parade last year. Last year the theme was “Indian Railways – on fast track to the future”. In 2014, Pir Panjal tunnel, a 11-km long tunnel which connects Kashmir Valley with the Jammu region was the theme of the Railway tableau. PTI