 "India’s first Bullet Train will be ready in 2026, confirms Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Rising Bharat Summit 2024")
“India’s first Bullet Train will be ready in 2026, will run in one section from Surat to Bilimora in Gujarat,” Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday at the Rising Bharat Summit 2024.
The Centre is working on the 508-km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR (highspeed rail) project that will initially cover Surat-Bilimora in Gujarat, and the full stretch is expected to be completed in 2028.
As per reports, India is expected to seal the deal for procuring 24 E5 Series Shinkansen trains (bullet trains) from Japan by March end.
The minister further informed that work on the 284-kilometer stretch of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR (highspeed rail) project is already completed.
“Bullet trains are not just about travel and journeys, they will be a major boost to economy,” Vaishnaw said.
3 things help fast-track upgrading of India
In his address, the minister pointed out three things that have helped fast-trach upgrading of Indian Railways’ technology.
1 - Increased funding to Indian Railways
2 - Systematic plan for future maintenance of Railway technology
3 - Depoliticising Indian Railways.
Increased funding
Vaishnaw said railways in India have seen a massive transformation with a remarkable change in its budget. “Earlier only Rs 15,000 crore was allocated for the railway budget. Ever since it was merged with the general budget, it has been increased to Rs 2,52,000 crores,” he added.
Systematic plan for future maintenance
The Railways Minister said India in the 10 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, “practically all states have been electrified.”
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“As much as 40,000 kms have been electrified in the 10 years of Modi government, as opposed to 20,000 kms in the 60 years before that. Also, new tracks have been laid on 30,000 kms,” the minister said.
“We added as much railway tracks as Germany’s entire railway network and we have been adding about one Switzerland worth of railway networks each year,” Vaishnaw said.
India is building the capacity to handle 1,000 crore annual passengers, by 2030, the minister said, adding that currently the Indian Railways carry about 700 crore passengers annually.
Depoliticising railways
The minister said, before 2014, the Indian Railways was treated like “a cow carrying milk”.
“Earlier, ministers would only focus on announcing new trains, coaches, stations, and no one was bothered about whether the tracks had capacity,” Vaishnaw said.
“Their focus was not on passengers or the railways, it was on their politics. PM Modi depoliticised railway and put it through a technical overhaul,” the Railways Minister said.
Railways now working with a changed culture
Vaishnaw said there has been a change in culture in how Railways work. “PM Modi gave us a free hand in taking tough decision.”
The minister also gave an example saying, earlier regular maintenance of tracks was not being done because of contracts and improper planning. Often, maintenance workers would assemble near a segment of the track, but leave by the end of the day without working because their supervisors failed to get permissions on time.
Now, we plan out regular maintenance schedules for 26 weeks in advance, on every Fridays.
“Railway employees are happy that they can work freely and that the railway is operating as a technical organisation should,” he added.
Goal to strengthen Viksit Bharat foundations in next 5 years
Vaishnaw said the government has been laying the foundations of a Viksit Bharat and “in the next five years, the goal is to strengthen these foundations.”
The minister further said Vande Bharat and NaMo Bharat trains have been giving middle class Indians and aspirational youth an experience that is truly world class.
“NaMo Bharat is great for regional transport,” he said, adding that Vande Bharat sleeper coach trains are coming soon.
“Vande Metro and Amrit Bharat Train are also on the way,” the minister added.
Kavach or ATP should’ve been adopted earlier, opposition failed
Vaishnaw said, ATPs or Automatic train protection technology was started in 1980s in other major countries across the world, but in India it started in 2016 only by PM Modi.
“Previous Indian governments should have invested in safety as early as 2000s… Had the Opposition started it in 2000s, the country would have had Kavach-like ATPs all over,” Vaishanaw said.
“Now, we have invested over Rs 1,87,000 crores,” he added.
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