 "Railway budget emphasises on long-term planning to augment network")
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu while presenting the Railway Budget 2016-17 in Parliament today announced the National Rail Plan in order to provide long-term perspective to planning for augmenting the railway network. Indian Railways will develop National Rail Plan 2030 (NRP-2030) in consultation with all the stakeholders including state governments, public representatives and other relevant central ministries.
NRP-2030 will endeavour to harmonise and integrate the rail network with other modes of transport and create synergy for achieving seamless multi-modal transportation network across the country. This will result in an integrated planning and cost optimisation of the transportation network by laying the new railway lines and new highways together in tunnels and over mega-bridges.
Prabhu also announced the intention to set up a Railway Planning & Investment Organisation for drafting its medium (5 years) and long (10 years) term corporate plans and based thereupon, identify projects which fulfil the corporate goal. The organisation will independently conduct market intelligence and support preparation of feasibility studies or detailed project reports based on standard methodology and assumptions. Further, the organisation would propose innovative financing mechanisms for identified projects.
Spelling out his vision, the Minister said that the Railways must provide to the citizens of this country a rail system that they can be proud of – a system free from capacity constraints, a system that is efficient and predictable, a system that is sparkling and pristine, where the people of the country feel at ease, where there is plenty of choice in every sphere of activity, and the ease of doing business pervades the entire railway ecosystem. In short, a system that is capable of taking care of its own needs financially and otherwise, he added.
NRP-2030 will endeavour to harmonise and integrate the rail network with other modes of transport and create synergy for achieving seamless multi-modal transportation network across the country. This will result in an integrated planning and cost optimisation of the transportation network by laying the new railway lines and new highways together in tunnels and over mega-bridges.
Prabhu also announced the intention to set up a Railway Planning & Investment Organisation for drafting its medium (5 years) and long (10 years) term corporate plans and based thereupon, identify projects which fulfil the corporate goal. The organisation will independently conduct market intelligence and support preparation of feasibility studies or detailed project reports based on standard methodology and assumptions. Further, the organisation would propose innovative financing mechanisms for identified projects.
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Suresh Prabhu said, “By 2020, Indian Railways look forward to meet the long-felt desires of the common man such as reserved accommodation on trains being available on demand, time tabled freight trains with credible service commitments, high end technology to significantly improve safety record, elimination of all unmanned level crossings, punctuality increased to almost 95 per cent, increased average speed of freight trains to 50 kmph and Mail/Express trains to 80 kmph, semi high speed trains running along the golden quadrilateral and zero direct discharge of human waste.”
Spelling out his vision, the Minister said that the Railways must provide to the citizens of this country a rail system that they can be proud of – a system free from capacity constraints, a system that is efficient and predictable, a system that is sparkling and pristine, where the people of the country feel at ease, where there is plenty of choice in every sphere of activity, and the ease of doing business pervades the entire railway ecosystem. In short, a system that is capable of taking care of its own needs financially and otherwise, he added.