With an eye on modernising Indian Railways in the 12th Plan period starting this year, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi on Wednesday increased allocation for rolling stock by 16 per cent to Rs 18,493 crore for the next financial year.
The allocation around 30 per cent of the annual Plan outlay, is the highest ever made by the railways in rolling stock. The announced investment is in contrast with the one made by Trivedi’s predecessor Mamata Banerjee in Rail Budget 2011-12, when the railways had cut expenditure on rolling stock by four per cent, to Rs 14,120 crore.
“Upgrade of coaches, including EMU ones, locomotives and wagons, will be one of the key areas of modernisation in the next five years — to improve safety, convenience and comfort of passengers. I propose the highest-ever plan allocation of Rs 18,193 crore,” said Trivedi. Indian Railways is estimated to require an investment of Rs 1,70,751 crore in rolling stock during the 12th Plan period.
During the course of the current financial year, however, increased expenses in procuring locomotives, carriages and wagons shot up 12.5 per cent to Rs 15,888.7 crore. While outlay on carriages increased 53 per cent to Rs 4,597 crore, that on wagons and locomotives rose 13 per cent to Rs 4,977 crore and Rs 5,902 crore, respectively.
In contrast, in 2012-13, nearly 50 per cent of the additional Rs 2,600 crore (over the revised estimates of Rs 15,888.7 crore for 2011-12) provided for induction of rolling stock would go towards purchasing locomotives for the railways. The ministry is looking to procure new-generation electric locomotives of 9,000 and 12,000 HP and diesel locomotives of 5,500 and 6,000 HP to facilitate running of heavier and longer freight trains at higher speeds.
This is crucial for achieving the ambitious target of increasing earnings from goods traffic by over 30 per cent to Rs 89,339 crore from the current Rs 68,620 crore. Freight earnings have grown a moderate 9.8 per cent in the current financial year.
Investment in wagons, meanwhile, is set to increase around six per cent to Rs 5,262 crore. But the overall volumes of wagons acquired by the railways would go down to 16,000 units next financial year from the 18,000 wagons procured in the current year. Trivedi indicated the railways were looking at inducting new auto car wagons capable of carrying 318 cars per rake and new wagons of 25-tonne axle load to improve productivity. “Freight trains would then be able to carry an enhanced quantum of cargo with attendant revenue gains,” informed Trivedi.
