Freight rolling stock needs revamp

Railway upgrade should embrace new generation wagons by involving the private sector

Passengers of Indian Railways are travelling more comfortably — coaches are designed better, station amenities are more hospitable and trains are faster. The bullet train is adding fizz to expectations. The widely-publicised trial runs of the Spanish-made Talgo coaches, and the shift from ICF (Integral Coach Factory) coaches to the safer and better-styled LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) coaches all add up to a visible effort to upgrade the passenger travel experience.
 
But as they whiz past, window-facing rail passengers still see the ubiquitous goods trains — “maal gadi” of yore — clunking steadily along. These drab goods trains — open or