<b>T N Ninan:</b> A broken model

Revamping Railways will need bold thinking, and lots of money & time. And all three may be scarce

The railways have long prided themselves on being the economic backbone of the country. There was a time when a railway strike could cripple the economy in no time, for it would cause shortages of foodgrain, diesel and other essentials; today, in a transportation picture that has changed dramatically, it is the railways that look crippled. Their business model is broken, and re-inventing it will need bold departures in thinking, not to speak of a tonne of money and loads of time. All three may be in short supply.

How did we get here? The short answer is that