Free WiFi services have been provided to 50 lakh passengers at 115 railway stations across the country and the railways propose to provide such facility in running trains too later, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.
Replying to a question during Question Hour, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said the execution of WiFi facility at 400 railway stations has been entrusted to RailTel Corporation, a subsidiary of the Railways, without any fund allocation by the government.
"The number of passengers using the WiFi services at all stations was approximately 50 lakh in the month of February at 115 stations so far provided with WiFi service," he said.
A total of 400 railway stations will be covered in the first batch and the criterion adopted to instal the service depended upon the volume at stations.
Prabhu said WiFi facility, being a public service, was not just provided to railway passengers but also to all visiting the stations, including a large number of students.
"Of course, there is also a proposal to provide it in running trains," he said responding to a query from a member, adding that the facility is available in some trains already.
"We will try to give it in most trains," he said.
Prabhu claimed that the use of WiFi at stations was being regulated by guidelines issuing by Department of Telecom and no case of violation of these guidelines has been reported.
"All DoT guidelines are followed so that no website banned by DoT can be opened," he said.
The Railway Minister also claimed that the facility as provided by Google was according to them "the biggest and fastest public WiFi in the world".
To another question on whether the stations in the east would be covered, he said, "Because the Sun rises in the East and we cannot ignore the East."
In reply to a question on provision of solar powered panels on rooftops of trains, he said the Railways have provided solar panels on rooftops of 19 narrow guage in Norther Railway and 4 broad guage non air-conditioned coaches in service for use of electrical energy generated in train lighting system on a trial basis, which would save a total of Rs 41,000 crore over a period of 10 years.
"Indian Railways have embarked upon a mission to save Rs 41,000 crore over a period of 10 years through efficient energy management and power procurement," he said.
(Reopens PAR15)
Prabhu said the Railways was targeting to work both on traction and non-traction energy.
On solar energy, he said the target was to produce 1,000 MW-500 MW from roof top and 500 MW from land-based PV panels.
"The other measure is to do with wind energy. The target is 200 MW and I am happy to say that the installed capacity is already 36.5 MW, when we recently installed it in Jaisalmer.
"On waste-to-energy, we are working on ten locations. Already Jaipur plant produces 5 tonnes a day and 100 KW hours a day; Delhi plant produces 15 tonnes a day. Tenders for eight more are under various stages of finalisation," he said.
The Minister said Railways will explore possibility of having tie-up with cities because the waste of municipal corporations will be substantially higher than Railways and waste-to-energy plants should not be put up for Railways waste generation alone.
He said a very miniscule portion of energy will come from the top of the coach and it was on an experimental basis.
Prabhu said that most of the energy would come from land base, which is 500 MW. Another 500 MW would come from rooftops and rooftops of all railway buildings which are using a lot of electricity.
"Power from the rooftop will be used for captive consumption essentially in the buildings where it is put up whereas the land based solar panel generation will be used for traction power," he said.
