Railway plans to set up R&D unit to focus on long term research

Railways Ministry plans to set a R&D organisation, a Special Railway Establishment for Strategic Technology & Holistic Advancement (SRESTHA), to devise long term research priority for railways. “Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO) will now focus only on day to day issues while SRESTHA would drive long term research. SRESTHA, which will be headed by an eminent scientist reporting directly to Railway Board chairman, will be staffed with scientists and a limited number of Railway experts,” said Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Railways while presenting the railway budget 2016-17.
 
The railway budget has also proposed for consolidation of holding companies of railways under one umbrella. “The companies owned by Indian Railway are its assets with immense future potential. We propose to examine the feasibility of bringing most of these companies under an umbrella of a holding company which would provide the necessary strength for leveraging the combined resources as also in providing the much needed flexibility in utilising the strength of each of the subsidiaries,” said Prabhu.
   
For ensuring delivery of quality services to its customers, Indian Railways (IR) is taking steps to be equipped with modern and cutting edge technology. IR’s priority areas such as high speed rail, heavy haul, rolling stock and signalling require collaboration with the best in the world. “In the short term, we have partnered with some of the best railways to develop indigenous capability in these areas. To institutionalise and take forward such cooperation in key technology areas, the Government is working on a Foreign Rail Technology Cooperation Scheme (FRTCS),” said the Minister.