Indian Railways Reform: Key Highlights

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For Prelims:

  • Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG): Recent audit report highlighted concerns in Indian Railways’ functioning.
  • KAVACH: Indigenous Train Collision Avoidance System; deployment planned across 37,000 km of railway lines, but only 1465 km covered till Feb 2024.
  • Vande Bharat Train: Features quick acceleration, automatic doors, and onboard facilities.
  • Hydrogen Train: Plans to run 35 hydrogen trains under Hydrogen for Heritage program.
  • Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs): Aim to lower logistics costs. Eastern DFC is fully operational, Western nears completion.
  • Extra-Budgetary Resources (EBRs): Railways’ dependence increases due to high operating ratio.
  • Mission Raftar: Aims to increase
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train speeds, but goals not fully met.
  • Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK): Non-lapsable fund for safety-related projects, proposed by Kakodkar Committee.

    • For Mains:

    • Significance of Railways for India:
      • Lifeline for transport, economic integration.
      • Supports industrial expansion, commodity transport.
      • Major employer.
      • Connects rural areas to markets.
      • Greener transport option.
      • Supports national security.
    • Issues related to Indian Railways:
      • High Operating Ratio: Limits resources for capital expenditure.
      • Slow Infrastructure Development: DFC project delays and bullet train delays.
      • Inadequate Safety Technologies: Slow KAVACH rollout.
      • Slow Journeys: Average train speeds below target.
    • Way Forward:
      • Broaden freight portfolio for specialized goods.
      • Upgrade infrastructure for high-speed rail (160-200 km/h).
      • Develop multimodal logistics parks.
      • Increase private sector participation in various areas.