Indian Railways is expecting a year-on-year revenue growth of 8-10 per cent, according to the Union Minister of State for Railways, K. H. Muniyappa.
The Minister , who was in Mangalore to flag off Yashvantpur-Mangalore-Karwar train on Thursday, said the need of the hour now is to get aggressive on market-focused public-private partnership (PPP) models, by engaging rail users in planning process for tailoring total logistics solutions.
The existing schemes for wagon leasing, sidings, private freight terminals and container train operations, and rail connectivity projects, will be made more attractive from the rail users’ perspective. This is because of the limitations of funding support from the Government and constraints with regard to internal generation and market borrowing, he said.
Vision 2020
The Minister said the Railways’ Vision 2020 estimates a need for over 5,000 diesel and 4,000 electric locomotives over the next decade. Stating that this requires huge investments, he said the role of private sector and PPP, therefore, becomes pivotal.
A shift in cargo from roads to Railways will have a positive impact on energy consumption patterns and increase Railways’ competitiveness. In this regard, the second phase of the Rae Bareli coach factory will be commissioned in 2012-13. A wagon manufacturing unit in Orissa and three coach factories in different States, will also be set up during the current financial year, he said.
Indian Railways will provide bio-toilets in 2,500 passenger coaches. The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has come forward to bear half of the cost of this project to retrofit all passenger coaches on the Railway system in the next five years.