Until recently, Indian Railways (IR) was adept at hyping its progress, especially by comparing the current government’s decade with the previous one. Now IR mainly makes news for knee-jerk reactions to accidents, cancellations, and defensive measures.
The policy shift from manufacturing only air-conditioned coaches to mostly non-air-conditioned ones was abrupt, leaving the AC manufacturers high and dry. The final blow to the plan for 150 passenger train pairs by private train operations came with the decision to re-evaluate and delay the public-private partnership. Additionally, the empowerment of divisions to undertake Gati Shakti projects was reassigned to the Construction wing, even as Railways’ freight modal share has actually declined instead of the avowed increase. Meanwhile, IR proudly claims to be the world’s only fully-electrified “green” railway, while ignoring 5,000 surplus diesel locos and the irony that its increase in freight loading relies on record coal transportation, the most polluting fuel.
IR’s response to recent accidents has been inadequate. After media uproar, it hastily advertised vacancies for safety staff and impulsively decided to equip 10,000 locos with Kavach, although full benefits would flow only when the ground equipment is installed.
The Railways also announced peripheral measures like installing cameras with AI technology instead of using this technology for real-time alerts, formulation of unified rules and training that would specify precautions in case of failure of automatic signals for drivers, station masters, guards, pointsmen, etc.
Another pressing matter is the growing perception that IR is retreating from the goals and reforms it set years ago. A glaring example of this is the aluminium train sets. Aluminium trains have been in the news ever since Integral Coach Factory (ICF) issued a tender for 20 train sets in 2017 — named Train 20 — with a view to deliver them in 2020. In 2018, however, the project was shelved. The issue resurfaced when IR issued a tender for 100 aluminium train sets, a bold move. Why aluminium? To improve energy efficiency of a train and even cost savings, it is imperative to reduce its weight by switching to a lighter material like aluminium.
The tender showed the government’s resolve for a quantum leap in railway technology. But this euphoria was short-lived and IR recently announced that it had abandoned this tender because of high cost and lack of know-how and competition in India, after failed negotiations with the lowest bidder, Alstom.
The expected and offer prices differed by mere 3 per cent in the ₹30,000-crore project. After facing a backlash for pushing the ‘elitist’ Vande Bharat trains while neglecting the needs of ordinary travellers, the Ministry seems to have lost the appetite for pursuing meaningful projects. The current environment, with its unprecedented railway investments, is highly conducive to large-scale technology acquisition and assimilation in facilities by the private sector. But if IR decides to walk away from futuristic projects, it would be a colossal step backward.
The writer is leader of Train 18/Vande Bharat project and Independent Rail Consultant