IndoCarib
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2011
- Messages
- 10,784
- Reaction score
- -14
- Country
- Location
India has said it will spend £88bn to modernise its crumbling railways, pledging to restore the “backbone” of the country to its former glory – and introduce yoga lessons for stressed-out staff.
The railways minister, Suresh Prabhu, said the network was crucial to India’s economic development as he signalled investment totalling more than 8.5tn rupees over the next five years.
Prabhu promised to make India’s railways safer, build more lines and increase the speed of journeys on nine key routes. He said the government would introduce wireless networks in stations and train the notoriously surly frontline staff in “soft skills” to make travel a more pleasant experience.
He ruled out fare increases, after a steep rise last year sparked an angry public response. The government did not spell out how it would fund the rise in investment.
“Railways facilities have not improved substantially for the past few decades, which is the result of under-investment that affects capacity, leading to poor morale,” Prabhu told parliament as he delivered the annual rail budget.
“This fed into a vicious cycle of chronic under-investment for a long time. We must restore the strength of Bharatiya Rail as the backbone of our country’s transportation infrastructure.”
Rail modernisation is seen as crucial to achieving pledges by the rightwing government of Narendra Modi, the prime minister, to revive growth after a long period of economic stagnation under the previous administration.
Modi said the rail budget, unveiled two days before his government announces its first full budget, marked a “paradigm shift” from discussing coaches and trains to comprehensive reform.
“The Indian railways is not only for going from one place to another, but it is a powerful tool for speeding up India’s economy,” he said in a televised address.
India’s railway system is one of the world’s largest, carrying 13 million people daily, and is still the main means of long-distance travel in the country.
Indian trains are among the world’s cheapest and last year’s steep fare rise was a break from the past. Passenger fares are currently subsidised by freight revenues, but the railways have struggled to win back freight traffic lost to roads, coastal shipping and planes.
Modi’s government has made it easier for overseas companies to invest in its railways, but has not yet managed to attract significant levels of foreign investment.
Indian Railways is among the world’s largest employers with a staff of 1.5 million, who Prabhu said would be trained to make customers feel more welcome.
“Our frontline staff is the first point of contact with the public,” said the minister as he announced plans to give them yoga classes.
He also unveiled a pilot scheme to introduce CCTV in carriages to improve the safety of female passengers and said cleanliness was an “utmost priority”, promising to build new toilets – a pet project of Modi – and improve the condition of existing ones.
Shares in railway companies fell, with investors disappointed at the lack of major reforms.
India plans £88bn railways revamp | World news | The Guardian
The railways minister, Suresh Prabhu, said the network was crucial to India’s economic development as he signalled investment totalling more than 8.5tn rupees over the next five years.
Prabhu promised to make India’s railways safer, build more lines and increase the speed of journeys on nine key routes. He said the government would introduce wireless networks in stations and train the notoriously surly frontline staff in “soft skills” to make travel a more pleasant experience.
He ruled out fare increases, after a steep rise last year sparked an angry public response. The government did not spell out how it would fund the rise in investment.
“Railways facilities have not improved substantially for the past few decades, which is the result of under-investment that affects capacity, leading to poor morale,” Prabhu told parliament as he delivered the annual rail budget.
“This fed into a vicious cycle of chronic under-investment for a long time. We must restore the strength of Bharatiya Rail as the backbone of our country’s transportation infrastructure.”
Rail modernisation is seen as crucial to achieving pledges by the rightwing government of Narendra Modi, the prime minister, to revive growth after a long period of economic stagnation under the previous administration.
Modi said the rail budget, unveiled two days before his government announces its first full budget, marked a “paradigm shift” from discussing coaches and trains to comprehensive reform.
“The Indian railways is not only for going from one place to another, but it is a powerful tool for speeding up India’s economy,” he said in a televised address.
India’s railway system is one of the world’s largest, carrying 13 million people daily, and is still the main means of long-distance travel in the country.
Indian trains are among the world’s cheapest and last year’s steep fare rise was a break from the past. Passenger fares are currently subsidised by freight revenues, but the railways have struggled to win back freight traffic lost to roads, coastal shipping and planes.
Modi’s government has made it easier for overseas companies to invest in its railways, but has not yet managed to attract significant levels of foreign investment.
Indian Railways is among the world’s largest employers with a staff of 1.5 million, who Prabhu said would be trained to make customers feel more welcome.
“Our frontline staff is the first point of contact with the public,” said the minister as he announced plans to give them yoga classes.
He also unveiled a pilot scheme to introduce CCTV in carriages to improve the safety of female passengers and said cleanliness was an “utmost priority”, promising to build new toilets – a pet project of Modi – and improve the condition of existing ones.
Shares in railway companies fell, with investors disappointed at the lack of major reforms.
India plans £88bn railways revamp | World news | The Guardian
