It is true that there are soft imperatives in India’s development if we want the human-resource multiplier of education on a large scale to be duly leveraged by healthcare to support our economy in the long run, but its most obvious locus There is clearly public infrastructure. Ever since the Industrial Age began, fast-moving, shiny objects have led to notions of progress; So it was no surprise that the Narendra Modi government made spruced up the railways one of its top priorities after taking office. Talk of a leap from the legacy of the British Raj into the era of ‘bullet trains’ and modern stations raised hopes, as seen in better-off countries. In the political arena, this project of Indian Railways 2.0 was seen as a break from the gravy-train map of previous administrations, which chewed up content along with a creaking system and often denied railway jobs, routes and regional Used to stop as an election soap for the constituents. , except I salute you, Mother Services that have reduced schedules a bit and some other upgrades here and there, although we still have the same old network. With railways plans under way, the Center now looks to be bracing for one last dash before next year’s elections, as indicated by record capital outlay 2.4 trillion marked by its budget for 2023-24.
Expansive expenditure plan for Indian Railways by 2022-23, more than halved and huge 2 trillion since 2017-18, reportedly for a hefty bill on ‘rolling stock’ such as locomotives and wagons, both of which are mostly vintage, besides reeled track, network electrification and safety measures, all to meet the challenges Let’s face it. As happened in this financial year, the proposed transfer to the next year Rs 45,000 crore for the Railway Safety Fund is a major part of the total capex outlay. It is part of a commendable effort. As with any dispersal of operations on such a large scale, the weakest link can overwhelm other concerns in the public mind. Our fatal record on rail accidents has been too high for too long, too long a victim of neglect, and can only be rectified by a plug-all-the-gaps mission that leaves no crossings unpaved. with some 90,000 crore dedicated to the cause over a period of three financial years before the 2024 election season, from mid-2021 under Ashwini Vaishnav, the railways ministry will have something to show for it by then. It seems that better engines and cabins alone cannot tell the story of railway revolution.
A better-run transportation business was also part of that promise. After a big initial push, the former gravy train was expected to thrive on efficiency and feed its expansion by reducing earnings, a dream scenario in which it would shine as a highly valuable state asset. The pandemic dashed all hopes of meeting operating costs coupled with revenue shortfall, pushing the ‘operating ratio’ of the Railways to a peak of around 130. ‘Profitable’ in 2023-24 at 98.5, thanks to this year’s strong recovery momentum in passenger and freight revenue. While achieving that figure would be a relief in the context of the network’s need for self-reliance – which would free up central funds for soft-sector outlay – it is still much higher than the low 90s recorded nearly a decade ago. Will happen. As the financial returns on public investment in railways will not be visible for many years to come, we can expect a flurry of action on micro-targeted user-facing change to maximize visibility.
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