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Our Bureau

UK-based consulting company to lend assistance

THE UNION Minister for Railways, Mr Lalu Prasad, flanked by the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, and the Railway Board Chairman, Mr J.P. Batra (right), at the Global Rail Freight Conference, in the Capital on Thursday. — Ramesh Sharma

New Delhi March 22 The International Union of Railways (UIC), a body that promotes rail transportation, has selected a UK-based consulting firm to help the bio-diesel project of Indian Railways earn carbon credits.

If successful, this may end up becoming the first project from the railway sector to be registered as a clean development mechanism project at the UN, said the Indian Railway Board Chairman, Mr J.P. Batra, on the sidelines of a global rail freight conference organised by the UIC and the Indian Railways here on Thursday.Mr Batra is also the first non-European chairman of UIC.

Green-house gas

"UIC has tied up with EcoSecurities to conduct a study for the Indian Railways' jatropha plantation and bio-diesel project," Mr Batra said.

To be able to earn carbon credits, Indian Railways needs to prove to the UN that its bio-diesel project has resulted in reduction of green house gas emissions.

If proven, it can earn carbon credits and Railways can sell these carbon credits to companies from developed countries that have to meet green house gas emission reduction norms.

Indian Railways has been planting jatropha on its vacant land, with an aim to use jatropha to produce biodiesel and use it for hauling trains. In 2006-07, the Railways had set a target of planting 72 lakh jatropha saplings. The Railways has also been using bio-diesel to run trains on a pilot basis in two of its zones — Northern Railways and Southern Railways.

Management institute

Earlier, the Union Railway Minister, Mr Lalu Prasad, laid the foundation stone for setting up the International Railway Strategic Management Institute (IRSMI) in Delhi. The Railways has sanctioned Rs 22 crore for construction of the institute, which will be the first of its kind worldwide.

The institute will train international railway managers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Prasad said that with the integration of trade, there was a need for an excellent reservoir of managerial talent in railway sector. He assured full commitment of the Centre for making the institute a successful venture.

The institute is planned to be fully operational by the year 2010 with independent infrastructure.

At the inauguration of the Global Rail Freight Conference-2007 (GRFC), he said that the Indian Railways, with a targeted operating ratio of 78.7 per cent, has entered the select hub of world railways that are able to achieve an operating ratio of less than 80 per cent.

More Stories on : Railways | Environment | Non-conventional Energy

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