The Hindu Business Line : Railways on track to augmenting capacity

The Railways proposes to conduct pre-feasibility studies for running high-speed trains at 300-350 kmph, one in each region. It will also take up a pilot project for introducing higher axle load freight cars.

The Indian Railways (IR) performance report card of 2006-07 has brought cheer to the establishment. It moved about 9 per cent of additional freight during April-December 2006 over the corresponding previous period. Passenger earnings too increased by 14 per cent in these nine months. Freight earnings and gross traffic revenues jumped 17 per cent. In his Budget, the Rail Minister, Mr Lalu Prasad, has laid out a roadmap, though for a short, five-year period, for technological upgradation and modernisation of the system, instead of the traditional catalogue mostly of populist measures such as new trains, projects, and largesse. Of course, several schemes he announced are a repeat of the last year, or a year before.

In the context of the target of 1,100 million tonnes of originating freight traffic in the terminal year (2011-12) of Eleventh Plan against the current level of 725 mt, and passenger traffic of 8.4 billion against 6.4 billion now, the IR proposes to make substantial investments. For 2007-08 it has budgeted an outlay of Rs 9,220 crore for rolling stock, excluding the equipment to be leased through Indian Railway Finance Corporaton. The allocation includes Rs 3,160 crore for locomotives, Rs 3,030 crore for coaches, and Rs 2,480 crore for wagons. A provision has been made for Rs 650 crore for workshops and production units.

High-Speed Trains

The rapid growth of the economy and the rising industrialisation and urbanisation are leading to unprecedented growth in inter-city travel, opening up infinite possibilities for developing high-speed rail corridors. IR proposes to conduct pre-feasibility studies for running high-speed trains at 300-350 kmph, one each in the northern, western, southern and eastern regions.

Likewise, construction of the eastern and western Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) is to start in 2007-08. Allotment has been made in the Annual Plan for the DFCs for Rs 1,330 crore out of a total cost of about Rs 30,000 crore for the project. IR wants to lay a special emphasis on containerised cargo, to increase it five-fold, to 100 mt, by 2011-12. It has already started operating double-stack container trains in Gujarat, from the Pipavav Port to Jaipur. In 2007-08, the IR plans to experiment with triple-stack container trains (for motor vehicles) on diesel routes and double-stack containers on electric routes. It also plans to extend the MGR (merry-go-round) system for movement of coal for big consumers.

To augment rail tracks, a multi-pronged strategy of increasing payload and reducing tare weight of wagons, running trains loaded in both directions, minimising empty running is being adopted. The IR estimates an improvement of 1 per cent in the ratio of payload and tare weight to bring in an additional annual earnings of Rs 1,500 crore; a 5 per cent improvement is to be achieved over the next five years.

Freight car capacity

It is taking up a pilot project for introducing 22.3- and 22.9-tonne axle load freight cars. Recently, 25-tonne axle load cars were operated on trial. An increase of 10 per cent in wagon productivity is expected to lead to an annual incremental earnings of Rs 4,000 crore.

To manufacture higher axle load wagons, production of new technology bogies, couplers, draft gears, etc., an industrial complex is to be set up at Dalmianagar in Bihar. In spite of an increase of production capacity of Chittaranjan Locomotive Works from 150 to 200 engines per annum, the IR plans to set up a new electric locomotive factory at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore at Madhepura, also in Bihar.

Along with the expansion of the IR network, it is claimed that the availability of rolling stock will be increased through effective utilisation, technical upgradation and modernisation, as well as by setting up new production units. The capacity of existing rail coach and locomotive production units will be enhanced. High horse power, energy-efficient locomotives with new technology will be produced. Production of MEMU, DEMU and EMU coaches is to be stepped up. One new factory, each for rail coaches, diesel locomotives, electric locomotives and wheels is to be set up.

IT-related effort

The IR has been encouraging private sector participation and investments, particularly in the wagon procurement and rail siding liberalisation schemes. Said Mr Lalu Prasad: "Public-private partnership options will be explored with the aim of modernisation of metro and mini-metro stations with world class passenger amenities, development of agro-retail outlets and supply chains, construction of multi-modal logistics parks, warehouses and budget hotels and expansion of network and increased production capacity."

The IR proposes to provide handheld computer terminals to travelling ticket examiners in reserved passenger coaches for the vacancy position — coach-wise, berth-wise — to be fed into these terminals, which will be directly linked to the PRS (passenger reservation system) to enable allotment of vacant berths to wait-listed passengers at ensuing stations. Clearly, Indian Railways is on the move.

(The author is a former Managing Director of Concor.)