Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a program for 100% electrification of Indian Railways, Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal said on Saturday, Hindustan Times reports.
“PM has approved a program for 100% electrification of Indian Railways. We’ll be the largest Railways in the world to be 100% electrified with 120,000 track km across India. By 2030, we also hope to be the world’s first 100% green railways with net zero emissions,” Goyal said at the India Global Week 2020.
Earlier on Saturday, the Prime Minister delivered the inaugural address at the India Global Week 2020—a virtual conference held in the United Kingdom. The Railways Minister further said that India is on the path of getting back into economic action. “We’ve always shown the ability to bounce back rapidly. Historically, India has suffered many challenges, but we always had the resilience to come back into action quickly,” he said at the summit.
In the beginning of July, the Railways had also announced it would begin the operation of private trains along 109 routes by 2023. The fares will be decided by the private players based on competitive pricing, the Railways had said.
Fares for the private trains will be based on competition with other modes of transport in the same segment, including airfares and fares of air-conditioned buses, the Chairman Railway Board VK Yadav had then said.
The bidding and procurement of the private trains and coaches will be done under the government’s ‘Make in India’ policy. According to the ministry, the planned investment will be an estimated Rs 30,000 crore ($4.5 billion), the rakes will need to be manufactured in India. The private entity, however, shall be responsible for financing, procuring, operation and maintenance of the trains.
