Railways modernising, says Lalu

Railways are modernising their infrastructure and have prepared a 10-year plan to make the country's lifeline a world-class service.

"Our agenda is to make Indian Railways world's number one from the current third position. We have taken several steps in this direction. We are also evaluating the need of the Railways in all sectors -- wagons, coaches and wheels," Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said.

Talking to reporters after over 90-minute talks with a high-powered US delegation in New Delhi, Prasad said Indian Railways was also modernising its infrastructure as per the requirements in the coming years as referred to by Railways ambitious dedicated Freight Corridor Project.

The railway minister said this when the leader of the 16-member

US delegation Admiral David Blair, Prof of Economics National Development University, asked what steps were being taken to sustain the ongoing turnaround. Blair appreciated the steps taken by Indian Railways, unveiling a new economic model 'raising volumes and capacity utilisation' which lead to the phenomenal turnaround.

Belying international myth that economic recovery, when organisation is facing losses, was possible through downsizing the workforce, he said that Indian Railways had achieved success without retrenching a single person or even raising passenger and freight fares.

The 16-member delegation comprises mid- to senior-level government officials of the US Army, Navy and Air Force, besides personnel from civil and foreign services. -- PTI

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad with David Blair (right), Professor of Economics in the U.S. National Defence University, and other officials during a meeting at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Photograph: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images