India changes approach toward railways

India changes approach toward railways

Over the past year in office, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put great emphasis on improving infrastructure and connectivity in India, with a special emphasis on railways.

He has sought to link his mission of reviving Indian railways with his foreign policy, and India is exploring possible collaborations with countries and regions in both Europe and Asia in a number of areas, including advanced technologies, upgrading of railway tracks and modernization of train stations. Various countries and regions have already come forward to provide assistance in these areas, including France, Japan, South Korea and China.

Comparisons are often made between the state of Indian railways and China's massive overhaul over the past decade. China's total railway network is 110,000 kilometers in length while India's is estimated at 65,000 kilometers, less than two-thirds of that of China. What is especially admirable is the size of China's high-speed rail network, which is estimated at 15,000 kilometers.

China's success in improving its railways has been achieved largely over the decade and a half since 1999, when the country built its first high-speed rail line. To begin with, high-speed trains were either imported or built through technology transfer agreements with foreign train makers, but Chinese engineers soon picked up the know-how and made their own trains. China's railway success has not just helped it enhance connectivity domestically, but also in connecting with other parts of Asia, as well as Africa and Europe. Rail connectivity is an important component of China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative and its foreign policy.

Modi is an admirer of the remarkable strides made by China in the sphere of railways, and he previously made a private visit to China during which he took a ride on a high-speed train just to learn about how it worked.

While Indian railways have had their fair share of problems, there is an increasing realization that to give support to economic growth, India needs to focus on embracing new technology, enhancing speed and improving the level of services for passengers.

One of Modi's pet projects is the bullet train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai. Currently, the journey takes eight hours, but this would be reduced to less than two hours by the bullet train. A Japanese team, which is undertaking a feasibility study, has stated that the ticket for this bullet train could be 2,800 rupees ($45), much less than for the Shanghai-Beijing high-speed train, which costs around $80.

While the bullet train is a long-term project, the government is already working on increasing the number of semi-high-speed trains that can travel at over 160 kilometers per hour. The semi-high-speed train from Delhi to Agra is likely to be inaugurated soon by Modi.

India has also realized the importance of assistance from the outside world. In August 2014, the Indian government allowed foreign direct investment into a few selected areas such as construction and maintenance of freight corridors, construction of bullet trains and reconstruction and maintenance of passenger terminals.

Railways are also an area in which India and China are likely to cooperate. During Modi's recent visit to China, this issue was given priority and a memorandum of understanding for cooperation on railways was signed. It is likely that China will assist India not just in infrastructure, but also in setting up railway universities. Apart from China, India is also likely to work closely with Japan.

There are certain key issues to bear in mind. First, a middle path needs to be found for the upgrading of Indian railways. There have been debates about privatization, and India is working at exploring synergies between the private and public sectors. Second, there is plenty of scope for progress in railways; after all, India has considerably improved its aviation infrastructure over the past decade. As well as the swanky airports in big cities, India has also been able to build impressive airports in second-tier cities and there is no reason why the success cannot be replicated in the rail sector, though of course it is likely to be a greater challenge.

It would be fair to say that cooperation in railways will help India not just domestically, but also in improving ties with other countries. By setting ambitious but attainable goals and clear timelines, and being open to assistance from a number of countries, the current Indian leadership is adopting the right approach.

Source :GlobalTimes.