Railway Budget 2016: Total Private white-wash of public spaces

Indian Railways is striving to recapture freight traffic, from where it gets its maximum revenues. As the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu unveiled Union Budget 2016 today, he said: “We switched to PPP based contracting last year, and private parties in non-operational areas are working with us.”

“We have for the first time incorporated a statement in the 'Pink Book' of sanctioned works a list of partnership projects. We will win back our share in transportation sector. Every asset will be optimally monetized,” he further said.

The Public Private Partnership project announcements the Railway Minister made are as follows:

- Proposal to undertake implementation of rail connectivity for ports of Nargol and Hazira under PPP for FY 2016-17
- More dedicated freight corridors to accommodate increased freight transport demand
- Freight earnings have been pegged at Rs 1.18 crore
- Rs 1.1 lakh crore are the revised freight earnings
- Time-tabled freight trains with credible service commitments
- Proposal to set up 3 Freight Corridors
- Finalized bids for setting up 2 loco factories with order book of about Rs. 40,000 crore
- Railway electrification to be increased by 50 per cent to 2,000 kms next year
- High average speed of freight trains
- Cabinet nod to creation of Joint ventures with State government for undertaking rail based projects
-Contracts worth Rs. 24,000 Cr awarded against Rs.13,000 Cr worth of contacts in last 6 years
-Key customer managers to liaison with major freight stakeholders
-East-West freight corridor may be extended by 5 km
- At least 10 goods sheds will be developed by TransLoc in 2016-2017. Proposed to develop rail side logistics parks & warehouses. It would be created in PPP mode to bring the required efficiency and investment but also help attract greater traffic to Railways.
- Proposal inviting FM radio stations to provide train borne entertainment by installing PA systems in the trains
- In partnership with Google, 100 railway stations in India to get access to free WiFi by the end of this year and 400 stations by the end of 2017.
- Propose bidding process for station redevelopment under PPP