Improving Indian Railways

Improving Indian Railways

(1)       Terminate  all  short  distance  passengers  trains,  particularly,  trains  running  with  less  than  15  coaches.  If  there  is  heavy  passenger  traffic  in  any  train,  it  should  run  only  with  24  or  more  coaches.

(2)       Terminate all short distance under load DEMU trains, particularly on main lines.

(3)       Make necessary arrangement to run passenger trains   at    high speed.

(4)       Produce  more  higher  capacity with  higher  speed  AC  and  Sleeper  coaches  along with  higher  speed  capable  locomotives.

(5)       In  freight  traffic,  establish  system  of  dynamic  booking  on  the  basis  of  availability  of  wagons  at  each  Zonal  Railways  with  full  liberty  to  fulfill  demand  as  per  auctioned  rate  for  the  registered  customers,  one  day  in  advance  for  the  next  day.

(6)       Do  away  with  the  fixed  rating  and  differential  rating  of  different  commodities.

(7)       Produce more number of wagons having higher demand in auction.

(8)       Roll-on / Roll-off - more wagons should be made available.

(9)       More  VPU  should  be  available  to  cater  short  distance  traffic  purely  on  dynamic  rate  with  no  minimum  price.

(10)     Do capacity addition for track, coaches and wagon based on Commercial demand.

(11)     Do away with the Manual Maintenance System of track.  Introduce  hundred  percent  mechanized  maintenance  system  and  redeploy  all  surplus  staff  from  Civil  Engineering  to other  department,  where  required.

(12)     Presently  all  over  Indian  Railways,  one  rates  for  advertisement  is  given  by  Railway Board.  This practice needs to be done away with.  Advertisement  should  be  charged  on  the  basis  of  prevailing  market  condition,  local  rates  and  acceptability  by  traders.

(13)     Presently  there  is  no  power  at  Divisional  level  for  giving  land  on  lease  even  for  installing  sewerage  treatment  plant,  solar  panels,  etc.  All  powers  for  short  term  land  lease  up to  10 years  should  be  delegated  to  Branch  Officers  at  Divisional level.

                                                         

(14)     Size  and  activity  of  Railway Board  should  be  reduced  similar  to  Planning  Commission  as  it  could  be  made  responsible  for  broader  policy  issue  only.  Rest nitty gritty should be left to the Zonal Railways.

(15)     Presently, there is lot of fear of Vigilance activities.  If  decisions  taken  are  always  in  favor  of  customers,  this  led  to  Vigilance  case(s)  affecting  the  promotional  prospect  of  staff  and  Officers.  The  attitude  of  New  Public  Administration  (NPA)  should  be  permitted  and  no  Vigilance  case  should  be  initiated  in  such  situation.

(16)     Divisional  level  authority  should  be  given  full  authority  to  establish  shopping  mall  at  local  surplus  land  on  PPP  model  for  a  period  of  10  years.

(17)     Do  away  with  all  peripheral  activities  of  Railways  including  health  services  and  RPF.  Accounts  and  Stores  should  be   made  part  of  concerned  executive  department  only.

(18)     Workshops and Production units should be outsourced.

(19)     Punctual running of trains to be ensured.