India's railway investments focus on Vande Bharat amid criticism over passenger centric solutions
New Delhi: India's government has achieved a delicate balance in the 2024-25 budget by increasing spending on employment and rural development while transferring more funds to states and reducing the fiscal deficit.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned the Railways only briefly during her 83-minute Budget speech, though the Economic Survey 2023-24 highlighted a 77% increase in capital expenditure on the Railways over the past five years. This investment focuses on new line construction, gauge conversion, and track doubling.
According to the survey presented in Parliament, the capital expenditure on Railways increased from ₹1.48 lakh crore in the financial year 2019-2020 to ₹2.62 lakh crore in 2023-24.
In an interview with NDTV, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the dramatic increase in railway capital expenditure, which rose from around ₹35,000 crore before 2014 to ₹2.62 lakh crore in 2023-24. He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister for this record-level investment. Vaishnaw criticized past administrations for announcing new trains without considering track capacity, leading to populist measures that neglected the infrastructure needs of the railways.
Vaishnaw outlined the substantial progress made in railway expansion and electrification under the current administration. Since 2014, 40,000 km of railway tracks have been electrified, and 31,000 km of new tracks have been constructed. This contrasts sharply with the 20,000 km electrified over the sixty years prior to 2014. The pace of track construction has also increased, from 4 km per day in 2014 to 14.5 km per day in the last fiscal year, resulting in 5,300 km of new tracks, he added.
Safety has been a major focus, with last year's investment in safety-related activities totaling ₹98,000 crore, increasing to ₹1,08,000 crore in the current budget. This investment aims to replace old tracks and install new signaling systems, with extensive implementation of Kavach 4.0 approved for enhanced safety measures.
When questioned about the Railways' focus on the Vande Bharat flagship trains at the potential expense of lower-income passengers, Minister Vaishnaw clarified that the approach addresses the needs of both the large low-income base and the growing aspirational class. He emphasized the commitment to meeting the needs of all passenger groups.
The Vande Bharat trains feature numerous advanced technologies, including Kavach protection, rapid acceleration, and semi-high-speed operation up to 160 km/h. They also boast fully sealed gangways for seamless passenger movement, automatic plug doors, ergonomic reclining seats, revolving seats in the executive class, and enhanced ride comfort.
Vaishnaw explained that the railway structure ensures each train follows a standard composition, with a specific ratio of air-conditioned to non-air-conditioned coaches, typically maintaining a ratio of one-third air-conditioned to two-thirds non-air-conditioned. To meet the increased demand for non-air-conditioned travel, the railways have launched an initiative to manufacture 2,500 additional non-air-conditioned coaches, with plans to produce another 10,000 over the next three years, beyond the regular production schedule. This initiative aims to ensure that low and middle-income families can travel safely and affordably, with trains offering world-class facilities at a cost of approximately ₹450 for a 1,000 km journey, he said.
Despite this, the budget has faced criticism from the opposition. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge accused the NDA government of presenting a weak railway budget, remarking that the Railways had become "neither here nor there." He criticized the government for ongoing railway accidents, halted trains, reduced coaches, and difficulties faced by ordinary passengers, noting that the budget failed to address these issues or establish any accountability.
In response, the Minister emphasized the increased focus on safety and the government's commitment to ensuring secure rail travel. He explained that every unfortunate incident is thoroughly analyzed through a statutory mechanism involving the Commissioner of Rail Safety. The government takes these incidents seriously and is dedicated to preventing their recurrence. Acknowledging the vastness of the railway network, he affirmed that all possible efforts are being made and will continue to be made to enhance safety.
Despite recent train accidents raising expectations for additional funds to enhance passenger safety, the budget did not include major announcements concerning the Railways.
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
