Railways work on hybrid BOT model for greater private participation
Forty more railway stations will be tendered shortly, following the completion of stations at Bhopal and Gandhinagar which have world-class features in terms of city integration and passenger flow, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, has announced at an industry meet.
The EPC will be developed in a risk balanced way with as many as 20 payment points for a 3-year project, he told a group of top corporate leaders during physical interaction organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi on 4 Dec 2021.
The Ministry’s focus is on improving the passenger experience through world-class railway stations. Spending on new lines, doubling of tracks and electrification among others is on track, he said.
Modern train sets with air cushions are being designed and will be rolled out at the end of next year, he informed the business heads, inviting them to participate with the Government in creating tourism as a new growth segment for the Railways.
He highlighted that wagon designs are being changed to cater to different commodities and products.
The Railways is working on a hybrid BOT model for greater private participation, he added.
The Ministry is stepping up investment in new tracks, capacity and other rail infrastructure, said Vaishnaw, calling on businesses to increase the share of goods transportation by rail which would result in reduced cargo costs.
He also informed that India is developing its own 5G system while the PLI scheme for telecom manufacturing has been “very encouraging” with 35 applications.
Vaishnaw also expects the electronics manufacturing to exceed the US$250 billion annual production target by FY2026.
Similarly, Startup India had targeted 100 unicorns by 2025, but more than 70 are already in place, he noted. A user-centric, trust-based regime is being developed. fiinews.com
