India will scale up the production of Amrit Bharat trains, the first of which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Ayodhya, as the government continues to overhaul and modernise the nation's railway infrastructure, according to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
"We will run the two Amrit Bharat trains (flagged off by the PM) for eight to 10 months and make improvements based on experience," Vaishnaw told NDTV Profit's Tamanna Inamdar in an exclusive interview. "Then we plan to begin serial production and make 300-400 trains a year."
Amrit Bharat is a no-frills express train that offers a smoother "jerk-free" ride and a better travel experience to passengers with improved services. Amrit Bharat trains will allow a family to travel for 1,000 km at Rs 480, Vaishnaw said, underscoring that train travel in India is cheaper than other countries.
The new train, along with Vande Bharat express and India's first bullet train line that is under construction, is part of the Modi government's 'rail revolution' to meet the needs of a fast-growing economy and aspirations of the middle class, according to the minister.
The government's focus on India's railway sector is driven by goals to add capacity, electrify the rail network, reduce logistics cost for companies and improve on-board services for passengers, according to Vaishnaw.
"We have added 26,000 km of rail network and electrified 40,000 km in the last 9.5 years," he said. "Last year, we added 5,200 km of rail tracks; that's like adding one full Switzerland to the rail network. We are building 14 km of rail track per day," he said.
And the budget for railways has surged from Rs 35,000 crore before 2014 to Rs 2.4 lakh crore this year, he said. “Anywhere between Rs 2.4 lakh and Rs 2.6 lakh crore is what we should maintain,” Vaishnaw said. “Simultaneously, we have to ramp up operational and safety standards; that’s why we think it is an optimal level for the next few years.”
Vande Bharat A 'Superhit'
To improve passenger services, the government has reconstructed 1,309 stations as "world-class stations" and a new generation of train sets have been launched, Vaishnaw said.
The flagship premium-class Vande Bharat trains "is a superhit" with a 98% occupancy rate, the minister said. The train "addresses the aspirations of the younger generation and middle class".
And the government targets to open the first phase of the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train from Surat To Billimoria on Aug. 15, 2026.
Freight Push, Efficiency Goals
Vaishnaw also highlighted the benefit Indian companies will have by relying on the rail freight network for transportation of goods that will cut logistics cost and ease the pressure on roadways.
"Average cost of transportation by road is Rs 3 per tonne/km. Rail is Rs 1.60 per tonne/km. That is a saving of Rs 1.25 lakh crore."
He said that 160 Gatishakti Cargo Terminals are approved and getting constructed, while 60 such terminals are operational.
The electrification push—a major focus area—will also be doubled down upon to meet efficiency goals.
In terms of the entry of private players in railways, he said it is a complex system and hence, it is best to be under public control.
Watch the full conversation here:
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