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India’s railway network is among the biggest in the world, yet its trains move more slowly than those in wealthy countries. Give the reasons for this and the actions the government is taking in this respect. (Answer in 250 words)
. Old Rolling Stock: The trains themselves may be older models that are not designed for high speed travel. Moderns high speed trains require specialized rolling stock with advanced feature for safety and efficiency.
. Safety Concerns: Indian railways prioritize safety, which sometimes necessitates slower speeds, specialy on older tracks and in densely populated areas.
To address this challenges the Indian government has initiated several steps:
1. Dedicated Freight Corridors ( DFCs) : These corridors are being developed to separate freight traffic from passenger traffic which will help in decongesting the existing railway network and allowing faster movement of both passengers and freight.
2. High Speed Rail Projects: The government has launched ambitious high speed rail (HSR) projects such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor( Bullet Train Project) which aims to introduce modern high speed trains capable of speeds up to 350Km/h.
3.Modernization of Infrastructures: Upgradation and modernization of existing railway tracks, including gauge conversion and elimination of level crossing are ongoing to facilitate faster train movements.
4. Introduction of Semi -High Speed -Trains: Projects like the Gatimaan Express and Vande Bharat Express (Train 18) are examples of semi-high-speed trains introduced on select routes to improve travel times and passenger comfort.
5.Technological Upgradation: Incorporation of modern signaling system, track maintenance technologies and rolling stock improvements are being implemented to enhance operational efficiency and safety.
6.Partnership and Foreign collaborations:
Collaboration with Foreign countries and companies for technology transfer and expertise in high speed rail development is being actively pursued.
While these efforts are promising, achieving comparable speeds to developed nations will require sustained investment, technological advancements and comprehensive modernization of the entire railway.
The Indian Railways is the world’s second-largest network under one management. However, it still lags behind in terms of speed and efficiency. As per a recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India, Indian Railways’ operating ratio of 98.36% in 2019-2020 is much higher in comparison to other developed nations. The average speed of express trains in India is around 50 kmph whereas there are more than 20 countries where passenger trains run at a speed of 200 kmph or more. For instance, trains in Japan travel up to a speed of 320 kmph and the French high-speed rail network also allows similar speeds.
Reasons for poor speed of Indian trains:
Steps Taken by the Government
The whole eco-system needs a relook such as improvements in rolling stock, reducing the gap between freight and passenger train speed, time-tabled running of goods trains, reliability of assets, and completing the infrastructure projects expeditiously to ensure the aim of high-speed trains is achieved.