Investing in rail today will truly help the country achieve its long-term goals – not just from a sustainability perspective but also from a broader socio-economic growth perspective.
Can you imagine India without railways? The steel rails that crisscross every corner of our vast country have fueled the progress of an ambitious nation. The Indian railway system has become the second largest railway network in Asia and the fourth largest in the world, with more than 22,000 trains in operation, a daily passenger count of 24 million and more than 200 million tons. goods. Indian Railways is the foundation of the Indian economy, a catalyst that helps India gain a foothold in many aspects.
Evolutionary state of Atma Nirbharta
For years, Indian Railways has been importing technology to build its trains. To meet the needs of one of the most populous countries, we have produced more train cars than any other country, but we still struggle to build the most suitable trains. Our trains lack the aesthetics and design we only associate with the West. It took us more than 70 years after the British left to launch our own indigenous half-speed train – the Vande Bharat Express – in 2018.
The Vande Bharat trains changed the nature of rail travel in India, becoming symbols of an ambitious and resurgent India. This proves that we have the talent and ability to plan, design and manufacture a world-class train set independently. The circle has come full circle as the government prepares plans to export Vande Bharat ships by 2025-26.
It is important to note the government’s progressive policies aimed at accelerating railway modernization.
Encouraging public-private partnerships and enabling 100 in the railway sector has established modern manufacturing facilities that help promote ‘Make in India’ and ‘Engineering’ initiatives. India’s government. A good example of this is the high-speed heavy freight train engine, the WAG-12B locomotive being built at one of India’s largest integrated manufacturing facilities in Madhepura, Bihar.
A joint venture between Alstom and Indian Railways, this is the largest foreign direct investment project in the Indian railway industry, gradually reaching a localization rate of nearly 90%.
Today, WAG-12B locomotives are not only manufactured in India for India but are also exported. With India being one of six countries in the world that manufactures these high-capacity locomotives, this technical collaboration puts India on the global map for manufacturing and skilled manpower.
This joint venture has the potential to boost India’s ambitions to become a manufacturing hub. Rooted in our Atmanirbharta cause, it has nurtured local talent at every level – from fresh graduates, technical experts to senior executives – for their businesses, proving is a catalyst for India’s economic goals of self-reliance and self-sufficiency. Metro: a solution to India’s urban mobility challenge
India will soon become the world’s second largest metro system, surpassing Japan, South Korea and the US. At least 20 Indian cities have metro systems, with about 870 km of lines in operation and another 1,040 km under construction.
The metro revolution is part of the government’s overall smart cities mission, which aims to make urban India liveable for a wider population. While half of India’s population is expected to live in urban areas by year.
By 2050, the urban rail network will be the clearest public transport option due to its reliability, affordability and ability to reduce congestion caused by private transport.
Increasing the metro’s share in the typical urban transport mix could help the economy achieve its commitment to net-zero CO2 emissions. Look how Delhi Metro has changed the daily travel habits of millions of city residents. More than 51 lakh passengers use this service, thereby helping to reduce traffic emissions per capita.
Here too, companies like Alstom have played a key role in most of the metro projects in India. As part of the “Make in India” campaign, the metro is now manufactured locally with a high percentage of locally sourced components.
Given India’s commitment to addressing climate change, railways are a natural vehicle to help achieve these goals. After all, trains are perhaps the most sustainable form of public transport, for both people and goods. Investing in rail today will truly help the country achieve its long-term goals – not just from a sustainability perspective but also from a broader socio-economic growth perspective. This is why trains are really taking off in India.
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