Indian parliament approves bill to modernise railways

The Indian Parliament has passed a bill aimed at streamlining and modernising the country's railway sector. Indian Minister of Railways, Communications, and Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasised the government's focus on infrastructure development, safety and technology. This is reported by ANI, a partner of TV BRICS.

According to the minister, the bill simplifies the existing laws. It promotes decentralisation by empowering general managers of railway zones to approve projects worth up to US$114 million. Specifically, funding has been increased for Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and West Bengal.

A full access control system will be introduced at 60 major railway stations so that only ticketed passengers can access the platforms. Special trains will be on duty near busy railway stations to accommodate passengers in case of an unforeseen increase in passenger numbers.

Over the last 11 years, 34,000 kilometres of new railway tracks have been laid. Electrification of 45,000 kilometres of track has been completed, significantly reducing dependence on fossil fuels. In addition, 50,000 kilometres of old tracks have been replaced with new, better quality tracks.