Putting Railways Back on Track: Being the Bogey of Change - Suresh Prabhu

Makeover of Railways

The lifeline of millions of people in India, for whom travelling by air is still a far-sighted dream, the so-called poor cousin of airlines, the Indian Railways is no longer given dirty looks. Faced with criticism and shadowed with controversies in the past couple of years, the system is geared for change in the years to come. The Union Minister of Railways, Suresh Prabhu, the blue-eyed boy in Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi's cabinet, has some really sound and definite plans at hand to change the face of the Indian Railways and make it the favoured mode of transport for all sections and classes of society.

The critical segment of the Indian infrastructure, the focus is not on putting railways on track, but back on railways. And for that, immediate measures are in the offing. "We have implemented 139 budget announcements," Prabhu said while speaking and making a presentation at the India Today Conclave 2016.

Five ways to put Railways back on track
1. Improve cleanliness and beautification of stations
2. Food quality and choice to customers
3. Redesign and refine comfort travel
4. Give voice to customer
5. Exploit the advertising potential

Organisational restructuring to enable cross-functional collaboration and facilitate new business development

1. Empower the Chairman, Railway Board
2. Initiate the merger of services for fresh recruitment
3. Redefine Railway Board structure with members responsible for business functions such as passenger services, freight services rather than functions such as electrical and mechanical

"How many of you sitting here in the audience travel by railways? Not many, I guess."

"Freight is the core sector which drives railways. We plan to expand the freight basket."

"Digital e-ticketing has increased from 2000 to 7,200 tickets on a daily basis."

"Increased physical infrastructure has picked up dramatically."

"There is a strong fleet of sanctioned projects to meet the five-year investment target."

Source : Equity Bulls

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