Railways will be free of metre gauge: Prabhu

NEW DELHI, May 26: Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today emphasised that infrastructural  expansion was the need of the hour and said in 2017, work approval will be given for conversion of all metre gauge lines into broad gauge and except for heritage line in hilly areas, universal gauge system will come into the Railways in three years time.
In an interview, Mr Prabhu, on completion of three years of the Modi Government, said  that in the past 64 years, freight loading has grown up by 1344 per cent and passenger by 1,642 per cent  while the infrastructural expansion has been only 23 per cent.
He said after the Modi Government came to power, more focus has been given to infrastructural  development.
In the last three years, investment of about Rs 3-lakh-crore has been spent on the doubling, triple, electrification, two coach factories, private freight terminals and private siding, which were mobilised from the budgetary resources and from the market as loan, he said.
Mr Prabhu said for doubling, triple and electrification, the Railways had spent around Rs 65,500-crore and laid  more than 20,000 km track.
The Railway Minister said after eliminating all metre gauge from the Northeast region, contracts for converting metre gauge into broad gauge would be given and in three years, the entire rail network will be free of metre gauge.  He said that 42 per cent of the rail track were electrified and in the next five years, it would be doubled.
Thus, by reducing the consumption of diesel and procurement of electricity from the open market, along  with generating 1300 MW of solar and wind power will save Rs 41,000-crore in ten years.
Besides energy audit, new measures will be taken to increase the energy efficiency.
He said the Railways was working towards ‘Zero Accident’ Mission and in 2016-17, 1503 unmanned level crossings were eliminated which was the highest ever, and in the past three years, 3,904 unmanned level crossings were eliminated.
In the next two years, Indian Railways aims to be the engine for India’s economic growth and development by being safe, financially viable, environment-friendly and caring for its customers and employees. (UNI)

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