After receiving a lot of criticism from Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and passengers, Indian Railways has made some heavy changes towards convenience, safety and basic timeliness of the trains.
Let’s have a look at the top 10 major changes done by Railways:
1. Eliminating all unmanned railway crossings: 31st March 2020 is the deadline to achieve this target.
2. Rail track renewal: There is a 50% increase in track renewal from 2,926 kilometres in 2013-14 to 4,405 kilometres in 2017-18.
3. A device that will help train drivers see through fog: Indian Railways has already installed 4,920 GPS-enabled fog safety devices in trains.
4. Constructing foot-over-bridges: There is a 221% increase in the construction of foot-over bridges from 23 per year during 2009-14 to 74 bridges per year between 2014-18.
5. Improved signalling system: This project is marked at a whopping cost of ₹12990 million to modernise the system.
6. Waterproof engines: The new engines will operate in 12 inches of water.
7. To make purchase of tickets easier: Railways has installed 9,100 point of sale (POS) machines at 4,000 locations.
8. Makeover time for stations: From escalators, lifts, subways, AC VIP lounge, to AC waiting room, restrooms and shopping malls, stations will be revamped like modern airports.
9. A step towards cleanliness: Mechanised cleaning system has been introduced at 488 stations and an automatic rail-mounted machine has been introduced to keep the platforms clean.
10. Increase in rail connectivity: A boost has been given to the infrastructural development in northeast India.
