Indian Railways enter the select hub of world railway with operating ratio of 78.7 per cent

Indian Railways with an operating ratio of 78.7 per cent (anticipated) has entered the select hub of world railways who are able to achieve an operating ratio of less than 80 per cent. The Minister of Railways Shri Lalu Prasad said this while addressing a gathering at the inauguration of the Global Rail Freight Conference-2007 (GRFC) being jointly organized by the Indian Railways and the International Union of Railways (UIC) here today. The Minister said that Indian Railways have registered a major turnaround in its financial health with its focus on reducing the unit cost of operation and the achievement has also to be seen in the context of no price rise in freight and passenger segments, over the last three years.

The Minister further said that globalization of manufacturing practices across the world has changed the definition of rail transportation. Containers have bridged the gap between road and rail as an optimum solution for providing door-to-door service. The focus on multi modalism will be able to provide full logistic support to the customers rather than purely rail transportation. The Minister also praised the efforts of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) and UIC for undertaking Trans-Asian Railway Network, which if implemented will provide a faster and shorter land route and may challenge the shipping lines. Government of India on its part has decided to sign the Inter-Governmental Agreement on Trans-Asian Railway, an initiative of UN-ESCAP, said the Minister. He hoped that GRFC would debate various options of positioning rail transport as a competitive, effective and cheaper mode of transport.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri J.P.Batra, Chairman, Railway Board, who is also the Chairman of UIC said that Indian Railways’ investment strategy over the next decade would give top most priority to accelerate the identified projects of Dedicated Freight Corridor, strengthening port and industry rail linkages, augmentation of capacities of rolling stock manufacturing units and creating world class terminals and logistic parks. The project will remove the existing constraints on the network by adoption of heavier haul and longer trains. There is no doubt that as long as Indian Railways travels on the path of positive considerations and pragmatism, nothing can stop its forward march, said Shri Batra.

The two-day conference being attended by delegates from more than 25 countries will share their experiences in Rail Freight Transportation. Also present on the occasion among others were the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Minister of States for Railways, Shri Naranbhai J. Rathwa, Vice Chairperson, UIC, Ms. Anne Marie Idrac and Mr. Luc Aladiere, Chief Executive, UIC (Paris).

Source : Press Information Bureau

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