IR’s 100 Day Plan envisages a slew of measures. Review to be conducted in August.
Indian Railways (IR) has proposed a slew of measures at a high-level meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday to remain relevant in the future.
As part of its 100-day plan, IR plans to provide passengers with an option to purchase rail tickets without subsidy using a ‘Give it up’ campaign.
Henceforth, all passengers will be given two options: To book tickets with or without subsidy.
The move aims at reducing passenger subsidy. Presently IR recovers only 53 per cent of its expenses from passengers on an average.
A comprehensive awareness campaign across all media formats, print, TV and digital and others will be done to implement this. The scheme is akin to the ‘Give it up’ scheme floated by the previous NDA government for LPG cooking gas cylinders and for senior citizens who did not wish to avail the senior citizen concession on Indian Railways tickets.
Wi-Fi at all stations
IR also plans to provide Wi-Fi at all its 6485 railway stations (excluding halt stations) within the next 100 days. Currently, such facilities are available at 1603 stations and work is in progress for the remaining 4882 stations.
Private passenger trains
IR plans to do a pilot test by offering two trains to its PSU, IRCTC, based on the concept of haulage [a concept by which IR recovers the actual cost of running a train including operation, maintenance and other services plus a profit margin]. Ticketing and onboard services will be provided by IRCTC which in turn will pay annual lease charges to IR. These two trains will run on the golden quadrilateral and its diagonals.
IR also plan to gauge the interest of private parties in running day trains and overnight trains connecting important cities besides routes having low congestion and connecting important tourist destinations.
An expression of interest document is likely to be floated within this quarter to ascertain the routes or circuits that these entities are interested in.
Post short listing of interested parties, a detailed tender (RFP/RFQ) would be floated for obtaining a quote to run trains. IR plans to consult its trade unions before going ahead with this proposal.