The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has set stiff performance targets for Indian Railways (IR), it is gathered from sources.
Named Vision 2024, the document outlining the plan was tabled at the two-day brainstorming session of IR’s officers named Parivartan Sangoshthi.
The vision outlines completion of all projects by FY24 on the IR network. This includes full electrification of all lines by 2022 (54 per cent as on date is electrified).
By 2024, complete gauge conversion of the remaining sections (2523 route kilometres) besides doubling and tripling of 14,100 route kilometres of rail line has been envisaged.
Freight
Freight loading target for IR has been set at 1600 million tonnes by 2024. The average speed of a goods train is also to be increased from 25 kmph to 45 kmph by the year 2023-24.
IR has to move one-fifth of its total freight on to both Dedicated Freight Corridors by March 2021. This move aims to unlock line capacity in its existing sections.
The target of long haul goods train will be increased by 2.5x from 40 to 100 per day by 2024
By 2024, goods trains are likely to be provided with a maximum permissible speed of 100 kmph in sections as against the existing 75 kmph.
IR has also been asked to develop 50 private freight terminals/sidings each leading upto 2024.
Passenger trains
By 2024, IR has been asked to increase average speeds of passenger carrying trains from 60 kmph to 80 kmph.
The deadline for making the Rajdhani routes between New Delhi-Howrah and New Delhi -Mumbai fit for 160 kmph is also fixed at 2024.
The run time between New Delhi and Mumbai Central is likely to be reduced from 17 to 10 hours by 2024.
Also on the anvil by 2024 are 100 train sets besides conversion of all 12-car rakes on Mumbai suburban to 15-car rakes.
Other targets
The PMO has also envisioned the elimination of 2,560 level crossing gates by road over/road-under bridges besides implementing modern train control systems on the Golden Quadrilateral and its diagonals by 2023.
Total mechanized track maintenance and construction of 1500 foot-over-bridges are to be done by 2024.