Union Minister for Railways, Mr. Piyush Goyal on Wednesday reiterated his commitment that railways would go in for 100% electrification of railways lines despite opposition from some quarter within the government and wide spread criticism in editorials of leading newspapers against this move of the government articulating that this line of thinking alone would drastically curtail air pollution across the country and particularly in Delhi NCR in which 50% of railways movement chugs in through diesel locomotives.
Speaking at a 5th PHD Global Rail Convention-2018 under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, Mr. Goyal asked “should the railways under current dispensation abandon the move of 100% electrification simply because it has not happened worldwide or the move is being criticized in newspapers columns. No, this government does not think this way and since it is working in mission mode, the programme undertaken by railways for 100% electrification of its railways lines will continue despite opposition”.
The Minister justified his decision of 100% electrification also pointing out that should the railways discontinue its decision simply because a railway track measuring a few hundred kilometres is not electrified? “Do critics know that 50% of rails that chug in Delhi each day are diesel run and cause immense air pollution? Shouldn’t the 100% electrification move be carried forward in order to drastically reduce the air pollution besides being fastening the pace and speed of railways”, asked the Minister.
“Not only railways will aggressively go forward for 100% electrification, it will make sure that all railways stations across the country are equipped with CCTVs, largely within 2018-19 but would have Wi-Fi facilities in them which would amount to passenger safety and restrict and monitor the crimes that take place under prevailing circumstances”, felt the Minister adding that had Punjab National Bank core banking solution system in place equipped with latest technology, perhaps the fraud that happened there would have been either detected much earlier or even prevented.
Mr. Goyal concluded his remarks by asserting that by the time the year 2022 comes to an end, railways would have over performed and over achieved since the entire core team in the Indian railways are working in mission mode under the leadership of Prime Minister Mr. Modi.
Speaking on the occasion both Ambassadors Czech Republic to India, Mr. Milan Hovorka and Belgium, Mr. Jan Luykx came forward to help India modernize its railways claiming that both these two countries are well equipped both physically and technologically to perform the job.
In his welcome remarks, President, PHD Chamber, Mr. Anil Khaitan in his observations focused on passenger safety and asked the Railways Minister present on the occasion to make railways transport system on par with that of civil aviation so that passengers also prefer railways travel.
