[sadhuji]

After the launch of the Garib Rath (the Chariot of the Poor), the Railway Minister is upbeat about the future of the Railways. The double-decker AC 3-tier coaches constructed at the Kapurthala factory accommodate 74 berths as against 64 in the normal bogies. Also, the capacity of chair cars is increased from 70 to 102 and the number of coaches from 17 to 24. As a result, the expenditure per head per kilometer for operating the fully air-conditioned train has reduced from 47 paise to 34 paise and it has been possible to pass on the gains to the travelers in the form of reduced fares. Till now, all Railway Ministers have been milking the cow and pocketing the benefits to improve his own bank balance apart from the standing in his constituency. Laloo-ji appears to be an exception. No wonder that he was invited to deliver a lecture in the prestigious IIM on how to look at business prospects and lift it from the dumps.

His next plan is to curtail expenditure – it is well known that the first class air conditioned coaches do not generate revenue because no traveler, in his right mind, would opt for patronizing the railways when airlines are available. The coaches that are attached to the long distance trains are usually meant for the MPs and senior Railway and other Government officials. Hence, these are extension of courtesy measures. Our Railway Minister has proposed to do away with this privilege altogether. Similarly, the AC 2-tier is another set of white elephants. In contrast, AC 3-tier is most popular – therefore, it makes sense to focus on this area. While on the subject, he has plans to look into the welfare of the travelers – he will introduce specially trained staff to carry out checks on the foodstuff supplied by the catering agency as well as to maintain checks on the cleanliness in trains and the comfort of passengers.

One more bright idea is to introduce three tier cargo trains – in view of problems associated with overhead electric lines and flyovers, he will have to select areas where such interference does not exist. A possible route would be the Rajasthan-Gujarat freight corridor. Obviously, the Railway Minister is determined to give the airlines a run for their money.