How India Is Emerging As A World Leader In Railway Development

The past decade has ushered in a massive network of passenger rail lines throughout the world’s most populous nation.

In a recent presentation, India’s Union Minister for Railways, Communications, and IT Ashwini Vaishaw provided a synopsis of the work that has been done under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and contrasted recent developments with the perceived disregard of prior administrations.

What he had to say

It was hard to argue with the success outlined in Vaishnaw’s address, which was packed with statistics that paint the state of Indian railways in a positive light.

Specifically, he reported that:

• 44,000 kilometers (more than 27,000 miles) of railway had been electrified since 2014.
• In the previous 60 years, only 20,000 kilometers (about 12,400) miles were electrified.
• India added 31,000 km of track over the past decade, the equivalent of all of Germany.

“Today, a 4 km rail track per day is being built in the country,” he proclaimed. “In the last financial year alone, we built a 5,300 km rail network, which is equal to Switzerland’s entire train network.”

The modernization trend is accelerating, he said, as the nation is “heading toward 100% electrification” for its national network.

Making up for lost time

Vaishnaw’s dim view of prior leaders was on display as he touted the accomplishments of the Modi administration.

“Conversion from meter gauge to broad gauge networks should have been initiated during 1950-60s, but that was taken up during [the National Democratic Alliance] government,” he said.

There are several additional projects underway, including renovating hundreds of railway stations and upgrading tracks to high-speed rail.

He noted other advancements, such as in the technological realm, asserting: “10 years ago, 98% of mobile phones were imported, today 99% of mobile phones are made in India.”

Chris Agee May 20th, 2024

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