Parliamentary Standing Committee On Railways Recommends Ways To Improve Functioning
The Committee has recommended that on-going redevelopment of stations should focus on improving crowd management to prevent any untoward incidents.
Published : March 13, 2025 at 4:06 PM IST
New Delhi: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Railways has recommended the Ministry to establish a dedicated task force for better project oversight and coordination among stakeholders and emphasised early engagement with local representatives and state governments to reduce bureaucratic delays.
Dr CM Ramesh, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Railways, presented the report in Lok Sabha and informed that the Committee observed that 1337 stations have been identified for development under 'Amrit Bharat' Station Scheme and out of these, tenders for development works have been awarded and works are in progress at 1202 stations.
The Committee expressed concern that only one station had been upgraded against the target of 453 stations during 2024-25 (as of December 2024). It has recommended that the redevelopment of stations under the 'Amrit Bharat' Station scheme should focus on improving crowd management to prevent any untoward incidents. It has urged the Ministry to evaluate the PPP model’s success, particularly at Rani Kamalapati Railway Station (in Bhopal), to identify best practices and the potential scalability of the same to other stations while attracting private investment and expertise.
Budgetary provisions for structural improvements:
As per the Committee report mentioned, it has observed that safety works of Level Crossings and Road Over/Under Bridges are among the thrust areas of Annual Plan 2025-26, and for this purpose, Rs 706 crore and Rs 7000 crore, respectively, have been allocated. The persistent issue of water-logging in RUBs causes significant inconvenience to the people.
To mitigate water-logging, the Committee has urged the Railways to allocate sufficient budgetary provisions for structural improvements, including adjusting bridge heights, incorporating advanced technology, and implementing efficient drainage systems, alongside regular maintenance. In the report, the Railways are urged to develop a robust grievance redressal mechanism to deal with the concerns of local people effectively.
Revenue:
According to the Committee report, the Railways' net earnings have remained marginal for the last three years, with a projected net revenue of Rs 3,041.31 crore for 2025- 26 and lower passenger revenue (Rs 92,800 crore) compared to freight revenue (Rs 1,88,000 crore).
The Committee has recommended the Ministry to explore alternative avenues to boost passenger revenues by including service-based revenue generation, improved onboard amenities thereby increasing of passenger base by allowing passengers transition from road and air transport to more sustainable railway alternatives. It has emphasised optimising operational costs linked to passenger services and a strategic improved approach to cost optimisation to maintain affordability while strengthening overall financial viability.
Operating Ratio:
The Committee said that the Ministry may take proactive measures to improve the Operating Ratio by enhancing revenue generation and controlling working expenses. The Ministry should also focus on reducing Ordinary Working Expenses by adopting cost-effective technologies, optimising energy consumption, utilising renewable energy for traction, and diversifying non-fare revenue sources, the Committee report states.
High-Speed Rail Network:
As per the report, the Committee observed that the total cost of Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project was estimated at Rs 1,08,000 crore and an expenditure of Rs 71,116 crore has been incurred so far on it as on January, 2025, and the overall physical progress stands at 48.55 per cent.
The Committee has recommended that feasibility studies be conducted, innovative financing models may be explored, and funding may be secured before sanctioning new corridors.
What Railway Experts Say:
"Whenever Railways get recommendations, it examines all the suggestions and recommendations if these are feasible to be implemented or not. If the Railway feels any issue to implement the recommendation then it replies to the reason for it,” Sudhansu Mani, railway expert and retired senior officer, told ETV Bharat.
"The Railways gets so many recommendations, but it implements these suggestions after undergoing a process of checking and impacts," SK Bansal, railway expert and retired senior railway official, told ETV Bharat.
