New Delhi: Indian Railways has carried out reforms to enhance safety and efficiency in train operations, improve passenger experience, and expedite network expansion.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Lok Sabha on Wednesday that Railways has immediately imbibed the principles of 'Gati Shakti' in its project planning process.
Drawing upon existing resources, a multi-disciplinary Gati Shakti Directorate has been created in Indian Railways. The Project DPRs are made after consultation with all stakeholders and other infrastructure ministries/departments, Vaishnaw said.
These initiatives have expedited the appraisal /sanction process and execution of Projects. The power of sanction for various projects have been enhanced for GMs and DRMs for faster execution of projects. Full powers have been delegated to General Managers for the finalisation of the tenders. Further, Works Contract Management System (IRWCMS) and Contractor's e-MB have been implemented for transparent & quick/fast contract management and contractor's billing, the Railway Ministry informed.
According to the Railway, to improve safety in train operations, 'Kavach' has been developed as the National Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system on Indian Railways. The work of implementation of Kavach has been taken up in mission mode on Indian Railways. To improve the safety of train operations and road users, all unmanned level crossings on Broad gauge have been eliminated. Further, it has also been decided to replace all manned level crossings in a phased manner by the construction of RoBs/RUBs.
The railway has launched the Amrit Bharat Station scheme aimed at providing world-class amenities to passengers and improving efficiency in train operations at railway stations. So far, 1,337 stations have been taken up for redevelopment in the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, the Minister informed the Lok Sabha.
The Concept of Rolling Blocks have been introduced on Indian Railways in 2023 by a Gazette notification, wherein work of integrated/ maintenance/repair/replacement of assets is planned up to 52 weeks in advance on a rolling basis and executed as per plan by the Divisions, the Minister said.
