The Ministry of Railways has proposed several initiatives as part of its 100-day plan for the new government following the Lok Sabha polls 2024. These include the introduction of a new 24-hour refund scheme for Indian Railways train tickets, the launch of Vande Bharat sleeper trains, the completion of the final stretch of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link project, the development of a “super app” for railway passengers, and the construction of India’s first vertical lift railway bridge.
Ministries are gearing up to implement various “people-friendly” measures following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive to prepare a 100-day plan for the new government. Indian Railways intends to introduce a 24-hour ticket refund scheme, replacing the current three-day process, and launch a comprehensive “super app” offering multiple services like ticketing and train tracking.
Also Read: Data of 7.5 mn boAt customers leaked on dark web
Indian Railways 100-day roadmap
We take a look at some of the top focus areas for Indian Railways:
- Indian Railways aims to initiate the PM Rail Yatri Bima Yojna insurance scheme for passengers within the first 100 days.
- The government is seeking cabinet approval for three economic corridors spanning 40,900 km, necessitating an investment of Rs 11 lakh crore.
- There are plans to launch a more passenger friendly refund scheme that will allow passengers to get refunds for train ticket cancellations within 24 hours.
- A “super-app” may be launched that will allow train passengers to track their train status, book tickets and do a host of other railway related tasks in one place
- Plans include the operation of trains from Jammu to Kashmir upon completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link project. This stretch of the USBRL project also includes the Chenab bridge which is the world’s highest railway bridge (Taller than Eiffel Tower!) and the Anji Khad bridge which is Indian Railways’ first cable-stayed bridge.
- India’s first vertical-lift bridge, the Pamban railway bridge connecting the mainland with Rameswaram, is slated to become operational. Train services between Mandapam and Rameswaram were halted in Dec 2022 due to safety concerns regarding the existing 1913 rail bridge.
- Railway authorities are also focused on introducing sleeper versions of Vande Bharat trains. The first prototype of the Vande Bharat sleeper train is currently being manufactured by BEML in Bengaluru and is expected to be ready in six months time.
- The aim is also to expedite the bullet train project. The focus will be on operationalising approximately 320 km of the 508 km Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train stretch by April 2029.
Also Read: Pune: Condoms, stones, gutkha etc found in samosas served in Tata Motors Company