Concession agreement for rail FDI in a month: Minister

Railway Minister says private players coming in a large way to take up rail modernisation and enhance rail connectivity

Rail minister DV Sadananda Gowda on Friday said the railways would come out with the Model Concession Agreement (MCA) in a month, paving greater role for foreign direct investment and private sector participation in rail modernisation and improving infrastructure connectivity.

“The MCA will be out in one month. We want to take railways to new heights without investment this is not possible,” Gowda told mediapersons at the South Central Railway (SCR) office here as part of zonal consultations on performance.

The minister said private players “were coming in a large way” to take up rail modernisation and enhance its connectivity post the rail Budget.  Among one such thing, he noted the Union Cabinet had recently cleared JSW Group’s plans to link Jaigarh port near Ratnagiri district with the Konkan Railway. The port provides an important gateway for cargo flowing from Maharashtra and K’taka.

The first leg from Jaigarh port to the Konkan Railway line (Digni) will tentatively be ready by 2015. The second leg to the Central Railway line is planned for 2017, stated JSW on its website.

On the formation of a new rail division after the Andhra Pradesh bifurcation, he said the committee concerned would submit its findings by Oct 14 and the Railways would implement it “depending on the requirement of both states and in accordance with the AP Reorganisation Act.”