Finance Minister proposes key measures for optimisation of cost in railways

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday presented the budget 2020-21 in the parliament.

In her address, enlisting the achievements of Railways within 100 days of the assumption of the central government, she proposed five measures for optimisation of costs.

The Minister proposed to set up a large solar panel capacity alongside the railway tracks on land owned by railways.

"More Tejas type trains will connect iconic destinations," she said.

Apart from large solar power capacity alongside the rail tracks, four-station re-development projects and operation of 150 passenger trains through PPP mode has been proposed.

Finance Minister also said that central government would provide 20 per cent of the equity and facilitate external assistance up to 60 per cent of the project cost.

With an aim to build a seamless national cold supply chain for 'perishables', the Minister also proposed that the Indian Railways will set up a "Krishi Rail"- through PPP arrangements.

"There will be refrigerated coaches in express and Freight trains", she said.