Foreign Rail Technology Cooperation Scheme to be launched

Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu on Thursday said that Foreign Rail Technology Cooperation Scheme would be launched to help in technology upgradation.

"We intend to introduce technology portal to invite innovative technological solutions. Railways propose to move from preventive to predictive maintenance. We propose to launch Foreign Rail Technology Cooperation Scheme and we will set up 'Kayakalp' to help in technology upgradation," he said.

Presenting the Railway Budget for fiscal 2015-16 in Parliament, Prabhu stressed on the need to decentralise, deregulate and delegate to make freight business simpler.

He also said that the safety in railways was of paramount importance."Safety is of paramount importance and to prevent fire in coaches, we will install train protection warning system and train collision avoiding system," he said.

Prabhu said that Delhi Division is taking up a project for introducing on-board entertainment on select Shatabdi trains on license fee basis.

"Depending on the response, the facility will be extended on all Shatabdi trains," he said.

The Railways Minister further said that mobile phone charging facilities would be provided in general class coaches and the number of charging facilities would be increased in sleeper class coaches.