Railway tracks should be improved first: A R Chowdhury

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury today said that before introducing bullet trains the railway tracks must be improved.

Chowdhury told ANI, "The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) faced difficulties in taking steps regarding Railways. But for ten years, from 2002-2012, we tried to bring improvement in railways."

Commenting on present proposal of bullet trains, Chowdhury said, "Before increasing the speed of trains, the tracks on which they run needs to be considered. From track management to signal management, a lot needs to be done in the sector. We also need to adopt new technology so as to provide complete safety to the passengers. The government should set its priorities clear."

"There are around 14 lakh employees working with the Railways, which is controlled by the Railway Board. The upper section of this board is the hub of all wrong doings. So in order to improve the overall conditions of Railways, this board needs to be scrapped," he added.

The Railway Budget for 2014-15 will be presented today by Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda and is expected to deliver a slew of new measures like bullet trains and speedier commute.