Need to adopt technological innovations in railways: Goyal

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday emphasised on the need to use technological innovations to make the railways safer and more efficient while expanding its capacity at the least cost.

"Unless we evolve with technology and with time, an organisation cannot survive," Goyal said after inaugurating the two-day International Conference on Technological Advancements in Railways and Metros here.

"There are very simple interventions like the concept of a freight convoy that does not require the latest technology but just a little simple thinking that can improve efficiency," he pointed out.

Giving an example, Goyal said that the Indian Railways last week tried a convoy concept of freight trains. "Forty freight trains in this convoy were able to run at higher speeds due to lack of interference from passenger trains. This concept would increase efficiency and revenues for the railways."

He also said that there were a lot of naysayers in the country. "Whenever we speak of introducing new technology or bring up an out-of-the-box idea, there is a lot of resistance."

The minister said railways would have to look at the best of technology that was available anywhere in the world and how this could be brought into the country's infrastructure.

"When we introduced the concept of a high speed train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the idea behind the project wasn't only about speed but about introducing the latest technology to the country," Goyal said.

If the industry comes up with innovative ideas then my team can make it happen. "Every discussion and idea will be taken with an open mind," he said.

--IANS

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