Rail budget fine but ensure effective implementation

The introduction of bullet trains, food lounges and better security announced in the railway budget Tuesday received a thumbs up from the common man, though skepticism about the timely and effective implementation remains a concern.

In the budget presented by Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, it was announced that the first bullet train would run on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route while on some routes the speed of the trains will be increased between 160-200 km per hour.

"The bullet train is a great initiative, however, it will be helpful if it is implemented timely and expanded all over the country," said Ravish Reddy, a cancer patient, who had come to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for his treatment from Andhra Pradesh.

"It will be a relief for people like me who have to travel to big cities often for treatment," he added.

Neerav Shah, an IT professional working in Mumbai was particularly relieved to learn about the decision to recruit 17,000 RPF constables and 4,000 women constables who would be provided mobile phones as well.

"My wife and children often travel to Punjab to visit my in-laws and I am always worried about their security while they are travelling because chain-snatching, pick pocketing and even robberies have become quite common these days," said Shah.

Neerja Singh, a student of Benaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh, said: "I think the railways should focus especially on certain stretches all over the country that are notorious for witnessing incidents related to crime."

Meanwhile, the introduction of 58 new trains including five Jan Sadharan trains, five premium trains and six AC express trains was much needed, felt Anirudh Roy, an advertising professional from Kolkata, West Bengal.

"The new trains are a step in the right direction as Indian railways needs to expand rapidly while at the same time improve their standards. It is a tough task, but I am hopeful the new government would be able to do it," Roy said.

However, the proof of the pudding lies in the eating and the people admitted that the proposals needed to be implemented efficiently.

"All these announcements are fine, but everything comes down to successful execution. All proposals look good on paper but the key lies in making them work on the ground level," said Ajit Baruah, a 45-year-old businessman from Guwahati, Assam.

Such is the desire for better service from the railways that even the recent hike in passenger fares by 14.2 percent and freight rates by 6.5 percent is not a deterrent for the people.

"Majority of people don't mind paying higher fares if they get good service in return. Clean and secure platforms and trains, nutritious food and an efficient medium to book tickets - that's all we want," said Sneha Malhotra, a 31-year-old homemaker from Delhi.