Letters: Refreshing railway budget

Conceptually, this year's railway budget did bring about a refreshing thought and vision to be achieved. Indian Railways lack basic amenities such as cleanliness and drinking water facilities at stations. Adding to this list is the constant fear of derailment and frequent accidents of trains. The safety of passengers is questionable and the lack of adequate security guards in all classes of compartments is a dire issue that needs to be addressed. Also, the frequency of trains on popular routes all over India needs attention. Although the vision may not be achievable any time soon for lack of funds, the public-private partnership (PPP) route and encouraging foreign direct investment could help. However, the facility of additional trains and destinations has been granted on a lopsided basis and some states have been left out in the process. Overall, this railway budget appears meaningful. All these changes will be possible only at an extra cost, which is why rail and freight rates were increased.

Ashok Jayaram Bangalore

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