Railways has eased conditions for firms to procure and

lease rail wagons to other businesses in an attempt to make the Wagon Leasing Scheme more attractive for the private sector. It has lowered the eligibility bar for companies, extended the validity of the one-time registration and given more freedom to firms in sourcing of wagons, the official said. According to the new norms, a company with a net worth of Rs 100 crore could operate under the Wagon Leasing Scheme. The earlier norms required a company to have a net worth of at least Rs 250 crore. On private freight terminal (PFT), the official said now a PFT operator can handle various types of goods for the Railways and provide value-added services such as storage and distribution. "So, by allowing companies to earn revenue by handling cargo of various types, we expect to get some incremental cargo and attract some cargo from the road as well," he said.