A beaten track: Plan for Railways has vision but lacks clarity on execution

The national transport utility's long-awaited draft national plan merely reiterates a direction that has already been set

Four years after a National Rail Plan (NRP), a vision document setting out the long-term investment for the Indian Railways, was first proposed, a draft was floated for public comment in December last year. But its content is unlikely to surprise those who track this sector. If anything, it continues along the tracks already set. Increasing the speed of trains and more private participation is definitely on the agenda, as is the proposal for weaning the Indian Railways from diesel to environmentally friendly electric locomotives.

“A central feature of the draft National Rail Plan is the emphasis on electrification of