Right signals: PMO does well to apply brakes on two of railways' mega plans

Over the years, the railways have electrified high-traffic routes based on the projected rate of return

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has reportedly turned down two ambitious proposals of the railway ministry. The first pertains to the bold initiative to go in for 100 per cent electrification of the country’s railway network by 2021-22. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who took charge in September last year, and was the minister of state for power till then, was of the opinion that the shift from diesel to electricity over the remaining stretches could save the country as much as Rs 100 billion annually. The other key proposal that has not found favour with the PMO is an equally