The wrong track

Privately-run trains need clear signals

Last week, the Union railways ministry officially put out a request for private participation in passenger train services. The idea is for private companies to provide rolling stock and operate train services to 109 pairs of destinations, and through 151 trains. The ministry says that this would raise private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crore, and also claims that the “majority” of the trains would be manufactured domestically. Besides a certain fixed charge and a variable energy charge, the remainder of the payment from the private participant would be through revenue sharing, the proportion of which is to be