Indian Railways to set up design centre at National Institute of Design campus

Ministry of Railways and National Institute of Design (NID) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a Railway Design Centre in the campus of NID in Ahmedabad for Indian Railway. Railways minister Suresh Prabhu said that Railways’ partnership with NID will lead to customers’ happiness by way of better designed coaches and providing cost effective solutions to problems faced by passengers during train travel. He also informed that with this initiative, Railways has fulfilled yet another commitment made in Railway Budget 2015-16 towards improving passenger services.
 
Urging NID to work out on the most cost effective designs for coaches as the system is generally price sensitive and quality conscious, Prabhu said that with the signing of this MoU, new designs for further improving the passenger amenities will be available and put into use soon on Indian Railways.
 
V K Gupta, member engineering, Railway Board, said that Railway Design Centre will be developing new concepts in design & innovations in various fields of Railway functioning, like passenger amenities at station areas and in trains, improvement to coach layouts, environmental issues, various maintenance tools, IT & Communication issues etc. It will be a win-win situation for both the organisations, while the Railways will be benefitted with improved concept, facilities, and assets, NID would also be benefitted with the real life projects and values to their academic and research programmes.
 
Prof P Vyas, Director NID, said that NID will improve passenger services through innovative ideas focusing on people, environment and sustainability through this research centre. This MoU will be for a period of 10 years, which can be further extended as mutually agreed.