Page 23 - NIS English 01-15 November 2022

Multi-modal Connectivity Cover Story

INDIAN RAILWAYS

FROM THE STEAM ENGINE

TO BULLET TRAIN

The first rail steam engine in India was built on
1 November 1950 at Chittaranjan Rail Factory,
but now we are making and running hi-speed
indigenous Vande Bharat trains, which reach a
speed of 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in just
52 seconds. This train has recently run on the
track between Gandhinagar and Mumbai.

To secure connectivity of railways and to Similarly, work on the 508-km high-speed rail
improve the timeliness, the budget (320-350 km/h) project between Mumbai-
has been increased. There is no unmanned rail Ahmedabad is also going on in full swing,
while the work of preparing the detailed project
crossing in the country anymore. Bio toilets report for 7 other corridors is in progress. For
have been installed in 100% of the trains. safety, the system is now being connected to

The speed of railway The speed of railway the railway network with indigenous technology
line doubling, new line doubling, new 'Kavach'.
line, and gauge line, and gauge About 500 Mail express trains have been
conversion was 1520 conversion is 2531 speeded up and they will now reach their
destinations 10 to 70 minutes faster from 1st
km per annum till km per annum by October 2022. The punctuality of trains has
2009-14. 2014-21. also increased from 75 percent to 84 percent.
Railway electrification work has increased Indian Railways is now trying to provide those
by 10 times since 2014 and the target has facilities that were once found only in airports
been set to convert Indian Railways to and air travel. 75 Vande Bharat trains will run till
completely green railways by 2030. August 2023.

The 1200 km network of the cleanest and fastest attention to such Multi-modal connectivity. So that,
metro trains has either begun operation, is in various while ensuring the ease of life, we can move towards a
stages of construction, or has been approved. The new India and realise the dream of a developed India.
construction of the nation's first rail corridor for PM Gatishakti's National Master Plan encourages
rapid transit is also moving forward speedily. The Multi-modal connectivity. The country is working fast
government is enacting an environment - friendly on such projects, and such a project, inspired by PM
vehicle scrapping policy as well as a clean fuel policy. Gatishakti, will not only employ thousands of young
India's road network is approximately 62.18 lakh people, but will also accelerate India's resolve to be
kilometres long, making it the world's second longest self-sufficient.
network by length. National Highways account for
only 2.2% of this road network, which carries roughly BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE WITH A
40% of traffic. In such a case, it cannot be limited to LONG-TERM VISION
rail, road, port, or airport in the 21st century. Rather, India is no longer building infrastructure only for
these modes of transportation should connect and its immediate needs; it also has a well thought out
cooperate with one another. The new India is paying long-term plan behind it. In the country, 28 national

New India Samachar November 1-15, 2022 21