Question : IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTIONING OF RAILWAYS

(a) whether the Government have recently taken a fresh policy and administrative initiatives to improve the working and functioning of railways shedding monopolistic mindset and start operating in competitive and performance based environment for achieving high growth path;

(b) if so, the details of action plan worked out under formulation to cutdown operational/production cost to improve railways functioning at grass-root level;

(c) the details of performance review of railways by major targets set and achieved during the current year and fresh strategies worked out to achieve major breakthrough on positive financial results; and

(d) the details of administrative cost cutting plans finalised in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI O. RAJAGOPAL)

(a) to (d): A Statement is attached.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1169 BY SHRI ANANT GUDHE TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.03.2002 REGARDING IMPROVEMENT IN FUNCTIONING OF RAILWAYS


(a) to (d): Improvement in working and functioning of Railways is a continuous process. Indian Railways has a regular machinery for identifying areas requiring improvements and policy and administrative initiatives are accordingly taken. Indian Railways operate in a very competitive milieu with major competition coming from the road sector. Railways are making all out efforts to not only sustain the existing traffic but also to attract new traffic by adopting a number of strategies like Rationalisation of freight structure, providing incentives, simplification of rules & regulations regarding sidings etc.


Various measures have been taken by the Railways to cut down operation and production costs to improve the Railways’ functioning at the grass-root levels like better manpower management, cost cutting, cost control and austerity measures, containing staff cost by controlling fresh intake, delegation of more powers to zonal Railways, bench-marking of activities, reduction in equipment failure, constant improvement in the productivity of assets through optimal utilisation and energy conservation by introducing energy efficient locomotives, zero based review of activities and curbing of ticketless travel, etc.


In the current year, due to tardy growth in the core sector of the economy, Indian Railways will not be able to achieve the original freight loading target of 500 million tonnes and is hopeful of achieving the revised loading target of 489 million tonnes registering a growth of 3.3% over the last year.