(a) whether the Government has made any efforts to attract large-scale investment that is required to improve safety, upgrade signalling and rolling stock of the Railways;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) the total investment made by various agencies including foreign funding during the last three years, year and agency-wise; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to utilize the investments to upgrade signalling and improve quality of rolling stock?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
(SHRI RAJEN GOHAIN)
(a) Yes, Madam.
(b) Signalling - A work for modernisation of signalling system at a total cost of 44 million Euros on Ghaziabad-Kanpur section of North Central Railway was undertaken through funding from KFW (Kreditanstalt Fur Wiederaufbau) Bank, Germany.
Electric Locomotives - A procurement cum Maintenance Agreement(PCMA) has been signed with Madhepura Electric Locomotive Private Limited (MELPL), a Joint Venture Company of Alstom Manufacturing India Limited and Ministry of Railways(26% equity limited to `100 crore), for setting up of electric locomotive manufacturing facility at Madhepura, Bihar for manufacturing/supplying 800 High Horse Power, State of the art, Electric Locomotives of 12000 hp capacity. The Company will set up two maintenance depots at Saharanpur & Nagpur and undertake maintenance of first 250 locomotives each over first 13 years and the next 250 locomotives for a period of four years. Total project cost is `1300 crore.
Diesel Locomotives - A procurement cum Maintenance Agreement has been signed with M/s. General Electric Global Servicing India Pvt. Ltd. on 09.11.2015 for procurement of new generation diesel locomotives of 4500 HP and 6000 HP. Initially 100 diesel locomotives will be imported and subsequently they will be manufactured in India at Diesel Loco Factory, Marhorwa. The anticipated project cost is `1300 crore.