Sep 27, 2006 :: Railways make headlines again

It is becoming difficult to keep track of all the exciting happenings in Indian Railways, ever since it became a media darling. There has been a constant stream of innovations.

Today, various media reports say the accident rate has fallen by nearly 50% in five years. This happened because the railways, in a bold move, decided to replace in one go, 19,000 of a particular type of wagon that caused most derailments. There have been other safety innovations as well. This week, the railways begin constructing the first of its several dedicated ‘freight corridor’ tracks that will eventually girdle the country. There is also the announcement today that all trains will be air conditioned in a few years. Then there was the announcement that markets for farmers’ produce are to come up in land adjoining several stations.

Just a fortnight ago, the minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, addressed the prestigious Indian Institute of Management [Ahmedabad] explaining his approach to innovations. He is sure, an original.