New Delhi: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the Railways will introduce 400 new generation Vande Bharat trains with better energy efficiency in the next three years.
The Minister said this while presenting the Union Budget 2022-23 in the Lok Sabha. As a part of Gati Shakti Master Plan, Sitharaman said the railways will also see 100 Gati Shakti Cargo terminals for multi-mode logistics facilities to be developed in the next three years.
“PM GatiShakti is a transformative approach for economic growth and sustainable development. The approach is driven by seven engines, namely, Roads, Railways, Airports, Ports, Mass Transport, Waterways and Logistics Infrastructure. All seven engines will pull forward the economy in unison," Sitharaman said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched GatiShakti - National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity in 2021. Gati Shakti — a digital platform — will bring 16 Ministries including Railways together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.
“Railways will develop new products and efficient logistics services for small farmers and small and medium enterprises besides taking the lead in integration of postal and railways networks to provide seamless solution for movement of parcels,” she said.
The Minister said the idea behind the 'one station, one product' plan is to enhance the future opportunities for local businesses and supply chain ecosystem. She said that as part of Atma Nirbhar plan, 2,000 km of rail network will be brought under the indigenous world class technology KAWACH for safety and capacity augmentation in 2022-23.
Over 24,000 km of Indian Railways' route has been electrified in the last seven years. Besides, development work on the line doubling and laying of new rail lines are progressing rapidly. There's a target for 100 percent electrification, transforming the rail network into Green Railways by 2030.
“Multi-modal connectivity between mass urban transport and railway stations will be facilitated on priority. Design of metro systems, including civil structures, will be re-oriented and standardized for Indian conditions and needs,” she said. (UNI)
