The Indian government plans to allocate 414 billion rupees (9 billion USD) from the budget for the fiscal year that ends in March 2011 to modernise and expand Asia’s largest rail network.
The railway sector will purchase dozens of new trains for this year and have laid out an ambitious plan, "Vision 2020" for the coming decade, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee told the parliament on Feb. 24.
The plan includes construction of high-speed passenger train corridors called the "Golden Rail Corridor" alongside the existing freight network.
It also includes adding 25,000 km to the current route of 109,000 km with 14,000 passenger and cargo trains, providing services for about 18.5 million passengers a day.
The high-speed trains, to be introduced in the coming years, would reach speeds of up to 350 km an hour, she said. The trains will promote economic growth and the development of satellite cities.
The railway is the most common means of transport in India, which has a population of 1.2 billion./.
The railway sector will purchase dozens of new trains for this year and have laid out an ambitious plan, "Vision 2020" for the coming decade, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee told the parliament on Feb. 24.
The plan includes construction of high-speed passenger train corridors called the "Golden Rail Corridor" alongside the existing freight network.
It also includes adding 25,000 km to the current route of 109,000 km with 14,000 passenger and cargo trains, providing services for about 18.5 million passengers a day.
The high-speed trains, to be introduced in the coming years, would reach speeds of up to 350 km an hour, she said. The trains will promote economic growth and the development of satellite cities.
The railway is the most common means of transport in India, which has a population of 1.2 billion./.
