'First in the world': Piyush Goyal assures big Railway upgrade, sets 2024 & 2030 deadlines

Making a huge announcement, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said that the entire network of Railways in the country will run on electricity by 2024. Speaking at the inaugural session of India-Brazil Business Forum in New Delhi, Goyal said, "We are embarking on rapid electrification of the rail network by 2024, we expect the entire railways to be 100% run on electricity." 

'It will run on clean energy'

"It will be the first railway in the entire world, of this scale and size, to be run on electricity and by 2030, we plan to make the entire railway network a zero-emission network. It will run on clean energy," he said, adding, "India would love to partner with Brazil". Earlier this year, Indian Railways had said it is planning to build hydrogen-powered rail engines that would propel passenger trains on a suburban route. This is a part of efforts by the Railways to find alternative sources of fuel to power its trains and to reduce reliance on fossil fuel-based energy sources like diesel and electricity. 

In December 2019, the Railways had floated tenders for installing CCTV cameras at all the stations and in all the coaches by March 2022. Railway Board Chairman V.K. Yadav had said that the Railways had received Rs 500 crore under the Nirbhaya Fund for installing CCTV cameras on the railway premises across the country.

'I have a suggestion...'

Piyush Goyal also suggested the Brazilian side to reconstitute and activate India-Brazil Business Leaders Forum to boost economic ties between the two countries. The minister said that he would be happy to hear from the Brazilian side on the suggestion. “I have a suggestion for consideration of the Honourable President (of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro) and business leaders of both sides. Some years ago, we had started India Brazil Business Leaders Forum, which somehow, for various reasons has not yet taken off,” Goyal said.

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He was speaking at the luncheon meeting of business leaders of both the sides in the presence of the Brazilian President. Goyal said that both the countries can use this opportunity, where business leaders of both the countries have gathered, “to activate” that forum and “we will re-constitute it to make it more relevant and contemporary to businesses which are working with Brazil”. He requested the Indian industry to give fresh nominations of people who are looking for engaging with the South American country.

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(With agency inputs)