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The Union Minister for Railways, Communications, and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, presented data showcasing the transformative changes in the Indian Railways during the past 10 years of the Modi government. He also highlighted the neglect of the railways during Congress-led regimes.

 

Addressing the Viksit Bharat Ambassador event in Mumbai, the Union Minister detailed how the Railways, previously seen and treated as a 'milch cow' in previous regimes, witnessed all-round development under the Modi government.

 

In his detailed presentation, which left the audience mesmerised, the Minister explained how the Railways added a huge tranche of networks and underwent wide-scale electrification and modernisation to the extent that developed economies find it tough to match steps with India.

 

"Today, a 4 km rail track per day is being built in the country. In the last financial year alone, we built a 5,300 km rail network, which is equal to Switzerland's train network. In the past ten years, 31,000 km railway track was added, equal to Germany's entire network," the Union Minister told the Viksit Bharat Ambassadors.

 

Under the Modi government, 44,000 km of railway networks were electrified in the past ten years, compared to 20,000 km in the past 60 years of Congress governance.

 

"Today, we are heading towards 100 per cent electrification in the Indian Railways," he added.

 

Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Railways remained in despair despite being the biggest public carrier because of the previous government's neglect and ignorance.

 

"Conversion from Meter gauge to broad gauge networks should have been initiated during 1950-60s, but that was taken up during NDA government," he said.

 

The minister also discussed the renovation of railway stations and the production of modern trains within the Modi government.

 

Over 300 railway stations are currently being redeveloped nationwide, with 120 stations in Maharashtra alone. The Shivaji Maharaj railway station is a prime example of this modernisation effort.

 

He emphasised that projects such as the Vande Bharat and Bullet trains demonstrate the government's consistent and dedicated focus on developing the Railways as a key driver of the country's growth.