Railways gets a tech shot in the arm

BANGALORE, INDIA: Taking a cue from a flurry of suggestions and recommendations from the social media, the new govt. has proposed some tech shots in the rail budget today- which will hopefully be able to put the financially bleeding railways back in the track.

The govt. has also tried to put some teeth into its 'Digital India' vision with some new announcements in its first railway budget, presented by the railway minister Suresh Prabhu in Lok Sabha today.

Few new initiatives which pushes the govt's 'Digital India' campaign further are:

1. “SMS Alert” service to inform the train arrival/departure time in advance.

2. Mobile phone charging facilities in general class coaches. Increased charging facilities in sleeper class coaches.

3. On-board entertainment on select Shatabdi trains on license fee basis.

4. Introduction of e-catering option in the IRCTC website for 108 trains on an experimental basis.

5. Hand-held terminals will be provided to Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) for verification of passengers and chart downloads

6. Wi-Fi service in 400 Railways Stations

7. To develop a multi-lingual e-ticketing portal

8. Surveillance cameras will be provided on a pilot basis in selected mainline coaches and ladies’ compartments of suburban coaches for the safety of women passengers.

7. Digitized mapping of land records to counter encroachment of railways land

8. Proposal of Train Protection Warning System and Train Collision Avoidance System installation on select routes

9. Proposal to launch “Foreign Rail Technology Cooperation Scheme” and technical cooperation with number of foreign railways for technology intensive and complex projects

Railway Budget 2015 has brought some cheer for the domestic electronics industry players. Welcoming the budget, Ashok Chandak, Chairman, India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA) said, "The budget will also boost entrepreneurship in the electronics with the ministry focusing on new-age technologies  through ‘Kayakalp’ to ensure enhanced passenger safety and security, customer service and trade management. We also foresee this railway budget to motivate 'Design-led electronics manufacturing' in India, with innovations and technology leading the growth of Indian Railways.

The railway minister also proposed a sharp increase in the planned expenditure to fund this modernization plans.

Thomas George, SVP & Head, CMR said, “It was very encouraging to note that planned expenditure for FY16 has been increased by 65 percent  to Rs. 1.1 trillion from Rs. 0.7 trillion in FY15 and a total of Rs. 8.5 trillion planned expense target over the next five years, which will be a 200 percent jump compared to the previous five years.”

Railway budget was an aspirational one and in the right direction, if government can identify the right resources to meet these targeted expenditures; it will surely revive railways and its role as a catalyst rejuvenating investment cycle.