Namo Bharat rolls out

THE flagoff of the Namo Bharat RapidX train connecting Sahibabad to Duhai Depot, a section of the proposed 17-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Corridor, marks the launch of the Regional Rapid Transit System in India. Designed for a maximum speed of 180 kmph, it is in line with the Modi government’s vision of creating world-class transport infrastructure as well as the Railways’ Mission Raftaar. It is a joint venture between the Centre and the governments of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

However, given the Railways’ track record, the operational speed potential of Namo Bharat of 160 kmph seems a bit too ambitious. A CAG report tabled in Parliament in 2022 waved the red flag at the Railways for its trains being neither fast nor on time despite an expenditure of a whopping Rs 2.5 lakh crore on building infrastructure in a decade. While the flagship Rajdhanis, Shatabdis and Vande Bharats have seen no improvement in their speeds over the years, the mail and express trains continue to crawl at nearly 50 kmph. The report pointed out that even as about 200 new trains were flagged off every year, the infrastructure and technology were not being correspondingly augmented. Consequently, the maximum speed potential of modern trains was not being met. Foolproof safety measures are another aspect that must be looked at with the greatest seriousness.

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that by 2025, when the Namo Bharat project is expected to be completed, India would have the world’s second-largest urban transport metro system (after China). However, the fact remains that over 20 countries have passenger trains running at 200 kmph, with many on existing tracks that were upgraded. The Railways must be held accountable for the gaping holes in fund utilisation, as highlighted by CAG.