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Export of Vande Bharat trains, South America calling!

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Export of Vande Bharat trains,  South America calling! Two recent news concerning Indian Railways (IR) and Vande Bharat trains caught my attention.   https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/vande-bharat-express-indian-railways-trains-to-be-manufactured-in-standard-gauge-for-exports-says-ashwini-vaishnaw/articleshow/108494143.cms?utm_source=wa_channel&utm_medium=notification The central message of this announcement underscores the global prevalence of the Standard Gauge (SG) in modern rail systems, prompting Integral Coach Factory (ICF) to embark on the development of an SG version. Emphasizing the imperative for timely action, the announcement delineated that planning for potential exports five years down the line necessitates immediate commencement of design work. This is essential due to the extensive duration required for manufacturing, testing, and obtaining international validation.   https://www.financialexpress.com/business/railways-fe-exclusive

Rail Budget 2024, did tracks twist, hopes take a Detour? Sudhanshu Mani

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Rail Budget 2024 Did tracks twist, hopes take a detour ? Sudhanshu Mani   The interim budget, strategically positioned before general elections, serves the purpose of obtaining authorization for spending from the Consolidated Fund of India until the presentation of the full-fledged general budget by the newly-elected government. Ideally, it should refrain from announcing populist measures; however, historical trends reveal a tendency to utilize this platform for such declarations while also highlighting the government's accomplishments over the preceding five years.   In the case of the interim budget delivered by Piyush Goyal in February 2019, schemes involving direct payments to farmers and workers in unorganized sectors were unveiled, with the benefits retroactively effective from January 2019. Anticipations were rife that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman might introduce new or augmented schemes. While outlining the government's commitment to inclusive growth,

Nitish Kumar and his incredible calisthenics, a face-off fiesta between Ghālib and Shakespeare

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Nitish Kumar and his incredible calisthenics a  face-off fiesta between Ghālib and Shakespeare During Nitish Kumar's tenure as the Minister of Railways in early 2000s, I had the privilege of serving as the Master of Ceremonies in numerous official and semi-official events where he graced us as the chief guest. I was a mere middle-level railway executive and I distinctly recall how he not only remembered my name but also consistently made an effort to personally greet me with a warm smile. His thoughtful gestures left me genuinely gratified and I held him in high esteem as a person of admirable character, even though I may have differed in my assessment of his policies for the Indian Railways, which I did not perceive as progressive enough.   However, regrettably, I find myself with no other option but to view him as the epitome of political inconsistency, the ultimate Aaya Ram Gaya Ram (literally Ram has come, Ram has gone) player; this expression in politics of India means

Are the Vande projects in doldrums?

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  Are the Vande projects in doldrums? Sudhanshu Mani Optimism is not entirely based on reason. Apart from obvious positive signs, hypes, premature declarations and announcements, sentiments and belief in a certain growth trajectory also matter. The budget and market watchers would have us believe that, thanks to another bumper enhancement in budgetary support to Indian Railways (IR), the Capex in more advanced trains, new safety features, station upgrades, High-Speed Rail, new routes and multiple tracks, the Capex level in railways will top Rs 3 lakh crore. This may actually happen, given the support that the Central government is committed to provide to IR for growth of the economy as a whole and reduction in logistics costs, in spite of IR’s poor financial performance if  viewed in isolation. Add to that the hype that the ministry creates is hardly revisited to examine the actual progress on the ground, you get heady level of optimism in rail sector; a sector which was once largely s