Indian Railways in 2024 (Part II): Freight (Un)Loading, Safety Misses and IRMS derailed!
https://anindecisiveindian.blogspot.com/2024/12/indian-railways-in-2024-part-1-track-of.html ☝️ Part I of this blog, which incidentally did not receive a great responses, ended with the following : Is this pattern of financial performance and high levels of investment sustainable? No government in India would be willing to raise passenger fares, as such a move would be politically disastrous. Can expenses be reduced? To some extent, but this would require a paradigm shift in IR’s operational and maintenance model—a shift that has yet to show any serious resolve. Additionally, nearly 70% of IR's expenses stem from salaries and pensions, making cost-cutting particularly challenging. So, what is the way forward to ensure IR's long-term sustainability? Should IR take inspiration from the bard’s timeless advice, as Polonius cautioned Laertes in Hamlet: "…Neither a borrower nor a lender be; for loan oft loses both itself and friend…" ? Certainly not entirely—after all, ho...