An Indecisive Indian

  Circa summer 2013: Although a look at the passenger trains of Indian Railways (IR) had been like a millionth déja vu of ‘more of the same’, the same metallic box with unseemly windows and doors, it all started, in way, when I, with my family arrived at a wayside station in Poland and standing on the other track of our platform was a plain box type unsightly Polish train, perhaps a remnant of Soviet era. " Papa, dekho, India jaisi train " (Papa, look, a train like the Indian trains), exclaimed by my 12-year-old son, looking out of the window of the train we were travelling in. My son was voicing precisely what had bothered me for decades; why do our trains look the same year after year? He had shown his father the mirror.   Ek jaise lag rahe haiñ ab sabhī chehre mujhe hosh kī ye intihā hai yā bahut nashshe meñ huuñ ( intihā: extreme, end. All the faces look alike to me; e ither a test of my consciousness or I am intoxicated . Poet: Bharat Bhushan Pant )   ...

  Strange are the ways of Indian Railways! Indian Railways (IR) never fails to spring surprises. A pleasant surprise in recent months has been this thrust towards 400 Train 18/Vande Bharat trains, after the project was in limbo for more than three years, badgered and berated by vested interests and machinations.  The air has been cleared, and in a grandiose manner, the avowed intent, exceeding in content even the wildest dreams of those who created the train by sweat of their brows. In quick succession recently, IR has completed the tendering for a massive 90000 freight wagons at a cost of Rs 30000 cr. and issued notices for manufacture of 1200 locomotives (9000 HP) at its Dahod factory and another 800 locomotives (12000 HP)  at BLW in PPP mode. So, the government means business when it had IR floating a large tender in the range of Rs 26000 cr. f or the procurement of 200 upgraded equivalents of Vande Bharat trains to be built by the successful bidder(s) in ICF and MRC...