Dr. Sreedharan had spoken! Revisiting what he said...

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 Dr. Sreedharan had spoken!    Revisiting what he said...


Dr. E. Sreedharan, affectionately known as the 'Metro Man,' undoubtedly stands as one of the most renowned figures in the history of Indian Railways (IR). His legacy is firmly etched in the annals of Indian public transport, where his visionary leadership left an indelible mark through the creation of the Konkan Railway and the subsequent Delhi Metro. Dr. Sreedharan's remarkable tenure as the Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) from 1995 to 2012 is a testament to his exceptional abilities, and it came as no surprise that finding a successor of even remote calibre was not easy task. His outstanding contributions earned him prestigious accolades, including the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008 from the Government of India, as well as the Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur in 2005, bestowed upon him by the French government. Time magazine also honoured him by naming him one of Asia's Heroes in 2003. In the realm of railways, Dr. Sreedharan's words carry the weight of gospel.

 

Let us delve into his insightful interview with News 18 from the previous year and assess the unfolding developments within the railway arena in that context; my comments in blue.

 

https://www.news18.com/news/india/narendra-modi-indias-best-pm-integrated-jk-but-railways-emasculated-says-metro-man-to-news18-exclusive-5278585.html

 

Reproducing an extract on restructuring of IR and IR Management Service (IRMS)



Totally agree, sir. While I have fervently championed the dismantling of departmental silos at the highest echelons of railway management and the establishment of a unified executive service for individuals reaching a certain level of advancement, the actual execution of this vision appears to be a remedy far more grievous than the affliction itself. The endeavor to unify management has proven to be nothing short of a charade, with top-tier positions still being allocated along cadre lines, thus eviscerating the very essence of a genuinely modern integrated management system.

 

Paradoxically, the inception of the Indian Railway Management Service seems to dilute the core principle of young executives honing their expertise within their respective professional domains. In essence, while the uppermost tiers of management remain firmly ensconced within their departmental cocoons, the lower ranks are structured in a manner that compels new entrants to become generalists rather than specialists, and potentially, not even adept generalists of any considerable competence.

 

Notable is that young Civil Services aspirants have given IR a short shrift;  amongst the first list of 91 IRMS qualifiers, the 1st is at rank 335 and the last is at 912, which is right at the bottom in the total list of 930 ranks.

Reproducing an extract on Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) and J&K Line


While I'm not a civil engineer, I must concede that it's difficult to argue otherwise. Projects that span two decades, or possibly even longer, before reaching completion tend to raise serious questions about their actual benefits. Unfortunately, both of these projects appear to be stuck on such unfortunate trajectories, and the exorbitant cost escalations only compound their woes, rendering them akin to white elephants.

 

On the bright side, the DFCs have indeed modified freight transportation. With freight trains maintaining an average speed of 55 kmph compared to a mere 25 kmph on Indian Railways (IR), the reduction in transport time for major commodities, including bulk and perishable goods, like coal and milk respectively, has significantly cut down overall logistics costs from end to end. The introduction of Gati Shakti terminals and private sector involvement in DFC freight terminals promises to usher in efficiencies in freight movement, opening up new avenues for commodity transportation. While it's true that freight transport hasn't reached a plateau, its growth at a sluggish 2.5% in nowhere near expectations in an economy that is growing at 6-7%. All this does raise the question of whether these improvements might be too little, too late. In hindsight, it becomes evident that similar benefits might have accrued if fast passenger services had been redirected to a dedicated high-speed railway (HSR) line, freeing up existing lines for the smoother movement of slow passenger and freight trains. The addition of an HSR network would have been a tremendous bonus.

 

Regarding the J&K railway line, despite all the hype surrounding the Chenab Bridge and the tunnels under construction, it seems a strategy favoring longer tunnels could have potentially yielded more fruitful results.

 

In any case, dwelling on past decisions will not change the present reality. Let these experiences serve as valuable lessons, highlighting the importance of heeding experts like Dr. Sreedharan in charting the way forward.

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