India is making strides in the global railway market by exporting metro coaches to several countries, including Australia, according to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who shared this information in the Rajya Sabha on Monday. Notably, Indian rolling stock is now reaching destinations in Africa, such as Mozambique and Senegal, as well as neighboring nations like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.
The breakdown of exports reveals that coaches are being sent to Mozambique, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, while locomotives are being delivered to Mozambique, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Furthermore, India is exporting bogie underframes to countries including the UK, Saudi Arabia, France, and Australia, and propulsion components are being shipped to France, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Romania, and Italy.
In railway terminology, “rolling stock” encompasses all railway vehicles, which include both powered and unpowered units, such as locomotives, passenger coaches, and freight cars. The Minister expressed pride in India’s achievement of exporting metro railway coaches to Australia.
Affordable Travel
Minister Vaishnaw emphasized the ongoing commitment of Indian Railways to maintain affordable travel options. He highlighted that rail fares in neighboring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, as well as those in Western nations, are substantially higher than in India. For instance, a journey of 350 kilometers in general class costs ₹121 in India, whereas it is ₹436 in Pakistan, ₹323 in Bangladesh, and ₹413 in Sri Lanka.
The cost per kilometer for train travel in India averages ₹1.38 per passenger, but passengers only pay about ₹0.73, which indicates a subsidy of 47 percent. In the provisional figures for the fiscal year 2024, this subsidy amounted to ₹60,000 crore. Vaishnaw noted that there have been no fare hikes since 2020, with a negligible increase of just one paisa per kilometer for general class tickets at that time, with slightly higher increases for air-conditioned classes.
Vowing to address environmental concerns, Vaishnaw stated that Indian Railways aims to achieve net-zero scope 1 emissions by 2025 and scope 2 emissions by 2030, aspiring for overall net-zero emissions by 2030. Additionally, India has added 1,400 locomotives and 200,000 new wagons to its fleet.
In terms of safety, it was announced that all ICF coaches will be upgraded to LHB coaches. The implementation of long rails, electronic interlocking systems, fog safety devices, and the ‘kavach’ safety system is being expedited.
Financially, Indian Railways reported an annual revenue of approximately ₹2.78 lakh crore against expenditures of about ₹2.75 lakh crore, with major expenses managed through its own income, demonstrating strong performance. The Minister detailed that staff costs are around ₹1,16,000 crore, pensions total ₹66,000 crore, financing costs for loans are ₹25,000 crore, and energy consumption stands at ₹32,000 crore. All these expenses are funded through self-generated resources, indicating a robust financial position for Indian Railways.
