Diamond Quadrilateral of fast trains coming...
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New Delhi:
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TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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If the A B Vajpayee government made Indian highways world-class, the Modi government wants to replicate the success in the Railways by building the Diamond Quadrilateral network for high-speed trains.
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Revamp of the creaky railway network is government's top infrastructure agenda, which includes a massive public-private partnership (PPP) push. Not just upgrade service quality, the Modi government wants to make Railways a main element of the logistics hub that will make the economy more competitive. If the proposed high-speed cor ridors -on the drawing board for close to a decade -provide faster connectivity , there is also the plan to have a network of freight corridors. Apart from coal and steel on these corridors, specialized agri-rail networks will move perishables like potatoes or tomatoes from a surplus part of the country to one in need of the items, thus helping government tame prices. Not a proposal made for the first time as similar plans have been discussed in the past, but the key is for government to execute it.
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Former rail minister, the late Madhavrao Scindia, had mooted the idea of high-speed trains in the mid-1980s. So far six stretches have been identified and feasibility study of Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor is underway . Similarly, former railway minister Lalu Prasad had announced encouraging higher movement of milk by tankers besides introducing more refrigerated parcel vans to transport fruits, vegetables and other perishables.
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Monday's statements come at a time when government is also looking to allow FDI in some segments, such as highspeed corridors, to ensure the Railways' weak finances do not block attempts to upgrade.
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Apart from railways, the President's speech suggested there will be a push to low-cost airports to promote connectivity to small cities, revival of the “Sagar Mala“ project to connect ports with hinterland through road and rail, timebound highways programme and development of inland and coastal waterways.
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Realizing that government funds will be inadequate and private investment will not come in without a conducive environment, Mukherjee said, “ A fast-track, investment friendly and predictable PPP mechanism will be put in place.“ Government is also committed to making the long coastline a “gateway for India's prosperity“ by modernizing existing ports and developing new world-class ones.