New Delhi, Mar 10 (PTI) The Railway Ministry should expedite the modernisation of 1,337 stations identified under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, ensuring completion within a set time frame through regular monitoring, the Standing Committee on Railways said in its second report presented to the Lok Sabha on Monday.

In the Second Report on Action Taken by Government on the observations and recommendations of the Committee contained in their First Report (Eighteenth Lok Sabha) on 'Demands for Grants (2024-25) of the Ministry of Railways', the Standing Committee observed that the Ministry has taken several initiatives to maximise its earnings such as the introduction of premium trains like Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat, rationalization of flexi-fare schemes, and expansion of freight and non-fare revenue among others.

Also Read | Sudden Death in Firozabad: 6-Year-Old Boy Dies After Collapsing in School Toilet in Uttar Pradesh, Cardiac Arrest Suspected.

The First Report of the Committee, presented to the Lok Sabha and laid in the Rajya Sabha on December 13, 2024, contained 14 Observations/Recommendations. The Ministry furnished its Action Taken Notes on all the Observations/Recommendations contained in the Report on February 11, 2025, the report said.

Observing Railways' response on its negligible net revenue, the report said that the Indian Railways should adopt a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy to enhance net revenue while ensuring affordability for low-income passengers.

Also Read | Guna Shocker: Woman Strangulates Son to Death in MP’s Chaudharan Colony After He Nags Her Over Her Clothes and ‘Bindi’, Tries To Pass Murder As Suicide; Arrested.

“This includes implementing dynamic pricing models for AC classes and premium trains, regularly reviewing flexi-fare schemes based on demand, and expanding non-fare revenue through initiatives like e-Auction policies, advertising, and commercial utilization of railway assets,” the report said.

“The Committee also feel that in order to balance social obligations, Indian Railways should continue targeted subsidies for suburban and non-AC travel. However, operational efficiency must be improved through accelerated electrification and energy efficient technologies,” it added.

Regarding encouraging the investment in developing rail connectivity by associating strategic partners and other investors, the report said, “The Committee feel that Railways need to be more ambitious with regard to private sector participation in Railway Infrastructure and set higher PPP targets to reduce their dependence on Government for budgetary support.”

In its first report in December 2024, the Committee had asked the Ministry to look for private sector participation for Station redevelopment and the Ministry in its response said that it has explored all the options of PPP mode.

“While appreciating the progress so far made by the Ministry of Railways, the Committee urge that the Ministry of Railways expedite the modernisation of 1,337 stations identified under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, ensuring completion within a set time frame through regular monitoring,” the report said.

It added, “The Committee also feel that the scope of the Amrit Bharat Stations Scheme needs to be expanded to include more stations, particularly in backward and rural areas. The Committee urge that the Ministry of Railways should actively explore and incentivize Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models for station redevelopment in order to reduce reliance on budgetary support.”

Regarding Ministry's response on dedicated freight corridors, the report said, “The Ministry have stated that DPR for potential dedicated freight corridors viz East - Coast Corridor, East-West corridor & North-South Sub-corridor have been prepared. The Ministry have further stated that none of these DFC corridors have been sanctioned yet and decision regarding sanctioning of any Dedicated Freight Corridor depends on many factors including traffic volume, techno-economic feasibility and financial viability.”

“The Committee are of the opinion that Ministry should fast track its studies regarding traffic volume, techno-economic feasibility and financial viability to ensure that work is initiated on new DFCs without further delay. The committee also urge that the work on the remaining portion of the WDFC be completed within the time frame decided without further extension of date,” it added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)