New Delhi, Sep 28 (IANS): Railways Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on Monday launched "Indian Railway Knowledge Portal" for dissemination of information about the Indian railroads.

"Knowledge, innovation and research plays a very important role in any organisation; the spread of knowledge must be such that whole society contributes towards the development of the nation," Prabhu said at an event to launch the web-based portal.

According to the ministry, the initiative is in line with the "Digital India" campaign of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The ministry elaborated in a statement that the portal is an 'one stop’ arrangement for those who are interested in Indian Railways, both from a technical point of view, as well as enthusiasts.

Furthermore, the portal is envisioned to act as an interactive platform between experts and research scholars.

"It (portal) is an attempt to harmonise the efforts of enthusiasts involved in furthering the research on railways and generating innovative ideas for improving the railways from within and outside," the statement added.

The portal is an initiative of the National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR), Vadodara. The in-house developed portal cost a mere Rs.70,000 to develop.