Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi (AJD)
New Delhi, Jul 19: In what may prove to be a game-changer in the railway industry, the country in all probability will see the introduction of private passenger trains in the year 2023.
The ministry of railways on Sunday July 19 said that the proposed private passenger trains are set to be launched from March 2023, as planned.
The ministry statement read, "Tenders will be finalised by March 2021 and trains will operate from March 2023."
Representational image
The first set of 12 private trains will be introduced in 2023, followed by 45 more in the next fiscal, according to an initial timeline revealed by the railways.
Earlier, there were reports that private train operations would be delayed and it would start from March 2024 only.
As part of the plan for private trains, the railways has planned to introduce 12 trains in 2022-23, 45 in 2023-2024, 50 in 2025-26 and 44 more in the next fiscal, taking the total number of trains to 151 by the end of FY 2026-2027.
In 2019, a total of 8.4 billion passengers travelled in trains while the number is expected to touch 30 billion by 2030.
The railways minstry said that in keeping up with the demand, new trains will continue to be introduced.
The railways had earlier invited request for qualifications (RGQ) from private players interested in operating passenger trains in 109 pair of routes. The ministry plans to roll out all 151 modern trains by 2027. The project would entail a private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crore.
The project will be awarded to the bidder quoting the highest share in gross revenue. As much as 70% of the private trains will be manufactured in India, with a maximum speed of 160 km/hr, the railways said, adding that this would enable a reduction in journey time.
The private player will pay the railways fixed haulage charges, energy charges as per actual consumption and a share in gross revenue determined through a transparent bidding process. The railways is expected to receive total haulage charges of around Rs 3,000 crore per annum from operation of these 151 trains, officials said, as quoted by The Print.