Restructure sees introduction of privately operated trains in India

THE Indian government is restructuring Indian Railways, and is planning to offer concessions of up to 35 years to private operators on major inter-city routes, such as

Delhi to Mumbai and Kolkota.

The new private operators will be allowed to set fares and service levels, but will rely on Indian Railways for motive power

Indian Railways subsidiary Indian Railways Catering and

Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) started running the first ‘private’ trains on the network on October 4, 2019, when it introduced a Tejas Express limited-stop day train service between Lucknow and New Delhi. The service, which is operated on a commercial basis, is aimed at tourists and business travellers.

A second route from Ahmedabad to Mumbai began on January 17.