Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made some special announcements for the Ministry of Railways, saying in Tuesday’s budget speech that 400 new Vande Bharat trains will be launched and 100 PM GatiShakti freight stations will be built over the next three years.

She also announced that the 2,000-kilometer rail network will be powered by indigenous world-class technology, KAWACH.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw applauded the announcements and informed the implications of the KAWACH technology.

“The self-developed collision avoidance technology is SIL4 certified, which means there is a chance of one error in 10,000 years,” Vaishnaw said.

“The new Vande Bharat and KAWACH announcements will change the passenger experience. There is funding for the redevelopment and modernisation of the station,” he added.

What is the KAWACH system?

KAWACH is an Anti-Collision Device (ACD) network. Based on radio communications, microprocessors and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, it will help Indian Railways achieve its goal of “zero accidents”.

When installed on two approaching trains, the technology will allow them to accurately assess each other’s route and initiate an “automatic” braking action in case they are deemed to be at “collision risk”.

new vande bharat train

In her budget speech, Sitharaman said 400 new-generation Vande Bharat trains with better energy efficiency and passenger ride experience will be developed and manufactured over the next three years.

She told parliament that the new train sets would be made of lightweight aluminium rather than steel, making each set about 50 tonnes lighter and consuming significantly less energy than steel sets.

Railways plans to run these trains on at least 75 routes by August 15, 2023, as announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech.

Other Railway Announcements

The minister also welcomed the announcement of Rs 1.37 crore capital investment support for railways. Vaishnaw said this would help complete the stalled rail project.

Railways has allocated Rs 2.38 crore for capital expenditure in 2022-23. Last year it set a capital expenditure target of Rs 215 crore, which it will be able to achieve, according to budget documents.

Sitharaman also unveiled plans to develop 100 ‘PM GatiShakti’ cargo terminals for intermodal logistics facilities over the next three years. She added that contracts for multimodal parks at four locations will be awarded in the next fiscal year.

She said the railway would develop “one station, one product”, leveraging local products carried on its network and working to integrate postal and rail networks to provide a seamless solution for the movement of parcels.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times