Introduction on development of rail and road transport in India
Answers
Railways in India:
Railways are today the predominant form of-transportation in India. The Indian Railways is among one of largest railway systems in the world. India’s railroad system is the government’s largest public enterprise. The Indian Railways is state-owned and operated by the Ministry of Railways.
Today, it has completed its glorious 150 years of services for the nation. Indian Railways is one of the largest railways under single management. It is one of the world’s largest employers. Indian railways, the largest rail network in Asia and the world’s second largest under one management.
The railways play a leading role in carrying passengers and cargo across India’s vast territory. The Indian Railways have played an integrating role in the social and economic development of the country.
Recent development in rail transport:
1. There has been a tremendous development in its financial status, safety, security, projects, technology and moreover its quality service to the people. Initiatives like online ticket booking, computer-based reservation system, IVRS Interactive voice response system, and introduction of smart cards have improved the Indian railways considerably.
2. The Indian Railways, today, provide the principal mode of transportation for freight and passengers in India. It is one of the largest networks in the world with a total of 63,221 km and providing employment to 1.54 million people. Journey by train has become one of the cheapest and convenient ways of transportation for people of all sections of the society.
3. Indian Railways has seen major technological developments in recent years. These include
a. Electrification of more tracks,
b. Development of more efficient locomotives, and
c. Advancement in terms of passenger amenities including better catering, toilet provisions and security features.
d. Facilities like Internet access and satellite phone are in the pipeline.
4. Advanced safety features have been incorporated to minimize accidents, while modern coaches have been imported for certain trains. Fast trains like the Shatabdi Express and the Rajdhani Express have made long distance train journey a relatively fast and comfortable.
5. Railways have also been modernized in terms of technology, ticketing, computerization and overall management.
Roadways in India:
A. the National Highways Development Project is a project to, upgrade, rehabilitate and widen major highways in India to a higher standard. The central government is responsible for development and maintenance of the National Highway System.
The project was implemented in 1998. “National Highways” account for only about 2% of the total length of roads, but carry about 40% of the total traffic across the length and breadth of the country.
This project is managed by the National Highways authority of India. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is authorised (mandate) to implement National Highways Development Project (NHDP), which is
i. India’s Largest ever highways project
ii. World class roads with uninterrupted traffic flow
The National Highways Development Project (NHDP) is the largest highway project ever undertaken by the country, is being implemented by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). NHDP Phase I & II envisage 4/6 lining of about 14,279 km of National Highways.
These two phases of NHDP comprise of Golden Quadrilateral (GQ), North-South and East-West Corridors, Port Connectivity and other projects. The Golden Quadrilateral connects the four major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. (NS-EW) The North-south & East-West corridor comprising 4 laning of 7,300 km of National Highway connecting North-south corridor from Srinagar to Kanyakumari with East-West corridor from Silchar to Probandar.
India is the second largest in the world. Indian roads carry about 61% of the freight and 85% of the passenger traffic. All the highways and expressways together constitute about 66,000 kilometers. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is the apex Government body for implementing the NHDP.
B. Special Accelerated Road Development Programme (SARD):
This programme was introduced to improve the road connectivity with state capital, district headquarters and remote places in the North-eastern region. This programme facilitated in connecting 85 district headquarters in the North-eastern states to national highways and state roads.