RS passes Railways Bill 2024: Key highlights on modernisation, reforms

The Rajya Sabha on Monday cleared the Railways Bill 2024 a bill that seeks to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board The Railways Amendment Bill 2024 was cleared in the Rajya Sabha with a voice voteIt repeals the 1905 ActOn December 11 last year it was passed in the Lok SabhaThe bill replaces outdated provisions from the colonial period It integrates the Railway Boardrsquos functions into the Railways Act 1989 simplifying the legal framework for railway operations an official statement saidThe bill reduces the need to refer to multiple laws making the process more efficient it saidThe bill is expected to bring significant improvements in the countrys railway infrastructure safety and passenger experience ensuring a brighter future for Indian Railways the official statement saidAccording to the official statement addressing the Rajya Sabha Ashwini Vaishnaw the Minister of Railways Communications and Electronics amp IT explained that the bill would simplify existing laws and empower general managers of railway zones They will now have the authority to approve projects worth up to Rs 1000 croreVaishnaw stated that the governments commitment to developing railways in every state pointing out that Kerala Tamil Nadu Odisha and West Bengal states where the ruling party does not hold power have received substantial budget allocationsKey Achievements in Railway ReformsInfrastructure DevelopmentOver the last 11 years India has added 34000 kilometers of new railway tracks surpassing the entire rail network of Germany45000 kilometers of tracks have been electrified reducing the dependency on fossil fuels50000 kilometers of old tracks have been replaced with new durable railsSafety EnhancementsRailway safety investments have jumped from Rs 8000 crore to Rs 114 lakh croreRail fractures have reduced by 91 per cent from 2548 incidents in 201314 to only a few todayThe Kavach safety system with SIL 4 certification has been introduced to enhance railway securityEmployment and Capacity BuildingMore than 502000 jobs have been created under the NDA government compared to 411000 under the previous UPA governmentTransparent recruitment exams have been held with millions of candidates applyingThe iGOT platform has seen record enrollments for employee training programsPassenger Amenities and Modernisation310000 modern toilets have been installed in railway coaches improving hygiene standards558 running rooms for loco pilots are now airconditionedNew locomotives with advanced technology and better working conditions are being manufacturedThe statement further said that Vaishnaw also addressed concerns regarding crowd management at railway stations He announced that access control will be implemented at 60 major railway stations ensuring only ticketed passengers can enter the platforms Special trains will be deployed at busy stations to handle large crowds during peak hoursConcluding his speech Vaishnaw reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modirsquos vision of a lsquoViksit Bharatrsquo Developed India urging railway employees and all stakeholders to work harder and build upon the progress made so far