Indian railway infrastructure systems: global comparison, challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Railways are the most important development from the point of view of the infrastructure in India from 1850 to recent times. Indian railways are the only reliable and feasible means on land for transportation of goods and materials. The Indian Railways network has integrated markets and people across the length and breadth of this huge country. The Indian railway is the fourth largest railway in the world. In the present scenario, Indian Railways has become the leading powerhouse of the Indian economy, which is reflected in the gross domestic product in the latest budget for 2020. According to Vision 2020, a significant focus of railways would be on track enhancement, environmental sustainability, network expansion of railways, capacity creation, train safety, reducing carbon dioxide footprint, high-speed train introduction and technological excellence. This research paper provides a comprehensive resource for those involved in research and reforms related to the modernisation, digitalisation and efficiency of Indian Railways. It focuses on analysis of key factors such as population and total area of a country, electrification of rails and railway expansion that show the importance of railways and helps identify potential fields that need to be addressed in Indian Railways owing to the need of the market and modernisation.