Indian Railways will never be privatised, says Union Minister Piyush Goyal

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that Indian Railways will never be privatised but private investment that enhances service standards for passengers should be welcomed.

"I want to make it clear that Indian Railways will never be privatised. But just like in case of government roads on which all kinds of vehicles ply, private investment in Railways that enhances service standards for the passengers should be welcomed," Goyal said while replying to a discussion on demands for grants for Railways for 2021-22 in Lok Sabha.

He said the Modi government has increased investment in railways to Rs 2.15 lakh crore in 2021-22 from Rs 1.5 lakh crore in 2019-20. He also called upon the Maharashtra government to provide land for the bullet train project.

"If the Government of Maharashtra cooperates in the bullet train project, providing land, providing space for the terminal, then a world-class, Japanese technology high-speed bullet train will come to India. The land has been acquired in Gujarat and Daman-Diu, but only 24 per cent of the land has been received in Maharashtra," he said.

Goyal lauded the work done by railway employees stating that trains continued to operate even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Despite COVID, trains continued to run across the country, officers were on duty, workers maintained track. I am very proud of all the members of my railway family," he said.

Goyal also noted that from March 2019 to March 2021 no passenger died due to a railway accident.