NEW DELHI: The second and last day of ET Infra Rail Show was attended by several senior officials and stakeholders from the railways sector who brought to the fore the several developments happening in the sector related to information technology, data analytics, sustainable freight transport, among others.
Vikas Kumar, Managing Director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, outlined that operations of Delhi Metro have recovered since the pandemic, which had led to operational losses. Currently, finances at the operational level have improved and going forward the focus will be on passenger experience with a lot of efforts being made in integrating the ticketing system and introducing new facilities such as QR (Quick Response) codes, said Kumar.
He also shared that network expansion is ongoing and development of three priority corridors of Delhi Metro are being undertaken.
The discussion by speakers across several panels put the focus on the need for deploying the right technology and solutions for the railways network, with sustainability and passenger experience being one of the most important aspects of policy focus.
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Dr. Deepak Tripathi, Director Technical, RITES Ltd, highlighted that RITES in collaboration with CRIS is undertaking railway information technology related projects for India and overseas countries as well. India is helping countries such as Bangladesh develop their railway information management system, he added.
Ravi Kumar Narula, General Manager, Corporate Coordination, Centre for Railway Information Systems shared that CRIS is engaged in the development of a ‘Super App’ which will enhance passenger experience for train travelers.
Sunil Srivastava, Managing Director, Barsyl, outlined that India is going to be a big market for the company as the growth in the railway infrastructure takes pace.
Globally also there is a big shift to green transport, and ESG requirements are making countries shift their focus to railway infrastructure, he added.Barsyl is undertaking engineering planning, design services for railway infrastructure not just in India but also in about 15 countries.
Yatendra Kumar, Chief Administrative Officer, The Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE), outlined that India is very close to achieving 100% electrification with only about some more work to be done in the Northeast region. The full electrification of the network will enhance the sustainability and objective of achieving green railways, he added.
Viral Dipakbhai Joshi, Research Associate, Transport and Urban Governance Division at Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), emphasized that railways remained the most sustainable mode for freight transport and undertaking efforts such as ‘Trucks On Train’ services will further enhance the sustainability efforts.
Santosh Kumar Kalmath, Senior Sales Director, India/SAARC & Indonesia, at Belden, highlighted that the company is engaged in building a robust backbone network for the Indian Railways. He highlighted that artificial intelligence will be a key enabler in the modernisation of the railway network.
With ever growing railway infrastructure across the length and breadth of the country, Venkata Subbarao Chunduru, Director & Head, India Operations, Arcadis IBI Group, highlighted that asset management of such infrastructure will be a crucial element. Outcome is very important because technology is not permanent and we should use technology as a means and not as an end, he said.
