JOIN USThe government on Wednesday notified 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in areas such as high-speed train systems, suburban corridors and dedicated freight line projects implemented under PPP mode in the railways.
Earlier, there was a restriction on any kind of FDI in the railways except in mass rapid transport systems.
However, proposals involving FDI beyond 49 per cent in sensitive areas, from security point of view, will be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for approval by the Railway Ministry on a case-to-case basis, said a press note of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion. The FDI is not allowed in train operations and safety.
The definitions of “infrastructure” and “common facilities” have also been widened to include railway line/sidings (electrified railway lines and connectiveness to the main railway line), it said.