Addressing an international conference jointly organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Indian Railways on Wednesday, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said.
“It could be a good idea to consider setting up a station authority like Airport Authority of India for the optimal utilisation of stations where there could be libraries, parking lots and office complexes in addition to activities pertaining to Railway operation,” he said.
Stressing the need to have a relook at the financial model of Indian Railways where most of the earnings are from the freight sector, he referred to the proposal of developing stations as a multi-purpose hub.
Trivedi said the Railways had envisaged ambitious plans for the coming Five Year Plan and several new project areas are being considered to be executed in partnership with industry both in public and private sectors through joint venture or PPP model.
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