Prabhu's white paper to map railway reforms

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s white paper is likely to analyse the status of Indian Railways, keeping in view international benchmarks. The document, which is likely to be released during the budget session, is expected to present the roadmap to transform the railways into a world-class transporter.

“The Paper will use international benchmarks for evaluating the status of the organisation in managing its various sectors, including revenues, safety, signalling and passenger amenities,” a high official told Deccan Herald.

The document is expected to present the true state of affairs in the public transporter, especially regarding its finances. Prabhu had constituted a committee under the leadership of the former secretary of finance services DK Mittal to look into the status of finance and suggest ways to improve it.

The committee is said to have dealt with issues which are to be part of the white paper. It is said to have suggested inflation-linked dynamic pricing of passenger fares, rationalisation of fares, and freight and capacity augmentation.

Sources say the D K Mittal Committee has suggested increase in passenger fare of suburban trains. It is also said to have suggested an increase in the minimum passenger fare of mail and express trains. The committee is supposed to have suggested dynamic fares for select trains.