14 potential routes in state for pvt players to ply trains

Having started the process of allowing private players to operate passengers trains in its network, by inviting Request for Qualification (RFP), the Indian Railways has identified 14 potential routes in Karnataka.

Bengaluru-Patna ( 5 days a week), Bengaluru-Gorakhpur (Bi-Weekly), Bengaluru-Prayagraj (Bi-Weekly), Bengaluru-Visakhapatnam (Tri-Weekly), Bengaluru-Jaipur (Weekly), Chennai-Mangaluru (Weekly), Guwahati-Bengaluru (Tri-Weekly), Mysuru-Guwahati (Tri-Weekly), Mysuru-Bhubaneshwar (Daily), Bengaluru-Delhi (Daily), Bengaluru-Howrah (Daily), Ranchi-Bengaluru (Bi-Weekly), Kalaburagi-Mumbai (6 days a week), Mangaluru-Mysuru (6 days a week) are the routes identified in the state.

Private players can bid to operate trains on 109 pairs of routes across the country, through the introduction of 151 modern trains.

Out of 106 pairs of routes, the railways identified 14 routes connecting major cities in Karnataka to other places where demand for passengers trains is high. These trains will be in addition to existing ones on these routes, said an official in the railways.

Earlier, Railway Board Chairman V K Yadav said the private operators are allowed to bring their own train sets and maintain by them. Private train operations are likely to begin by April 2023. All coaches will be procured under Make in India policy.

The concession period for the project will be 35 years and the private entity is responsible for financing, procuring, operation and maintenance of the trains.

The trains are to be designed for a maximum speed of 160 kmph.

The private companies, which bag the tender to operate the trains, have to pay lease charges and haulage charges (or freight charges for using infrastructure) to Indian Railways. Apart from fixing fare, the private companies have to provide services like catering, cleaning and supply of blankets to passengers.

Fares in private trains will be competitive and prices on other modes of transport like airlines, buses will be kept in mind.

With several companies including Indigo, Vistara, SpiceJet, RK Catering and MakeMyTrip showing interest to participate in operating private trains, the ministry is keen on starting the project soon.

During pre-lockdown period, IRCTC, a catering and ticketing arm of railways operated three trains: New Delhi-Lucknow, Mumbai -Ahmedabad and Ujjain-Varanasi. Since all the three trains operated successfully with occupancy more than 70 %, the railways plans to hand over some routes to private companies, said the official.