Indian Railways: An epitome of 'Brand India'

New Delhi [India], August 23 : Traversing the length and breadth of the country, Indian Railways is one of the largest rail networks in the world with a total route length of 68,000 kilometres.
In its 170-year-long journey, Indian Railways has proven itself to be the most convenient and affordable means of transportation for over a billion Indians.
Although Indian Railways has undergone several transitions in its long journey, in recent years, it has witnessed a holistic change with a push by the current government.
From station makeovers to developing infrastructure that will enhance the pace of the railways, Indian Railways has been tirelessly working to expand and improve its network.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said, "We have worked on the complete transformation of rail connectivity in the past eight years. Today, the experience of travelling in the Indian railways is completely different from what it used to be eight years ago. The Indian Railways is becoming faster, cleaner and modern".
Indian Railways was in need of reforms at the fundamental level. We started working for the development of railways by not considering it a service but an asset. And the dividends are here to see.
In 2018, the Government of India put forward a proposal to infuse massive investments into railways through Public-Private-Partnership in order to achieve a generational shift in how railways function and are viewed.
As per the plan, around 680 billion USD, will be spent on railways by 2030. The mission comprises the upgrading of existing railways, making existing lines capable of higher speeds, expansion of new lines and the modernisation of railway stations.
India has also been working relentlessly to develop a large high-speed train network interconnecting major cities of the country.
Dedicated freight corridors to cut down cargo costs within the country are also being developed, of which -- the Eastern and the Western dedicated freight corridor - are at the cusp of becoming fully operational in the coming months.
Once operational, these corridors will play an instrumental role in bolstering the Indian economy.
Ravindra Kumar Jain, Managing Director, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India said, "Tireless efforts are being made for the completion of 1,506 Km under the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and 1,350 Km under the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. They are going to play an instrumental role in the development of the country. In the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they are going to prove a "game changer".
In what is another feat for Indian Railways, it recently launched the world's highest single-arch rail bridge. The bridge - an engineering marvel- has been built to connect far-flung areas of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Chenab Bridge over the mighty Chenab River, rises 359 metres above the riverbed.
The span is 35m higher than the Eiffel Tower in Paris and 84m higher than the current record holder for the world's highest bridge, a 275m-high bridge across the Beipanjiang River in China.
Sanjay Gupta, Chairman of Konkan Railways, said, "Today basically, the deck has been pushed in pieces from both sides. Today, the last piece is going to be pushed and the centre is going to be joined. And after the welding has been done, we can walk across the bridge. So that is the importance of today's event".
Over the last decade, Indian Railways has endeavoured to provide premier-level service to millions of its passengers. The government's emphasis has been on providing a holistic experience of convenience and speed to travellers.
The country has indigenously developed its leading train service 'Vande Bharat', the fastest train in the country launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.
These trains contain a sustainable engine that can save diesel and reduce electricity usage by 30 per cent. It is a prime example of the brand India which has been growing and shining with each passing day.