Indian Railways: Past, present, and future

The Indian Railways is a vital part of the Indian economy, and it employs over 1.3 million people. But it’s infested by a series of maladies.

Published : Jun 05, 2023 19:07 IST - 1 MIN READ

An Indian Railways diesel locomotive carrying a passenger train on Sherawati bridge near Honnawar in Karnataka. | Photo Credit: AFP PHOTO/ PRAKASH SINGH

The Indian Railways, one of the world’s largest employers and a crucial component of the Indian economy, is once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. A train accident in Odisha on the evening of June 2 seems to have exposed the chinks in the Railways’ safety armour.

One of the reasons cited by many experts as a possible cause behind the mishap was the poor investment India makes toward the safety and security of its trains. Several others point out that the fact that India’s haste to privatise the operations of the Railways has created an environment of insecurity in the whole system.

The government’s approval of privatising goods trains and the disinvestment in certain public sector units under the Railway Ministry has sparked a contentious debate in the recent past. While proponents argue that privatization will improve efficiency and profitability, critics fear job losses and a decline in service quality.

Against this backdrop, here is a series of articles Frontline has carried over the past few years on myriad issues dogging the Great Indian Railway, focusing on its past, present, and future.