Maintaining there was enough money available, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday called for innovation in making the Railways safer. Goyal, who has been put at the helm of Railway affairs following a spate of train derailments, said the national transporter is embarking on a massive programme to ensure safety of the entire Indian rail network.
"As much money as required is available for safety. I am not even saying it will be made available, I am saying it is available," Goyal said at the International Conference on Technological Advancements in Railway and Metro Projects which was inaugurated earlier in the day by Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu
Stating that he cannot make the railways safe without new ideas, he hoped that the conference will help generate innovations.
Goyal also said that budget allocations are a limitation and tend to hold back research and innovation. He suggested out-of-the-box thinking to improve rail safety features like as signaling systems and fog vision for locomotive pilots.
To highlight his point, Goyal said that the last time a train with additional speed, comfort and safety features was introduced was way back in 1969 — the Rajdhani Express.
"From 1969 to 2017 we have not embarked on any major new technological initiative that will take us to international standards of passenger safety, comfort, convenience and speed," he said. Japan, he pointed out, has progressed technologically as it has managed to create an ecosystem where scientists and researchers can think out-of-the-box.
"Our plan for the future is to create an ecosystem where the scientific community will choose to stay in India and not go to NASA," the minister said.
Speaking on occasion Naidu said, "With about 8 lakh crore brand investments opening up FDI in rail infrastructure and the implementation of GST, I am sure the Indian Railways, particularly
long-distance transport, will stand to benefit in the years ahead."
"Discussions are going on about the country, its economy and also GST — its effects, after-effects and side-effects. let the discussions go on. It is always good for democracy," Naidu said.
He added, "But at the end of the day, the Prime Minister's mantra of reform, perform and transform has a meaning," he said. He termed Goods and Services Tax as India's most revolutionary tax reform ever.