Freight-loading has bounced back to 92% this month as compared to July last year, the railway ministry said yesterday (Friday, 17th July 2020). While it said the focus will be more on increasing revenue from freight movement this year, the ministry has also set the target to improve infrastructure in the next five years in a big way and to provide rail connectivity to five state capitals in North East — Shillong, Gangtok, Aizawl, Kohima and Imphal by March 2023.
Speaking to reporters, Railway Board chairman V K Yadav said about Rs 13.6 lakh crore will be spent in the next five years for upgrading infrastructure. This includes the big impact project of upgrading 11,295 km comprising seven high density corridors to allow passenger trains to run at 160 kmph by March 2025.
These stretches are Delhi-Howrah, Howrah-Mumbai, Mumbai-Delhi, Delhi-Guwahati, Delhi-Chennai, Chennai-Howrah and Chennai-Mumbai. Railways has also set the target to complete the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link by December 2022.