Govt snatching away lifeline of poor: Rahul Gandhi on privatisation of passenger trains

New Delhi: Slamming the Centre’s move to allow private firms to run passenger trains, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said the Narendra Modi government was taking away the lifeline of the country from the poor, and the people will give a befitting reply.

“Rail is the only lifeline of the poor and the government is taking it away from them. Snatch whatever you want to. But remember — the people of the country will give a befitting reply,” tweeted Rahul Gandhi.

The Railways on Wednesday formally kick-started its plans to allow private entities to operate passenger trains on its network. The project would entail a private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crore, the national transporter said.

“The objective of this initiative is to introduce modern technology rolling stock with reduced maintenance, reduced transit time, boost job creation, provide enhanced safety, provide world-class travel experience to passengers,” the Railways said.

The 109 origin-destination routes have been formed into 12 clusters across the Indian Railway network. Each train shall have a minimum of 16 coaches, it said.

According to the railway ministry, this is the first initiative for private investment for running passenger trains on the Indian Railways network. It began last year with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) introducing the Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express.