No proposal under consideration for running passenger trains by private operators: Railways

There is no proposal under consideration for the operation of passenger trains by private players, the railways informed Parliament Friday, years after the national transporter unveiled plans to hand over certain routes to private parties.

There is no proposal under consideration for the operation of passenger trains by private players, the railways informed Parliament Friday, years after the national transporter unveiled plans to hand over certain routes to private parties. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the railways currently have no proposals in this regard. The national transporter planned to introduce private trains on its network in phases, with the first dozen due to start running in the 2023-24 financial year and all 151 by 2027. However, only two bidders, IRCTC and Megha Engineering & Infrastructures, evinced interest at the financial bidding stage. This has now led to the whole proposal being put on the back burner because of a lack of interest among private players.