If Indian Railway Ministry sources can be believed, the government will spend nearly Rs.100 crore to develop 400 railway stations that were announced in the Railway Budget. India´s railway stations, defined by surly staff, cheap tea, and filth carefully hidden in corners are set to become glossy, clean, and like airports.

The Cabinet´s nod to the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission would create an impact of Rs.24,325 crore on the Indian Railways (IR) in the current financial year.

While all the pressure to build a railway network in India in the mid-nineteenth century came from London, it is well into the 21st century that pressures of a very different kind are at work in modern-day India.

The government has announced a massive investment in India´s ports sector, which is likely to boost the country´s economy. The government has massive plans of developing ten coastal economic regions by reviving the country´s Sagarmala (string of ports) Project.

Taking precedence from Japan which heralded the ´bullet train´ legacy in 1964, the world began to partake of this ´race against time´. High-speed rail (HSR), which uses an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated tracks, can significantly enhance the connectivity and trade between major cities in a country.

The operating ratio of railways has continuously been above 90 per cent. This has, therefore, resulted in the Indian Railways having very little funds left for investing in projects such as new line construction, gauge conversion, doubling, etc.

While last mile connectivity projects continue to be accorded the highest priority, the Railways Ministry intend to fast track the sanctioned works on 7,000 km of double/third/fourth lines and com-¡mission 1200 km in 2015-16 at an investment of Rs 8686 crore.

Indian Railways´ target of increasing freight tonnage by an incremental 85 million tonnes (mt) in 2015-16, against the traditional annual average of 50 mt, might appear ambitious, but the national transporter believes achieving such growth will not be a big task.

The industry estimates that falling crude oil prices, lower fuel subsidies along with recent diesel tax hikes could together add almost Rs 1.1 trillion to the Union Budget. And with the government planning to spend about $8 billion of that on infrastructure and manufacturing activities, the infrastructure sector is looking at a brighter year ahead.