The Hindu : Business : France to help modernise Railways

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Thursday, May 15, 2008
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France to help modernise Railways

Special Correspondent

Evinces interest in freight corridor, safety and telecommunications

The two sign Memorandum of Understanding
A steering committee will thrash out issues

— PHOTO: RAMESH SHARMA

GOING HI-TECH: (from left) Minister of State for Transport, France, Dominique Bussereau, with Secretary General, FICCI, Amit Mitra, former Indian Ambassador to France, T. C. A. Rangachari, and Chairman, Asian Institute of Transport Development, K. L. Thapar, at a luncheon meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: Aimed at upgrading its railway infrastructure that includes running of hi-speed trains, Indian Railways on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the French Railways.

Signed in the presence of visiting French Minister of State for Transport Dominique Bussereau, Minister of State for Railways Naranbhai Rathwa, SNCF International (French Railways) Chairman and Managing Director Jean-Pierre Lubinox and Railway Board Chairman K. C. Jena, the MoU envisages cooperation in various spheres, including line capacity, safety, maintenance and upgrading of tracks and structures, signalling, telecommunications, power supply, electric or diesel traction stock, information technology, training, high-speed rail projects and regional and urban development.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rathwa said the Indian Railways had an ambitious plan of network expansion, increase in rolling stock production capacity, developing world-class passenger terminals, and in future the country requires high speed passenger services also. This MoU would help modernise the Indian Railways and promote cooperation between the two nations.

Mr. Bussereau said France was interested in forging ties with the Indian Railways in specific areas like freight corridor, safety telecommunications, rolling stocks, locomotives and rakes and high-speed train.

The Railways would be the future mode of transport in the face of global warming as it is fuel efficient and environment friendly mode of transport. Mr. Jena said the agreement would be valid for three years and enable mutually beneficial cooperation between the two railways.

“A steering committee comprising two representatives of each country will be set up under the MoU. The committee will meet alternatively in France and India and take up various issues for strengthening and promoting technical cooperation between the two countries,” he informed. The Indian Railways have already signed agreement with the railways of Austria, Germany, Italy, Russia, South Africa and China.

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