Agreement signed between India, China to enhance rail cooperation: Suresh Prabhu

VADODARA: Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today said that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China an agreement to enhance cooperation in the railway sector was signed between the two countries.

"Railways was one of the key sectors of Prime Minister's visit to China as it resulted in the two countries signing a major memorandum on expanding cooperation in the building of a high-speed rail corridor between Delhi and Chennai, development of two model railway stations, establishment of Railway University and training of Indian railway men by their counter parts in China," Prabhu said here.

He was in the city for an awards ceremony organised by the Federation of the Gujarat Industries (FGI).

The minister said the feasibility report on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet train project was awaited.

"The Japanese government is willing to fund the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project and that the Railway ministry is holding talks with Chief Ministers of both states to work out a feasible plan.

"We have been speaking to the CMs of both states to ensure better co-ordination in the implementation of this project. We are now awaiting the feasibility report, based on which we will take our plan to the next level. But this project has reached an advanced stage now," he said.

Indian Railways is planning to build satellite terminals near some of the busiest junctions, aiming at reducing pressure on such stations and the city traffic around it, he said.

"We are planning to develop some satellite terminals. Most of the urban areas are saturated now. It is impossible to reach to the station in busy areas. We can have satellite terminals outside busy railway stations," Prabhu added.