Railways contemplating setting up Station Authority of India

NEW DELHI: In a bid a to shore up its finances, the Ministry of Railways is contemplating setting up Station Authority of India on the lines of Airport Authority of India for creation of additional facilities at the stations and making them commercially more viable.

"We can have Station Authority of India like Airport Authority of India (AAI). We have not exploited the stations at all. We can have multiplexes, shopping complexes, libraries, parking lots and offices at stations," Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi said at the inaugural ceremony of the International Railway Equipment Exhibition here.

There are more than 7000 railway stations across the country.

"AAI provides so much of logistics and comforts and it is slushed with money. Why can't railways have a similar body for modernisation of stations?" Trivedi asked.

On the fare hike issue, the Minister said, "It is very easy to increase the fare but we have to think out of the box. Fare hike is the easiest thing to do and I do not think we should have easy options."

Pitching strongly for private sector participation in the railways sector, he said, "I do not think railways can be modernised by increasing passengers fares and freight rates. We need total participation of the private sector."

"We will not achieve 8 per cent GDP growth unless Indian Railways grows by 10 to 12 per cent. Modernisation of signalling system, track, stations, freight terminals are the need of the hour. We have to redifine railways with a modernisation plan," he said.