Congress suggests measures for improving rail services

NEW DELHI: The Congress today suggested some innovative ideas to the government for improving services of the Railways and its battered coffers.

Participating in a discussion on Railways Appropriation Bill in the Rajya Sabha, Rajiv Shukla suggested the Railways could generate funds by allowing avertisements on exterior of train coaches.

"There cannot be a better and wider space for hoardings other than train coaches. This will generate a lot of funds for the Railways," he said. Shukla also suggested introduction of hourly shuttle service between an important station and a nearby place of pilgrimage.

"The shuttle services can be started between Delhi and Vrindavan, Chennai and Tirupati and Jaipur-Ajmer among others. This kind of service has the potential to generate a lot of revenue for the Railways," he said.

Questioning the source of funds for building the required infrastructure for flagging off bullet trains, Shukla asked whether such trains would remain within the reach of the poor people.

"If you answer that the project will be done through PPP model, I would say, being a former minister in the Planning Commission, that problems are a plenty with such projects," he said. Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda, his deputy Manoj Kumar Sinha and others, cutting across party lines, welcomed Shukla's suggestions with thumping of desks.