Suresh Prabhu outlines Achievements, Initiatives of Indian Railways under his two-year regime 

This is a letter written by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu to Indian train travellers about the achievements of his domain under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Dear Friends,

It is our Honorable Prime Minister's firm belief that Indian Railway has the potential to become the backbone of India's progress and economic development. This is the vision we all are working for at Indian Railways with you as our partner. 18 months ago, when I took over the reigns of this great organization called Indian Railways, I was faced with many challenges. I had the option of making small incremental changes or go beyond business as usual. I chose the latter

Bringing in systemic changes was the need of the hour. It was important to change the perception of Indian Railways from a slow moving behemoth to a responsive modern organization. It is satisfying for me to note that we have made some progress. A lot is still to be done.

Our Prime Minister has asserted many times that our Government's priority is the commonest of the common man of the country and it is with this in mind, we worked on improving the travel experience for our people. We launched a host of initiatives aimed at this.

Some of the important achievements are:

• Commissioned record 2828 km of broad gauge lines which are 85% higher than 2009-14 average annual commissioning. 7.7 km lines commissioned per day against 2009-14 average of 4.3 km
• Capital expenditure in 2015-16 was about Rs. 94,000 Cr which is almost double the average annual capital expenditure over the previous five-year period of 2009-14
• Electrification of 1730 km done in the last year is a huge jump over 2009-14 annual average of 1184 km
• A responsive 24x7 complaint resolution mechanism employed through the use of social media.
• Cleanliness: Swachh Rail, Swachh Bharat campaign, Clean my Coach Service launched, third party cleanliness audits conducted for stations
• E-catering, E-wheelchair, E-bedroll facilities launched to ensure seamless availability and access to these facilities
• Ticketing: IRCTC capacity increased, Automatic ticket vending machines installed, cancellation of PRS tickets through cell phone launched, Vikalp scheme launched
• Speed: India's first semi-high-speed train Gatimaan Express launched, trial run of Talgo coaches underway
• N-E Connectivity: Barak Valley of Assam, Agartala, Mizoram and Manipur connected to broad gauge
• High-speed Wi-Fi launched at various stations with a target of 400 stations by 2018
• Environment: A provision of 1% of total project cost made in all future projects to spend on environment protection measures, major thrust on solar and wind energy provided, traditional lights replaced by environment-friendly LED lights
• 100% E-tendering implemented resulting in transparent and accountable procurement process
• While I continue my journey on this noble mission of `Transforming India' through `Transforming Railways,I seek your increased participation and support. Together we can make the Indian Railways better.

Yours Sincerely,

Suresh Prabhu