nd str and n rastr       t re    9.31
     Development Scheme) – a centrally sponsored                    IR is installing solar panels on rooftops
     scheme (CSS) with a Central grant between 60                   of coaches for the train lighting system.
     to 85 per cent. Its core aim is to attain 24x7                 Solar plants of 50 MW to come up on the
     power supply in the country – to be achieved                   rooftops of IR buildings.
     by strengthening sub-transmission network,                     Diamond Quadrilateral network of High
     metering, IT application, Customer Care                        Speed Rail connecting major metros
     Services, provisioning of solar panels, reduction              (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai)
     in the AT&C of the state DISCOMs. This                         to come up.
     scheme subsumed the existing scheme, R-APDRP
                                                           High Speed Train Project: The feasibility report
     (Restructured Accelerated Power Development
                                                           of the Japan International Cooperation Agency
     and Reforms Programme) of 2008.
                                                           (JICA) was approved by the GoI in December
                                                           2015. A new special purpose vehicle with 50
        raIlways                                           per cent equity participation from the Ministry
     Indian Railways (IR) is faced with a number           of Railways and 50 per cent from the state
     of challenges. For speedy capacity creation, IR       governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat will be
     recognizes the importance of enhancing project        set up to implement the project. Major features
     execution capabilities. Considering the enormity      of the project are as given below:
     of the resources required for plan investment in               Project completion cost is approximately
     rail infrastructure, and given the limitation of               Rs. 97,636 crore (including price
     public resources, efforts are on by IR to generate             escalation, interest during construction
     sufficient internal surplus, and tap innovative                and import duties) – average per km cost
     methods of financing, to meet these needs.                     of construction works out to be Rs. 140
          The focus is on prioritising investments in               crore. To be completed in 7 years.
     important areas like dedicated freight corridors,              Japan’s ODA (official development
     high speed rail, high capacity rolling stock,                  assistance) will be Rs. 79, 165 crore (81
     last mile rail linkages and port connectivity,                 per cent of project cost) for 50 years
     and attracting private and FDI investments to                  with 0.1 per cent interest and a 15-year
     supplement available resources. Major initiatives              moratorium.
     taken by the GoI are as given below:                           Total length of the proposed corridor will
              Various measures to improve passenger                 be 508 km between the Bandra Kurla
              amenities, infrastructure and services, and           complex in Mumbai and Sabarmati/
              initiatives under Make in India, freight              Ahmedabad in Gujarat – to cover 12
              initiative, resource mobilisation initiative          stations with a maximum design speed of
              and green initiatives, etc. High-speed                350 kmph (with a 320 kmph operating
              communication network put in place                    speed).
              with the help of 48,818 route kilometres.             Sixty-four per cent of the corridor will
              Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, has                  be constructed on embankment, 25 per
              developed a first-of-its-kind stainless               cent via duct and 6 per cent tunnel, with
              steel three-phase energy-efficient AC-AC              a standard gauge.
              transmission 1600 HP DEMU train set.                  To have 10-car trains (750 seats) in the
              Mobile application for freight operations             beginning and 16-car trains (1200 seats)
              – Parichaalan – has been introduced.                  in the future. Thirty-five trains per day