Indian railways in the past few decades (on the path of recovery)

Indian Railways network is the largest in Asia and stands fourth in the world. It is the biggest public undertaking in the country and occupies a premier place in the transport system. That is why Indian railway is called as lifeline of the nation. But during past few decades (especially after 1990) Indian railway started reporting poor financial health. There were many objections and allegations which had started rising against Indian Railways. Many high-profile bureaucrats and academicians had started projecting Indian Railways as a completely failed Government sector enterprise. Several committees were constituted for improving the sick condition of Indian railways and these committees had recommended several suggestions for the recovery. After around 2004–05 the condition of Indian railway started showing the signs of improvements year after year, and there happened to be a ‘turnaround’. The present paper is an effort to diagnose the so called ‘turnaround’, and further to suggest Indian railways few need based recommendations for continuous reforms in this mammoth enterprise.