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 During my short stewardship of the Indian Railways, I have been flooded with requests for new projects of New Lines, Gauge Conversion, Doubling and new Factories, new trains, and suggestions for improving the services of the system. While Railways continue to deliver services ungrudgingly in spite of constraints of resources, both physical and financial, it is high time that we take a serious note of its urgent investment and other needs. Railways are a strong engine of development and help mainstreaming our citizens in less developed areas of the country. Therefore, it is critical for the Railways itself to be restored to a more central place in the national planning. 

vii. The Capital of Arunanchal Pradesh would soon be on rail map in this financial year, as Harmuti-Naharlagun newline is expected to be commissioned shortly. The state of Meghalaya is also all set to come on the Railway map in this financial year, as Dudhnoi – Mehendipathar newline is getting completed by March 2014;

 viii. Expansion of Railway Network: During the year we completed 1,532 km of New Line, Doubling and Gauge Conversion against a revised target of 1,525 km. Sections commissioned in 2013-14 include:

Inadequacy of financial resources is a key constraint to Railways following the desired path. Aspirations of the people channelized through their elected representatives for extending the rail network to their regions are all valid and need to be respected. In fact, Railways have happily acknowledged and accepted many of these. Despite limited availability of funding, Railways have been able to implement and complete many projects of new lines, doubling, gauge conversion, metropolitan transport, road over/under bridges in addition to construction of workshops, improvement of user services and electrification.