Window of opportunity for Human Factor Industry on Indian Railway System

Indian Railways is targeting to increase daily passenger carrying capacity from 21 million to 30 million and track length from 1,14,000 km to 1,38,000 km. It will grow its annual freight carrying capacity from 1 billion to 1.5... [ view full abstract ]

Indian Railways is targeting to increase daily passenger carrying capacity from 21 million to 30 million and track length from 1,14,000 km to 1,38,000 km. It will grow its annual freight carrying capacity from 1 billion to 1.5 billion tones. Over the next five years, Indian Railways is envisaging an investment of $ 142 billion. Out of these, $ 16.67 billion will be utilized for Station redevelopment and logistic parks. $ 10.8 billion has been marked for High speed Rail & Elevated corridor and $ 2 billion will be utilized for enhancing Passenger Amenities.
Indian Railways is pursuing High Speed Rail Project between Mumbai-Ahmadabad. For the other high speed routes on the diamond quadrilateral, studies are being commissioned in due course.
Railway stations in India are being planning for vertical expansion at many locations especially metro areas. We want our customers to see our station as shopping and business centers rather than transport hubs and appreciate them as iconic structures with architecture reflecting the culture and character of the city. For decongesting the city as well as to provide service to passengers residing in suburbs, Ten Satellite Railway terminals in major cities will be taken up in 2015-16. The suburban rail networks in metro cities of Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are being upgraded to provide integrated transport solutions.
We are going to Invite open bids from interested parties to exploit the space and air rights at these stations on concession basis. Anyone can participate in this bidding with their designs and business ideas. Human factor industry has an opportunity to develop and design the public areas in Indian railway premises.
Indian Railways has initiated the process of setting up a full-fledged University during 2015-16. Already existing seven Centralized Training Institutes and over 300 training centers are catering to training needs of 1.3 million railway employees and officers.
There are sixteen simulators over Indian railways system to develop and validate driver psychometric assessment and twenty five more simulators have been planned in next few years. These simulators are being upgraded to familiarize drivers with new routes and new signaling systems.
Indian Railways is launching “Foreign Rail Technology Cooperation Scheme”, to achieve the higher quality service in technology intensive and complex projects like speed raising and station redevelopment

In this background the paper can be helpful in identifying inclusive designs as well as available technological innovations or products for such a fast developing Indian Railway system. To tap new and emerging markets, it is very important to know about customers, their needs and expectations. The paper will augment the understanding of context and setting including government, regulatory, community and social sectors.
In nut shell, Indian Railways believe that ‘Organizations are not Born, They are Built’. Come and Join us in this new era of modernization and development.