Future of the Rail Report, 2019

The ‘Future of the Rail Report’ was prepared by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in association with the International Union of Railways (UIC). It examines how the role of rail in global transport might be elevated as a means to reduce the energy use and environmental impacts associated with transport. Some of the major findings of this report related to India can be listed as-

• The report marks that Indian railways will account for nearly 40% of total global rail activity by 2050.
• Rail passenger traffic in India has increased by almost 200% since 2000 and freight traffic by 150%, yet latent demand for mobility in India remains huge. In fact, rail activity in India is set to grow more than any other country.
• Today, the conventional rail system in India comprises a total route length of almost 68000 km. Metro systems exist in 10 Indian cities.
• For now, India does not have any high-speed rail. However, in 2015, India and Japan signed an agreement to develop a high-speed rail line connecting the cities of Ahmedabad and Mumbai, to come into operation in 2023.