Do Indian Railways lack vision?
Raghu writes extremely well as normal to him and one cannot fault him. How ever I have one point to make which some how he missed. India has to decide whether Railway is a pure commercial organisation with profit as the motive or a government department responsible for social justice. If we are commercial, then the approach will be to improve profits, introduce more cost effective technologies, remove cross subsidies, and be customer friendly.Even in recruitment and training the work force will be lean and mean and will enjoy the same level of freedom as available for any private company abroad. Like US companies running railways we can concentrate on profit making sectors and create a few AMTRAKS for government subsidies and support. That is the sure way to permanently kill railways and technology, as US has done. It will just carry freight and freight and freight. But of late US President is trying to change all that with heavy Government investment and stimulus focusing on railways....