Jayant Sinha, the Minister of State for Finance, has announced that the government if India will invest Rs 8.5 lakh crore in Indian Railways to change the face of the sector. Speaking at the annual convention of Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), Sinha said the government is “very focused” on infrastructure.  He also appealed to the opposition parties to help pass the GST bill that will usher in a new indirect taxes regime in the country, boosting business activity.

Tidbits

• The New Delhi-Bhopal Shatabdi Express is the fastest train in India. The Nilgiri Express with an average speed of 10 kmph has the distinction of being India’s slowest train.
• The longest rail tunnel in India is the Pir Panjal tunnel (Jammu and Kashmir) at a length of 11.215 km.
• The station with the longest name is Venkatanarasimharajuvaripeta.
• Vivek Express from Dibrugarh to Kanyakumari travels a distance of 4273 km, making it the longest run in terms of total time and distance in Indian Railways.
• The mascot of Indian Railways is Bholu – the guard elephant.
• The world’s highest railway bridge is being built over Chenab.
• The country’s first railway bridge is the Dapoorie Viaduct on the Mumbai-Thane route.
• The national Rail Museum at New Delhi was set-up in 1977.

Test Your Knowledge

What is the full form of recently launched mobile App R-MITRA for safety of women passengers?