India and France Sign M.o.U for railway sector
An Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Shri R.K. Goyal, Addl. Member Planning, Indian Railway Board and Mr. Jean-Pierre Lubinox, Chairman & Managing Director, SNCF International (French Railways) for promoting bi-lateral cooperation in the Railway sector, today. The visiting Minister of State for Transport, Government of France, Mr. Dominique Bussereau was also present.
Indian Railways has an ambitious plan of network expansion, increase in rolling stock production capacity, world-class passenger terminals and high speed passenger services. This MoU will further promote cooperation and be of a benefit to Indian Railways and also to the French Railways.
The French Minister of State for Transport, Mr Bussereau said that France is interested in forging ties with Indian Railways in specific areas like freight corridor, safety telecommunications, rolling stocks, locomotives and rakes and high speed train. He said that Railways will be the future mode of transport in the face of Global warming as it is fuel efficient and environment friendly mode of transport.
Indian Railways already has MoUs with the railways of Austria, Germany, Italy, Russia, South Africa and China.
Under the MoU, a Steering committee composed of two representatives of each country will be set up which will meet alternatively in Paris and in India on a time scale to be agreed to by mutual consent of both the countries. The first meeting of Steering Committee will mainly take up various issues for strengthening and promoting technical cooperation between the two countries. The areas of cooperation include line capacity, safety, maintenance and upgrading of tracks and structures, signaling, telecommunications, power supply, electric or diesel traction stock, information technology, training, high speed rail projects and regional and urban development.
The 23-member French delegation was headed by Mr. Jean-Pierre Lubinox, Chairman & Managing Director, SNCF International.
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