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Presenting his maiden Rail Budget in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Union Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda announced 58 new trains including 5 new Jansadharans, 5 premium trains, 6 AC express, 27 express trains, 8 passenger trains, 2 MEMU trains and 5 DEMUs. He further announced extension of 11 trains' route.

Stating that bullet trains are a priority, the Railway Minister proposed the first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmadabad route. Railways will also launch high-speed trains to connect major cities, he said.

Gowda said his ministry would also seek cabinet approval for allowing foreign direct investment in the state-owned network, but passenger services would be excluded.

"The bulk of our future projects will be by the PPP model," he told India`s parliament, referring to public-private partnerships.

India`s railway, the world`s fourth-largest, has suffered from years of low investment and populist policies to subsidise fares. This has turned a once-mighty system into a slow and congested network that crimps economic growth. 

The decision to push private investment signals the appetite Prime Minister Narendra Modi`s new government has for taking tough and unpopular decisions he has said are needed to revive the economy.

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