Indian Railways to float Joint Venture Company with Andhra Pradesh government next year. The JVC, a first of its kind with any state government in the country is meant to improve rail infrastructure in the state.

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu announced that the railways will form Joint Venture Companies (JVC) with Andhra Pradesh government to improve railway infrastructure and laying of new lines. The JVC would formed next year, he added.

Speaking after flagging of a weekly train between Tirupathi-Shirdi, at Tirupathi on Saturday, Suresh Prabhu said that the steps are taken to develop railway lines in the State, with an estimated cost of Rs 7,500 Cr. He said that in the current railway budget, AP was allocated more funds that what it was getting earlier for the improvement of railways in the state. And, improvement of railway infrastructure in AP would witness more progress in coming two years time, he added

The union minister said that flagging off a train between Tirupathi and Shirdi would be a first step, in the direction of connecting the places in the pilgrim circuit spread across the country. The railway minister said that it was decided that, besides, Tirupathi, amenities in 400 important railway stations would be improved with that of the passenger amenities available in airports. These improvements would be taken up in public-private partnership mode, he said.

Claiming that the railways are in need of huge investments, Suresh Prabhu said that efforts are on, to pool up Rs 8.5 lakh Cr investments from LIC and financial institutions from Japan. Improving passenger amenities would tops the agenda of his next railway budget, the union minister said, “railways are all set to bring drastic changes in the interior designing of the railway coaches to provide a delightful travel to the passengers,” he said.