Indian Railways has renewed its MoU with Swiss Railways to enhance technical cooperation between the two countries.
The MoU will cover areas such as track maintenance, tech collab and infrastructure modernization of the Railways.
A Joint Working Group (JWG) has been formed to facilitate collaboration between the two national carriers and discussions – at least two meetings before signing the MoU – focused on collaboration on freight and passenger cars, railway electrification equipment, station modernisation, and tunneling technology.
In the third JWG meeting- that was chaired by the then Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, alongside Director of the Federal Office of Transport in Switzerland – the Indian side presented ongoing capital expenditure initiatives, highlighting significant investment opportunities in the Indian Railway sector for Swiss firms.
“This partnership is set to enhance the efficiency and reliability of Railway services in India, ultimately benefiting passengers and freight operations alike,” Indian Railways said in a press statement.
Notable companies will supply machinery, materials and tunneling consultancy services.
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The renewal of the MoU took place via video conferencing with Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Railways, and Albert Roesti, Excellency Federal Councilor and Head of Federal Department of the Environment, Transport and Communications of the Swiss Confederation, being the signatories.
In his address, Vaishnaw said, the MoU will be beneficial for Railways across areas including technology, track maintenance, management and construction, among others.