The Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) plans to monetise land on the Kalka-Shimla section to generate revenue from the vacant land through non-tariff ways. Recently, RLDA surveyed the stations of the Kalka-Shimla section.

The railway department has taken measurements and mapped the vacant land at many stations on the section.

Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Gurinder Mohan Singh, said that land monetisation converts vacant land into an asset for generating revenue.

The proposal was approved by the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog under the National Monetisation Pipeline scheme. It will check ticketing, coach maintenance, track maintenance, platform maintenance, cleanliness and other amenities.

Singh said that RLDA is a statutory authority under the Ministry of Railway for developing vacant railway land for commercial use to generate revenue through non-tariff measures.

The vacant land section will be used for commercial needs from which the railway department can generate revenue from non-resourceful projects.

According to NITI Aayog, the commercial activities of the Kalka-Shimla section will be put under a private company, which will include the responsibility of ticketing, coach maintenance, track maintenance, platform maintenance, cleanliness and other amenities.

Track repair and replacement and other safety measures will be vested with the Ministry of Railways. General maintenance and repair will be the responsibility of the private firm. Privatisation will include railway traffic signaling systems, overhead electrification lines, overhead equipment, and track maintenance. The process of privatisation will be initiated by the end of 2022.

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