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Based on past performance, will execution on time and within budget actually occur? Or another “bridge too far” expectation?

Within four years? Likely impossible within that timeline

Who is giving them such technical advise?

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Bloomberg headline tonight asks: Asia’s Oldest Railroad Needs $124 Billion. Who’ll Foot the Bill? Feb 24, 2016

The superlatives are dazzling: India’s railway is the fourth-largest in the world, the oldest in Asia and carries about as many passengers daily as Australia’s population.

But it is old, less reliable now, and has been losing market share to highway mode bus, truck, and auto. ( So reports my professional associate David Burns)

Its grand new rail projects are now about a decade behind schedule. What is different going forward?

To read the entire article, pleae go to bloom.bg/1KKYgFx

Anurag Kotoky is the journalist –

Prime Minister Narendra Modi now wants to spend 8.5 trillion rupees ($124 billion) through 2020 on new tracks, India’s first bullet trains and modern stations. The unanswered question for companies such as General Electric Co. and Alstom SA, which are hoping to gain from the revamp, is where all the money will come from.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu may shed some light on that in his railroad budget speech on Thursday.

Bloomberg reports that the sheer scale of the modernization task is daunting. A looming wage increase of 320 billion rupees makes the task of funding investment even tougher —

The India railway network already spends most of its revenues on operating costs. It does not generate much free cash for reinvestment.

The railways may seek to sell land, export trains to Asia and Africa and sell advertising space while curbing costs, to cope with the wage burden and find funds for investment.

Fare increases are unlikely, people familiar with the matter said last month. Fare increases are often political suicide for the railway leadership

FUNDING SOURCES?

Here are some of the highlights from Prabhu’s railway funding speech:

•No passenger-fare increase to keep costs down for the poor
•Explore options for land, such as using some to generate solar power
•Market borrowing of about 200 billion rupees in the year starting April 1
•Considering possibilities for international and multilateral funding
To set up special purpose vehicles to implement high-speed train projects

India Rail,accounting is a bit vague. Claims a profit. Hard to prove.

The plan intends to improve its implied existing operating ratio by two points from 92 to 90

The Times of India|The Economic Times reports the following statistics:

* Expect saving of Rs 8,720 this year

* Operating ratio at 92% FY17 as against 90% in current year

* Traffic revenue targetat Rs Rs 1.85 lakh crore

* Capital plan of Rs 1.21 lakh crore

* Expect revenue growth of over 10% this year

* Commission 2,800km of new tracks in next year, almost 30% higher than last year

* Railway electrification increased by 50%; 2,000km route to be electrified next

* Railways to get Rs 40,000 crore budgetary support from the government

* Rs 30,000 crore is the loss on subsidizing passenger fares

* 20% less accidents this year. No specifics on how to reduce this.

MARKET ANTICIPATION?

Bloomberg reports that some India railway-related stocks have already rallied ahead of the budget speech, though project execution remains a risk, said Ashish Kejriwal, an analyst with Elara Securities Pvt. in Mumbai. Here are some of the stocks which could be in play as Prabhu speaks: * Titagarh Wagons Ltd. — Wagons and freight manufacturer * Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd. — Manufacturer of freight cars * Kalindee Rail Nirman Engineers Ltd. — Signaling system provider Closing

OBSERVATION

In American terms, the $124 billion is equivalent to maybe the current cap ex valuation of two Union Pacific’s — —- without any realistic type Union Pacific operating income pro forma expectations offered yet by any professionals as due diligence oversight.

Not impossible. But certainly a huge financial feasibility challenge.

Who will risk the capital under such circumstances and under what terms?

PLANNING?  THAT HAS NOT BEEN SET UP YET

While presenting the Railway Budget for 2016-17 in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced that the Indian Railway intends to set up a Railway Planning & Investment Organisation for developing a National Rail Plan to draft medium (5 years) and long (10 years) term corporate plans and identify projects which will fulfill the corporate goal.

 

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