“The name’s Bond, James Bond. But Indian Railways is stronger than James Bond!”

I know what you are thinking. Its not that. It's stranger than what you can even imagine. Things are not going to stop with just a movie shoot on the rail-tracks of India. We are going far ahead by choosing an international figure as a brand ambassador for the state owned rail transport network.


They call it the 'image makeover'. When the world's largest railway network is hiring the world's best entertainer who cruises in high-speed MI6 vehicles fully kitted with most modern gizmos and gadgets, the former is believed to get a face lift by covering up the flaws. Daniel Craig is expected to draw a curtain and cover the over crowded, old, slow and hardly on schedule nature of the train with his bond image.


To fit in the techno-sophisticated Bond persona in a mammoth aged carriage is going to be the worst challenge the best ad-makers are going to face. To accomplish this, the only way I can figure out is taking bond back to the 60s.


With many key projects pending and kilometers of rail tracks remaining in blueprints for decades, may be we are taking a giant leap here by adopting James Bond. A risk free and low investment step, I should say.


When countries are improving on the 581km/hr (Japan-Maglev Transport) clocked speed of train, the worlds largest railway network is struggling to maintain a 120km/hr on its best tracks. Our rail tracks, I should say, are ancient and inefficient to support even a 200km/hr(Speed of an upgraded track in Europe) speed. In India,as of today, and plans for tomorrow, a high speed rail in nowhere in view.


But if you ask, we do have high speed trains. Like we got Bond, Indian Railways introduced Fast Express Trains like Duronto, Sadapdi, etc and called them 'High Speed Trains'. And the High Speed Train got redefined according to Indian standards. Isn't that easier than spending years in innovations and then spending money on developing rails that meet the demand?


Well the question is not on the speed, up-gradation, laying new track or the maintenance of the pre-independence railway track. Its all about do we need an eye wash now? Aren't we happy with what we have, what we dream and know the difference between the two? 
Do we need Mr Bond to misguide us by dream-walking on the our railway tracks?

2 comments:

  1. hahah yes our rails are stronger than Mr Bond & all his gadgets put together :)

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  2. That's true. But they are far below the world standards.
    I'm eagerly waiting for the advertisement release.

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