NEW DELHI, 16 March, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, while speaking in the Lok Sabha, during the Budget Session of Parliament, Union Railways Minister Piyush Goyal asserted that Railways will never be privatized rather private investment is encouraged for its more efficient functioning.

"Indian Railways will never be privatized. It is a property of every Indian and will remain so,” the minister said, adding that it will remain with the government of India.

 “We are focusing on passenger safety. I am happy to say that there has been no passenger death in the past two years. The last death due to a train accident happened in March 2019," the minister said.

While referring to the railways budget, he said that the Modi government has hiked investment in railways to Rs 2.15 lakh crore in 2021-22 fiscal, from Rs 1.5 lakh crore in 2019-20 fiscal.

The minister reiterated during the session that the country can progress towards high growth and create more employment opportunities only when the public and private sectors work together.