Changing Tracks: Reinventing the Spirit of Indian Railways

In the year 2000 the Indian Railways—the world’s second largest railway network under a single management—was nearly bankrupt. The government of the day embarked on a sedate path of incremental change, which was continued by the next government at a quickened pace. Alongside came a dynamic and differential tarrif policy and technical changes. The result was a radical improvement in the performance between 2004 and 2008, which attracted worldwide attention. How all this was accomplished is the focus of this riveting study of change and innovation in the Indian Railways. Based on an extensive examination of internal documents of the Railways and in-depth interviews with key people involved in the change process, the authors identify certain distinctive features associated with the organisation’s renewal. Confronting several myths about organisational change, the book offers powerful lessons for managers and administrators grappling with the challenges of generating innovation and improving performance radically in a changing world.