I like the guy a lot. A highly-HIGHLY intelligent and seasoned politician. And you have to give some credit to the man, he is the first Railways Minister who has turned around Indian Railways in which GoI had to sink millions of dollars to a profit making entity posting profit of over a billion dollars! Something unheard of in recent Indian history that is a atleast 2 or 3 decades!
Indian Railways was this massive sink where the government just had to keep pumping money to keep it running. Took a good chunk of money from the Central Government to bail out the IR every year! The infrastructure was outdated, the tracks worn out, etc, etc. Lalu changed all that. Its posted a massive profit, even after taking in account the increase of the 6th Pay commision, he is modernizing the railways, putting new technologies in the wagons, new safety systems, overhaul of tracks, setting up of dedicated freight corridors, revamping stations with new technologies. Everything.
And you have to see what he said at the trust vote in Parliament when the UPA won! Absolutely hillarious!