Indian Railways since 2014: Minister details value-additions, in comprehensive address

Indian Railways is witnessing unprecedented expansion and modernisation, supported by a record budgetary allocation of around ₹2.78 lakh crore in the Union Budget 2026–27, a PIB release states.

Responding to the discussion in Parliament on the Demands for Grants (2026–27) of the Ministry of Railways, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted that a key structural reform in the Railways was the merger of the Railway Budget with the General Budget, which has led to three major benefits.

He described the ongoing transformation of Indian Railways as a shift from ‘slow growth’ to ‘super-fast transformation’, marking the beginning of a new era for the national transporter.

Firstly, it enabled substantial enhancement in budgetary support, increasing it from about ₹25,000–30,000 crore earlier to around ₹2.78 lakh crore in the current financial year.

Secondly, it facilitated continuous decision-making and approvals throughout the year, including sanctioning of projects, introduction of new services, and technology adoption.

Thirdly, it brought in greater transparency and institutional monitoring, with projects being reviewed through systems involving the Ministry of Finance and NITI Aayog.

Record allocations

The Union Minister stated that the Union Budget 2026–27 provided a record allocation for Indian Railways, benefiting all states across the country and supporting accelerated infrastructure development.

Vaishnaw explained that the major expenditure components of Railways included staff costs of about ₹1.19 lakh crore, pension expenditure of around ₹64,000 crore, energy costs of approximately ₹32,000 crore, and finance costs of about ₹23,000 crore.

Despite these substantial expenditures, Railways continues to maintain a modest surplus.

He further noted that electrification has resulted in savings of approximately ₹6,000 crore, with diesel consumption steadily declining due to increased electrification.

Infrastructure expansion and capacity enhancement

Vaishnaw highlighted the significant expansion in railway infrastructure over the past decade. Freight loading has increased from about 1,055 million tonnes in 2013–14 to around 1,650 million tonnes, making Indian Railways the second-largest freight carrier globally.

Track construction has accelerated substantially, with approximately 35,000 km of new tracks laid, compared to about 15,000 km in the earlier period. Electrification has also seen rapid progress, increasing from about 5,200 km to nearly 47,000 km, achieving over 99 percent network electrification.

In terms of safety infrastructure, the number of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) has increased from around 4,000 to about 14,000. Automatic signalling has expanded from about 1,500 km to over 4,000 km.

The Minister also stated that LHB coaches, which are safer and more modern, have increased significantly, with about 48,000 coaches added in recent years. Locomotive production has also risen to around 12,000 units, while wagon induction has crossed 2 lakh units.

Tunnels, freight corridors and strategic connectivity

The Minister underlined that a major milestone has been achieved in tunnel construction. While about 125 km of tunnels were constructed till 2014, an additional 486 km of tunnels have been constructed thereafter, significantly improving connectivity in difficult terrains such as the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir.

He further noted that the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) have seen substantial progress, with around 2,800 km completed and about 480 freight trains operating daily on these corridors.

Operational performance and network growth

Vaishnaw stated that Indian Railways currently operates about 25,571 trains daily, ensuring smoother travel during peak seasons such as Holi, Diwali, and Chhath.

The total railway network has expanded to approximately 1,37,522 route kilometres, with continuous annual growth. Additionally, the Railways now has about 3.86 lakh wagons and around 98,000 coaches, both at record levels.

Safety improvements

The Minister emphasised that safety remains a core priority, with focused interventions in track maintenance, rolling stock maintenance, technology adoption, and training practices.

He stated that railway accidents have reduced by about 90 percent, supported by systematic root cause analysis and corrective measures. Investment in safety has also increased significantly, with about ₹1.2 lakh crore being allocated towards safety-related works.

On safety technology, he highlighted the progress of Kavach, the indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection system. Approximately 3,000 km of network has already been covered, with work underway on about 20,000 km and installation planned on around 8,000 locomotives.

He emphasised that Kavach was a comprehensive safety system, involving optical fibre networks, telecom towers, data centres, and onboard equipment, comparable in complexity to a full telecom infrastructure.

Passenger services and affordable travel

Vaishnaw stated that Railways continues to prioritise affordable travel for common citizens. Around 70 percent of coaches are General and Sleeper Class, ensuring accessibility for the majority of passengers.

He informed that additional general coaches have been introduced, including about 1,250 coaches in 2024–25 and around 860 in 2025–26.

Railways is currently providing a passenger subsidy of approximately ₹60,000 crore annually, translating to an average concession of about 45 percent per passenger. In suburban sections like Mumbai, an additional subsidy of around ₹3,000 crore is being provided.

Introduction of new trains

The Union Minister highlighted the introduction and expansion of modern train services. Currently, more than 160 Vande Bharat services are operational, along with 60 Amrit Bharat train services catering to affordable long-distance travel.

He also informed that the manufacturing of 133 Amrit Bharat trains was underway. In addition, Vande Bharat Sleeper trains have been introduced, and their performance has received positive feedback.

Railways is also undertaking production of 238 new suburban trains for Mumbai with automatic door-closing systems and around 200 new MEMU (to be branded as Intercity) trains for short-distance travel.

Special trains and passenger convenience

Vaishnaw stated that special train operations have expanded significantly to meet seasonal demand. While earlier around 2,000–2,500 special trains were operated annually, this time a record number of special trains were being operated for the convenience of people.

During major festivals, such as Diwali and Chhath, over 12,380 special trains were operated, while over 1,500 trains have already been run during Holi.

He further noted that holding areas were being developed at 75 major stations, and over 1,200 new EMU/MEMU services have been introduced to improve passenger convenience.

Employment and recruitment reforms

On employment, Vaishnaw stated that approximately 5 lakh jobs had been provided in the Railways over the past decade, with 1.43 lakh recruitments currently underway.

He highlighted the introduction of a structured annual recruitment calendar, ensuring predictability and transparency. Railway recruitment examinations were being conducted across 150 cities in 15 languages, with participation of around 3.6 crore candidates, he added.

He also informed that a centralised monitoring system (war room) has been established to address grievances promptly and ensure smooth conduct of examinations.

Technology, innovation and Make in India

Vaishnaw also highlighted the growing role of technology and Make in India across all domains of Indian Railways, including operations, maintenance, infrastructure, and passenger services.

He said that the RailOne App, launched in July 2025, had gained significant traction, with over 2.5 crore downloads and facilitating approximately 9.5 lakh ticket transactions daily.

The app integrates multiple passenger services including reserved and unreserved ticketing, platform tickets, train enquiries, PNR status, and grievance redressal on a single platform.

The Minister further stated that the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) had been comprehensively modernised after several decades. The upgraded system was being rolled out in phases and was expected to significantly improve booking efficiency and transparency.

Improvements in the Tatkal booking system have also been implemented to curb misuse through automated bots and unauthorized software, resulting in better availability for genuine users.

Vaishnaw also noted the deployment of AI-based systems, including cameras for wildlife protection and advanced technologies such as IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning for predictive maintenance across the network.

Under the Make in India initiative, Indian Railways has emerged as a significant exporter, with railway exports crossing ₹24,000 crore, reaching countries such as Germany, USA, France, UK, Australia, and others.

Station redevelopment and capacity qugmentation

Vaishnaw stated that Indian Railways had undertaken one of the largest station redevelopment programmes globally, covering approximately 1,300 stations. Out of these, about 180 stations have been completed, while nearly 500 stations were at advanced stages of completion.

He emphasised that, unlike global practices where stations were often shut during reconstruction, Indian Railways was executing redevelopment works while maintaining continuous train operations, ensuring safety and minimal inconvenience to passengers.

In addition, capacity augmentation works have been taken up in 48 high-demand cities, including construction of additional platforms, stabling lines, pit lines, and coaching terminals, which will significantly enhance operational efficiency in the coming years.

Integrated planning through PM Gati Shakti

The Union Minister highlighted that railway expansion was now being planned through the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan, which uses geospatial mapping for integrated infrastructure planning.

Through scientific assessment of demand from industries, urban centres, and logistics nodes, new railway projects have been identified systematically. Since 2014, approximately 27,000 km of new railway projects have been sanctioned, with a total investment of about ₹4.27 lakh crore.

Expansion in north eastern region

Vaishnaw noted that significant progress had been made in improving rail connectivity in the North Eastern region. States such as Mizoram have been connected to the railway network, while connectivity projects in Manipur, Nagaland, and Sikkim were progressing rapidly.

He stated that improved rail connectivity had contributed to reduced transportation costs, improved logistics, and better accessibility in the region.

Railways and cultural connectivity

The Minister highlighted efforts to strengthen rail connectivity to major cultural and religious centres across the country.

Comprehensive infrastructure development plans had been prepared for major events such as Kumbh gatherings in cities like Nashik, Ujjain, Haridwar, Rajahmundry, and Kumbakonam, which include station upgrades, additional bridges, underpasses, track doubling, and signalling improvements to handle large passenger volumes efficiently, he added.

Project execution and land acquisition challenges

Vaishnaw stated that timely execution of railway projects required active cooperation from State governments, particularly in land acquisition.

He noted that delays in land acquisition in certain regions had impacted project progress. He emphasised that railway development was a collaborative effort under the federal structure, and faster land acquisition would help accelerate project implementation across states.

High-Speed Rail and Bullet Train Progress

Vaishnaw provided an update on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (Bullet Train) Project, stating that construction was progressing rapidly.

Key milestones include:

• Over 300 km of viaduct construction completed

• Significant progress in pier construction, track laying, and station development

• Bridges completed across multiple rivers

• Work underway on India’s first undersea rail tunnel, with progress already achieved

He stated that the project was targeted for phased commissioning starting 2027, with trains expected to operate at speeds of up to 350 kmph, reducing travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad to under two hours.

The Minister also informed that seven additional high-speed rail corridors had been announced, which will expand India’s high-speed network to approximately 4,000 km in the future.

Reforms in passenger experience and cleanliness

Vaishnaw highlighted ongoing reforms aimed at improving passenger experience, particularly cleanliness. A new initiative has been launched on a pilot basis in long-distance trains, where continuous cleaning is ensured from origin to destination across all classes, including general coaches.

This initiative is being implemented in selected trains across zones and is expected to enhance overall passenger satisfaction.

Border infrastructure and strategic connectivity

Concluding his response, the Minister highlighted the significant emphasis being placed on rail connectivity in border and strategic areas.

He stated that multiple projects had been undertaken to strengthen connectivity in border regions, enhancing both strategic mobility and regional development. In Jammu and Kashmir, works such as Baramulla–Uri extension (DPR stage), Qazigund–Budgam doubling, and surveys for Jammu–Rajouri–Poonch connectivity were in progress.

In the North Eastern region, several projects were advancing, including preparation and completion of DPRs for new lines such as Lanka–Silchar, Dekargaon–Silghat, and other strategic routes. Surveys and construction activities were also underway for capacity enhancement, including additional lines between New Jalpaiguri and Kamakhya.

Vaishnaw further stated that international connectivity projects, including links with neighbouring countries such as Bhutan, had also been taken up.

In northern and western border areas, projects such as Anupgarh–Khajuwala, Jaisalmer–Barmer–Bhildi, and other routes along the India–Pakistan border were being developed to improve accessibility and logistics.

In Himachal Pradesh and adjoining regions, works such as the Beri–Manali–Leh (DPR stage) and Ghanauli–Baddi line were progressing. Similarly, in Punjab and other northern states, new lines and capacity enhancement projects were underway.

He also highlighted a strategically important project in the Siliguri corridor, where plans are being developed for a 30 km underground double-line corridor to ensure uninterrupted connectivity in critical situations.

Additionally, along the India–Nepal border, multiple doubling and capacity enhancement projects are being undertaken, including sections such as Narkatiaganj–Raxaul–Sitamarhi–Darbhanga–Muzaffarpur, to strengthen cross-border connectivity and regional development.

Vaishnaw acknowledged the contribution of approximately 12.5 lakh railway employees, including loco pilots, track maintainers, station staff, and technical personnel, who ensure uninterrupted railway operations across the country, often working during festivals and challenging conditions.

He emphasised that Indian Railways’ transformation was the result of collective efforts of its workforce, supported by sustained policy focus and investment.

The Demands for Grants sought Parliamentary approval for the Ministry’s detailed expenditure proposals from the Consolidated Fund of India, encompassing key priorities such as capacity augmentation, safety enhancement, network decongestion, and passenger amenities, while balancing significant operational commitments.