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| 07-04-2026 Prayagraj |
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| Record Budgetary Allocation & Strong Modernisation Push Are Enhancing Passenger Experience & More Occupancy | |
Record Budgetary Allocation & Strong Modernisation Push Are Enhancing Passenger Experience & More Occupancy
Big Spend for New Track Construction, Track Renewal, Modern Stations with Latest Amenities is Making Our Train Journey Safer, Comfortable as well as Affordable
Vande Bharat Trains Becoming Popular Across the Country with Near 100% Occupancy
Out of 1338, Modernisation Work Completed at 208 Amrit Bharat Stations; Aspirational Districts with 157 Amrit Bharat Stations will Promote All Round Development
After Rani Kamalapati Station in Bhopal, Vijayawada All Set to Become India's Second Station Developed Under PPP Model; 14 More Being Modernised Under this Model
Free Wi-Fi Services Available at 6,117 Railway Stations, Enhancing Passenger Experience
100% LED Lighting Achieved Across Offices, Stations, and Residential Colonies, Promoting Energy Efficiency and a Greener Environment in Railways
Manufacturing of 120 Vande Bharat Trainsets taken up at Marathwada Rail Coach Factory at Latur; Manufacturing Unit at Kazipet to be Set up for Modern MEMU Production
Consequential Train Accidents Plunge 89% to 16 in 2025–26 , Reflecting Strengthened Safety Measures Across Indian Railways: Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw
Approximately Rs. 9183 Crore Private Investment Mobilised under Policy while Developing 128 Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals; In-principle Approvals Granted for 292 More GCTs
Indian Railways Ensures Welfare for Outsourced Workers; Shramik Kalyan Portal, Awareness Camps, and Grievance Mechanisms Strengthen Their Protection by Strict Monitoring
The Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) for capital investment in Railways has increased substantially from ₹ 29,055 crore in 2013–14 to ₹ 2.78 lakh crore in 2026–27. This enhanced budgetary support has enabled significant investments in network expansion, safety improvements, passenger amenities, road safety works, technology upgradation and rolling stock augmentation including Vande Bharat manufacturing.
Government has provided Gross Budgetary Support of Rs. 2,78,030 crore in Budget Estimates 2026-27 out of which Rs 79,072 cr has been allocated for construction of new tracks.
Track Infrastructure Upgradation
Strengthening, upgradation, modernisation and improvement of track infrastructure is a continuous and ongoing process over Indian Railways.
Upgradation and renewal of tracks is a continuous and ongoing process. The track renewal is carried out as per the laid down criteria based on age, traffic carried, condition etc.
Track Renewal Works are planned and executed duly prioritizing the condition of track and various other factors so as to ensure that track is safe for running of trains at permitted speed.
The details of track renewal carried out across the entire railway network including Jabalpur to Damoh route via Katni, during 2014-26 (up to Feb’26) are as under:
Track renewed
~ 54600 Km
Total expenditure on Safety related activities for the 2026-27 is estimated to be Rs 1,20,389 cr, out of which Rs 46,189 cr is allocated towards safety of track infrastructure.
Expansion and Popularity of Vande Bharat Train Services
As of now, 81 pairs of Vande Bharat train services (Chair Car) are presently being operated on the Indian Railways network. The variant of Vande Bharat trains has also been developed for long distance travel. As on 25.03.2026, following 01 pair of Vande Bharat Sleeper Express is being operated on the Indian Railways network
Vande Bharat Services have been widely accepted across the country. During 2024-25, the average occupancy of VB trains was approximately 100%.
Better Passenger Amenities
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme: Ministry of Railways has launched Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach. Development / Upgradation / Modernization of stations including Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is generally funded under Plan Head-53 ‘Customer Amenities’. The details of allocation and expenditure under Plan Head-53 are maintained Zonal Railway-wise. During the last three years and current year, ₹ 35,207 crore has been incurred so far. The fund allocation of ₹ 12,120 crore (Revised Estimate) has been made for the financial year 2025-26 under Plan Head–53 and expenditure of ₹ 11,892 crore (up to February, 2026) has been incurred so far.
So far, 1,338 stations have been identified for development under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme which includes 157 stations falling under Aspirational Districts. The names of stations identified for development under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme which are located in Aspirational Districts are as following:
No. of stations in
Aspirational Districts
Name of the stations in Aspirational Districts
157
Abu Road, Anugraha Narayan Road, Araku, Arariaya Court, Bahraich, Balangir, Balrampur,
Balsiring, Banka, Banmankhi, Bano, Baragamda Jn, Baran, Barauni, Bargawan, Barhni,
Barkakana, Barsoi Jn, Basukinath, Begusarai, Bhadrachalam Road, Bhanupratappur,
Bhawanipatna, Biyavra Rajgarh, Bokaro Steel City, Chaibasa, Chakradharpur,
Chandauli Majhwar, Chandrapura, Chhabra Gugor, Chitrakut Dham Karwi, Chopan, Cuddapah,
Dahod, Daltonganj, Damanjodi, Damoh, Dangoposi, Dhenkanal, Dholi, Dholpur, Dhubri,
Dumka, Fatehpur, Firozpur Cantt, Gangaghat, Ganjbasoda, Garhwa Road, Garhwa Town,
Gauripur, Gaya, Ghatsila, Giridih, Godda, Govindpur Road, Guna, Gunupur, Guraru,
Haidar Nagar, Haridwar Jn, Harishanker Road, Harpalpur, Hatia, Hazaribagh Road,
Hindaun City, Jagdalpur, Jaisalmer, Jamui, Janakpur Road, Japla, Jeypore, Kantabanji,
Karhagola Road, Kashipur Jn, Katihar Jn, Kesinga, Khagaria Jn, Khajuraho Jn, Khandwa,
Khariar Road, Kichha, Koraput Jn, Korba, Labha, Lakhminia, Latehar, Limkheda, Lohardaga, Mahasamund, Maheshkhunt, Majbat, Manikpur Jn, Manoharpur, Mansi Jn, MCS Chhatarpur,
Meramandali, Moga, Motipur, Muhammad Ganj, Muniguda, Muri Jn, Muzaffarpur Jn,
Nabinagar Road, Nagar Untari, Namkom, Nandurbar, Nawadah, Orga, Osmanabad, Paharpur,
Pakur, Paramakkudi, Parasnath, Parlakhemundi, Parvatipuram, Pathshala, Pindwara, Piska,
Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Jn, Rafiganj, Raichur Jn, Rajapalayam, Rajmahal, Ram Dayalu Nagar, Ramanathapuram, Ramdevra, Rameswaram, Ramgarh Cantt, Ranchi Jn, Rayagada,
Renukoot, Roorkee, Ruthiyai, Sahibganj, Sahibpur Kamal, Salauna, Salmari, Shri Mahaveerji,
Siddharth Nagar, Silli, Simultala, Singrauli, Sitamarhi, Sonbhadra, Srivilliputtur, Tangla,
Tatanagar, Tatisilwai, Titlagarh Jn, Tulsipur, Udalguri, Vidisha, Virudhunagar, Vyasnagar,
Wadsa, Washim, Yadgir
Srirangam, Srivilliputtur, St.Thomas Mount, Sullurpeta, Suraimanpur, Swaminarayan Chappia, Talcher, Tamluk, Tanakpur, Thalassery, Thawe, Thiruvarur Jn., Tiruvannamalai, Tripunithura, Tuni, Udagamandalam, Ujhani, Urkura, Utran, Vadakara, Vadala Road, Vidisha, Vindhyachal, Vriddhachalam Jn., Wadakancheri, Warangal.
The activities for development at other stations have also been taken up at good pace and progress of some of the above stations is as given below:
Bokaro Steel City station: The works of improvement of station building, platform surfacing of platform no. 1, new waiting hall, retiring room, parking, approach road, entry/exit gate, boundary wall, tactile pathway for Divyangjan at platform no. 1 and improvement of Divyangjan toilet at platform no. 2 have been completed. The works of platform surfacing at platform no. 2/3 and escalator have been taken up.
Vapi station: Development works at Vapi station have been taken up at good pace. The works of extension of platform shelter at platform no. 1 and platform no. 2/3, new toilet block in AC waiting hall, circulating area, parking, dismantling of old Foot Over Bridge have been completed. The work of 12 m Foot Over Bridge has been taken up.
Thanjavur Junction station: The works of portico, improvement of concourse, platform shelter, improvement of booking office, circulating area, exit arch and signages have been completed. The works of parking, lift, escalator, coach indication board and train indication board have been taken up.
Jalpaiguri station: The works of extension and platform surfacing of platform no. 1, platform shelter, boundary wall and 12 m Foot Over Bridge have been completed. The works of circulating area, lift and escalator have been taken up.
Tirupati station: The structural framework of new second entry station building on South side, 2 nos. air concourses and sewage treatment plant have been completed. The finishing works of new second entry station building on South side and air concourses, structural work of station building on North side, platform shelter, lift, escalator etc. have been taken up.
Bhubaneshwar station: The structural work of new station building at East and West side and air concourse have been completed. The structural work of elevated driveway at East and West side station, extension of Foot Over Bridge and platform shelter have been taken up. The finishing works of new station building at East and West side, works of MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing), HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) and escalators have been taken up.
PPP model: Rani Kamalapati station in Madhya Pradesh has already been developed and commissioned under PPP model. Out of 15 stations identified for redevelopment under PPP model, the bid for redevelopment of Vijayawada station has been invited. The other 14 stations are at various stages of master planning and financial modelling.
Wi-fi Services: Almost all railway stations across Indian Railways have 4G/5G coverage provided by the Telecom Service Providers. These networks are also being utilized by passengers for data connectivity resulting in enhanced passenger experience. Further, free Wi-Fi services have also been provided at 6117 Railway Stations.
Greener & Environment Friendly Railway: Indian Railways accord high priority to effective waste management including its disposal and segregation, water conservation and energy efficiency in station operations.
Zero discharge Bio-toilets have been fitted in all passenger coaches to prevent falling of fecal matter on railway tracks. The details of provision of bio toilets are as under:
Period
Number of Bio-Toilet fitted
2004-2014
9,587
2014- Till February 2026
3,66,250
Indian Railways has issued guidelines for adoption of energy efficiency measures in non-traction over Indian Railways incorporating various aspects related to energy efficiency including extensive use of sensor based and timer controlled lighting systems, automatic 30%-70% platform lighting through circuit segregation linked to train movements. In addition to this, Indian Railways has already achieved 100% LED lighting across its offices, Railway stations, service buildings and residential colonies.
Enhanced Coach Manufacturing Capacity
In order to enhance indigenous coach manufacturing capacity to meet the growing demand for modern trains, Indian Railways has taken following action –
Marathwada Rail Coach Factory (MRCF) at Latur, Maharashtra has been set up at a cost of Rs. 685.79 Cr. The manufacture of 120 nos. Vande Bharat trainsets has been taken up at MRCF, Latur through Technology Partner.
Also, Indian Railways has taken up the work of setting up of Railway Manufacturing Unit at Kazipet, Telangana at a cost of Rs. 521.36 Cr where manufacturing of modern Mainline Electric Multiple Units (MEMU) is planned. The work of Rail Manufacturing Unit at Kazipet is at an advanced stage with civil and electrical infrastructure nearing completion.
Apart from Railway’s own units, presently Public Sector Units like BEML are also engaged in manufacture of Vande Bharat Sleeper & LHB General/ Sleeper class coaches etc.
Improved Safety Performance and Reduction in Train Accidents
Safety is accorded the highest priority on Indian Railways. As a consequence of various safety measures taken over the years, there has been a steep decline in the number of accidents.
Number of Consequential Train Accidents has reduced as shown in the table below:-
Year
Consequential Accidents
2014-15
135
2025-26 (upto 25.03.2026)
15 (89% lesser)
Another important index showing improvement in safety in train operations is Consequential Accident Index, the details of which are as under:-
Consequential Accident Index:-
Year
Accident Index
2014-15
0.11
2024-25
0.03 (73% lesser)
2025-26(upto February, 2026)
0.01
This index measures number of consequential accidents as a ratio of total running kilometers of all trains.
Accident Index = No. of consequential accidents / No. of trains X million kilometers run
The causes of the accidents that took place over Indian Railways broadly include track defects, loco/coach defects, equipment failures, human errors, etc.
Consequential Train Accidents on Indian Railways and casualties (including railway passengers and railway personnel) therein are as follows:-
Period
No. of Consequential Train
Accidents
No. of Deaths
No. of Injuries
2004-05 to 2013-14
1,711
904
3,155
2014-15 to 2023-24
678
748
2,087
2024-25
31
18
92
2025-26 (upto
25th March 2026)
15
16
ZR
GCTs commissioned
Further IPAs issued
CR
07
18
ER
07
14
ECR
12
11
ECoR
06
22
NR
12
22
NCR
05
11
NER
04
4
NFR
03
8
NWR
08
15
SR
03
09
SCR
14
24
SER
09
19
SECR
12
69
SWR
03
15
WR
14
20
WCR
04
11
DFC
05
-
128
292
Under the Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Terminal (GCT) scheme, so far 128 GCTs have been commissioned with an estimated freight handling capacity of 204 million tonnes per annum (MTPA). Approximately Rs. 9183 Cr. private investment has been mobilised under this policy from the 128 commissioned GCTs.
Welfare of Contractual Workforce
Indian Railways (IR) executes a wide range of works for creation, repair and maintenance of its various assets including stations, coaches, wagons, coaching depots, locomotives, tracks, etc. pertaining to various departments namely Mechanical, Commercial, Electrical, Civil Engineering, Signal & Telecommunication, Medical, etc. These works are executed departmentally and/or through outsourcing.
Railways as Principal Employer ensures that the outsourced workers are provided facilities by the agencies as per provisions of Labour Laws and ensure compliance with the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 and minimum wages notified by the Central/State Governments under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and EPF & MP Act, 1952. Compliance of the statutory provisions is ensured through conditions incorporated in the agreements made by the Railways. Suitable guidelines are available for dealing with the cases of violation of the above laws, if any, in accordance with the extant laws and guidelines. Action on complaints of delayed payments/ non payment of salaries is dealt with as per agreement conditions and necessary action as deemed fit is taken against the outsourced agency.
Further, to effectively monitor the contractual obligations, a comprehensive set of measures are taken at various levels. These include mandatory registration of worker details on the Shramik Kalyan Portal, strict adherence to statutory compliances, protection against arbitrary termination of contractual workers, imposition of penalties for any violations detected, organization of workers awareness camps and the establishment of dedicated grievance redressal mechanisms to ensure timely resolution of concerns.
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a reply to questions in Lok Sabha
(Dr. Amit Malaviya)
Sr. PRO