Innovation & Indigenisation seem to be helping transform Indian Railways into a World Class Network. Keeping the common man at its focus, Railways made significant strides toward realising its vision of a world-class network this year. 

As curtains are set to fall on the year 2025, Indian Railways is set to bring in more & more comfort to your rail travel experience in the New year 2026 by making it truly memorable. 

After expanding the luxury of a comfortable travel to non-AC passengers through Amrit Bharat trains, Indian Railways is all set to soon operationalise first Vande Bharat Sleeper for AC class travellers. 

This long awaited public centric initiative will truly redefine the train travel for long distances, drastically cutting short travel time, first on busy routes and thereafter with time on all the routes. Redeveloped Stations across India are offering airport-like facilities to passengers like modern & wider entrances, upgraded toilets, escalators, lifts, food courts & state of the art waiting halls etc. 

In a paradigm shift in its catering, Railways is introducing local cuisine taste in various trains. It will add taste & hygiene to our journey’s food experience. Besides the improved experience of passengers, Railways is aiming to become a top carrier in freight services also. 

Gati Shakti Cargo terminals, record number of wagon productions & running of more trains on our freight corridors is scripting the growth story of India, helping us become world’s second largest freight carrier leaving USA behind.

With a strong focus on modern infrastructure and connectivity, Indian Railways is driving national growth by delivering superior travel experiences, efficient freight services and modern technology. 

Prioritizing sustainability & fuelled by innovation, Railways is moving toward eco-friendly & green operations while boosting our country’s economic progress with infrastructure improvements at large scales & capacity addition. 

The efforts this year reflects Indian Railway’s ongoing commitment to create for its people, a world-class transport network that balances innovation with tradition while serving the needs of a rapidly growing country in its quest for being a Developed Nation. The Year 2025 laid a strong foundation in giving us safer, faster & comfortable rail travel. The New year is all set to offer comfortable sleeper journeys in “long distance travels” through Vande Bharat & Amrit Bharat trains, cutting short the journey time, as well as giving travellers the branded Food & beverage options at Railway Stations. 

Faster, Safer & Comfortable Travel at Affordable Cost
Vande Bharat Train:
● As on 26th December, 2025, a total of 164 Vande Bharat train services are running across the Indian Railways network.
● During the Calendar year-2025, Indian Railways introduced 15 Vande Bharat express trains. 
● Looking ahead, the upcoming Vande Bharat Sleeper is set to transform overnight travel. It will combine speed, comfort, and modern amenities for long-distance passengers.
Amrit Bharat Train:
● Amrit Bharat services, which are fully non-AC trains, presently comprising 12 Sleeper Class Coaches and 8 General Class coaches, are providing high quality services to the passengers.
● During the calendar year-2025, 13 Amrit Bharat Express trains have been introduced and are operational. A total of 30 Amrit Bharat train services are running across the Indian Railways network.
Namo Bharat Rapid Rail:

● Namo Bharat Rapid Rail Services are designed for high-frequency and regional connectivity, strengthening short and medium-distance mobility in high-demand corridors.
● 2 Namo Bharat Rapid Rail Services have been operational in the country between Bhuj – Ahmedabad and Jaynagar – Patna.
Special Train Services:
In 2025, Special Train operations were significantly scaled up to cater to seasonal rush, highlighting enhanced planning and a stronger focus on passenger comfort.

● Indian Railway operated a record number of over 43,000 special train trips during the year 2025.
● To cater to Festive and Summer rush 17,340 Special Train Trips for Maha Kumbh, 1,144 for Holi, 12,417 Summer Specials, and 12,383 for Chhath Puja were operated in 2025.

Besides, faster & comfortable trains and Modern Railway Stations, focused efforts are being made towards systematic track renewals, enhancement of sectional speeds, induction and upgradation of modern track machines, strengthening of bridges, elimination of level crossings to enhance safety, effective management & protection of railway land. The key achievements in these areas are outlined below.

Enhancing Rail Track Infrastructure

Commissioning of Tracks

Between 1 April and 30 November 2025, Indian Railways commissioned over 900 kilometres of new track lines. Besides laying the new tracks the focus is to renew the existing rail tracks to ensure safer, faster & comfortable travel. Accordingly for the year 2025, following total renewal works were done.

Track Renewal Works

(a)   6880 Track km rails have been renewed with new rails.

(b)   Complete track renewal for 7051 track km has been done.

(c)   Through Turnout Renewal of 9277 sets have been done. 

During the period 2014–25, total 34,428 km of new track was laid across Indian Railways at an average of 8.57 km/day, which is more than twice the average daily commissioning (4.2 km/day) during the period 2009–14.

To support this infrastructure expansion and maintenance, Indian Railways is modernising its track machinery. One tamping machine (HOT-3X) has been upgraded to the high-output 3X-Dynamic (HOT-S-3X) machine, integrating three-sleeper ballast packing with track stabilization. This integration improves traffic block utilisation and reduces manpower requirements. Additionally, during 2025 (till November), 61 new track machines have been inducted, with plans for further upgrades to enhance track maintenance efficiency and reliability.

Raising of Sectional Speed 

These modernisation efforts are complemented by raising of sectional speeds to improve train operations and passenger convenience. Sectional speed has been increased to 130 kmph over 599 track km, covering parts of the Golden Quadrilateral, Golden Diagonal, and other B routes. Further, speeds of 110 kmph have been achieved over 4,069 track km, combining infrastructure upgrades with advanced track machinery to ensure faster, safer, and more efficient train operations.

Electrification

Electrification of the railway network on Indian Railways (IR) has been taken up in mission mode. So far, about 99.2% of the Broad Gauge (BG) network has been electrified. Electrification in the remaining network has been taken up. This achievement is significantly higher than the electrification levels of the UK (39%), Russia (52%) and China (82%). A total of 14 Railway Zones and 25 States/Union Territories have now achieved 100% electrification.

Construction of ROBs/ RUBs

In 2025, Indian Railways completed construction of 1,161 ROBs and RUBs, improving safety and traffic flow. Sanctioning and execution of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) is a continuous and ongoing process on Indian Railways. Over the past 11 years, the pace of construction has been significantly accelerated, with more than 13,600 bridges completed—over three times the 4,148 bridges constructed between 2004 and 2014. 

In parallel, elimination of manned level crossings (MLCs) continues to enhance safety, with 268 MLCs removed during 2025-26 (till November). Railway bridge safety is further strengthened through rehabilitation efforts, with 1,799 bridges repaired or upgraded during the same period.

LHB Coach Manufacturing and Modernisation

In FY 2025-26 (up to November 2025), more than 4,224 LHB coaches were produced, 18% higher than the corresponding period last year. Between 2014-25, production increased 18-fold compared to 2004-14, ensuring safer, smoother and more comfortable journeys. 

Indian Railways has made a major leap in modernisation by manufacturing over 42,600 LHB coaches in the last 11 years. LHB coaches are known for higher safety standards, lower maintenance costs and superior operational efficiency. Railways are further scaling production to meet future demand. Through indigenous production of LHB coaches, Indian Railways is strengthening the Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives.

Production details:

• ICF Chennai: 1,659 coaches

• MCF Raebareli: 1,234 coaches

• RCF Kapurthala: 1,331 coaches

Landmark Projects

Landmark projects were completed or inaugurated across the country, exemplifying this progress. Notably, India opened its first vertical-lift rail bridge at Pamban, bolstered Kashmir connectivity with all-weather rail links (including the world’s highest Chenab bridge), and extended rail access into the Northeast with the new Bairabi–Sairang line. At the same time, the railways expanded modern train services (Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, Namo Bharat) and aggressively redeveloped stations and freight corridors, underscoring its role in driving economic growth and sustainability.

All-Weather Rail Connectivity: USBRL and Kashmir Bridges

The Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a 272 km project through the Himalayas, was completed and dedicated in 2025. It comprises 36 major tunnels and 943 bridges, reflecting exceptional engineering in one of the most challenging terrains in the world. The project features iconic engineering landmarks, including the world’s highest railway arch bridge ‘Chenab Bridge’, a 1,315 m steel arch over the Chenab River (359 m high), India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge ‘Anji Bridge’(deck 331 m above the river) and India’s longest operational railway tunnel ‘T-50’. Together, these three landmarks enable an all-weather rail route into Kashmir, cutting travel times by hours. These bridges and tunnels – built with state-of-the-art safety and environmental measures – symbolise India’s ability to tame extreme terrain for seamless connectivity. The project strengthens connectivity across over 95 villages while ensuring reliable, all-weather transportation and driving growth in employment, tourism, education, and the regional economy.

North East Rail Link: Bairabi–Sairang Line

The 51 km Bairabi–Sairang broad-gauge line in Mizoram was inaugurated in September 2025, placing Aizawl on India’s rail map for the first time. Traversing rugged hills, the line includes 45 tunnels, 55 major bridges and 88 minor bridges. On inauguration day the Prime Minister also flagged off three new trains on this route – including the Sairang–Delhi Rajdhani Express – to link Mizoram directly with Delhi, Guwahati and Kolkata. This strategic project is expected to transform regional travel and trade, improving access to markets, education and healthcare for the Northeast.

Strategic Sea Link: New Pamban Bridge

The New Pamban Bridge, inaugurated on 6 April 2025, is India’s first vertical-lift railway sea bridge. The New Pamban Bridge, spanning a total length of 2.08 kilometres, connects Rameswaram to the Indian mainland. Spanning2.08 km over the Palk Strait, it replaces the 110-year-old cantilever bridge, blending heritage with modern design. A 72.5 m central span can be lifted 17 m to let ships pass, and the deck is 3 m higher than the old bridge. Built with stainless-steel reinforcement, special anti-corrosion coatings and a design life of 100+ years, this bridge restores the vital rail link to Rameswaram and boosts regional connectivity. Its completion not only eases pilgrimage and tourism but even revives prospects of future India–Sri Lanka transport links across the Palk Strait.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project

Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project: Government of India has sanctioned 508 km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project in December, 2015 which is under execution with technical and financial co-operation from Government of Japan. The progress of the MAHSR project for the period of 2025-26 is as under:-

• Physical Progress: Overall physical progress of 55.63% has been achieved as on 30th November 2025.

• Financial Progress: Overall financial progress of 69.62% with an expenditure of ₹ 85,801/- crore has been achieved as on 30th November 2025.

• Important Civil Engineering Parameters:Total 412 km of foundation, 405 km of Piers, 344 km of Girder Casting and 330 km of Girder launching completed till 30th November 2025.

Commissioning of Projects in 2025 (Till date)

FY 2025-26 saw policy approvals translating into assets on the ground. Hon’ble Prime Minister dedicated 42 projects to the Nation, inaugurated 13 projects and laid the foundation stone for 21 projects, collectively valued at over ₹25,000 crore.

During the current year, the following projects have been commissioned:

• Vijapur–Ambliyasan Gauge Conversion

• Domingarh–Gorakhpur–Gorakhpur Cantt.–Kusumhi – 3rd running line and Gorakhpur–Nakaha Jungle Doubling

• Bahraich–Nanpara–Nepal Ganj Gauge Conversion

• Provision of connectivity at Northern end of Karaikal Port to directly access PEM–KIK NL to improve mobility

• Bypass line at Peddapalli for connecting Kazipet–Ballarshah main line to Peddapalli–Karimnagar line

• Himmatnagar–Khedbrahma Gauge Conversion

• 3rd Line connectivity between Chhapra Jn. to Chhapra Kacheri (3.0 Km)

• Araria–Galgalia (Thakurganj) New Line

• Provision of laying of additional track at Somnath station (2.5 Km)

• Bhairabi–Sairang New Line

• Tori–Shivpoor 3rd Line

• Doubling of Churu–Ratangarh

• Deoband (Muzaffar Nagar)–Roorkee New Line

• Yamuna Bridge–Agra Fort – Double line with major bridge at Yamuna river

• Pune–Miraj–Londa Doubling

• Manmad–Jalgaon 3rd line

Safety

Indian Railways has achieved remarkable progress in safety performance. Consequential Train Accidents during the period 2004-14 was 1711 (average 171 per annum), which has declined to 31 in 2024-25 and further to 11 in 2025-26 (upto November, 2025). The safety budget has nearly tripled, rising from ₹39,463 crore in FY 2013-14 to ₹1,16,470 crore in the current financial year. Fog safety devices increased from 90 in 2014 to 25,939 in 2025. In the last four months alone, Centralised Electronic Interlocking and Track Circuiting have been completed at 21 stations.

Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system which assists the Loco Pilot in operating trains within prescribed speed limits by automatically applying brakes in case of human failure and also enables safe train operations during adverse and inclement weather conditions. In this direction, Kavach Version 4.0 has been commissioned over 738 route kilometres. Major enhancements in Kavach Version 4.0 include increased location accuracy, improved signal aspect information in large yards, station-to-station Kavach interface over Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) and direct interfacing with the existing Electronic Interlocking systems. With these technological upgrades, Kavach Version 4.0 is planned for large-scale deployment across the Indian Railways network.

Complementing these safety measures, Indian Railways is also strengthening surveillance infrastructure at stations and onboard trains. Installation of CCTV cameras at stations and in coaches is an ongoing process, and so far, CCTV surveillance systems have been provided at 1,731 stations and in 11,953 coaches to ensure a safe and secure journey for passengers. These CCTV surveillance systems are being installed under capital expenditure, reflecting Indian Railways’ sustained commitment to integrating safety, security and technology.

Enhanced Passenger Experience at Redeveloped Stations 

The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme has mobilized a massive rebuild of passenger stations. Under the scheme, Railway stations have been reimagined as city centres and not just as transit points. To date, 1,337 stations have been selected for overhaul under this program – one of the world’s largest station reconstruction initiatives. Redevelopment works (all done without halting rail traffic) are underway across the country, and as of Dec 2025, 155 stations have been fully modernized. Upgrades include expanded foot-over bridges and concourses, lifts/escalators, improved waiting halls, toilets and seating, multimodal integration (bus/taxi), local kiosks (‘One Station One Product’), digital signage and better amenities for disabled passengers. These enhanced stations improve passenger experience and reflect Railways’ focus on customer comfort and urban integration.

Solar-Powered Railway Stations

Indian Railways has taken a major step towards clean and sustainable energy by making 2,626 Railway stations solar-powerednationwide. A total of 898 MW of solar power has been commissioned, with approximately 70% utilised for traction purposes. This has strengthened energy security, reduced electricity expenditure, lowered carbon emissions, and promoted eco-friendly Rail operations.

Free Wi-Fi

Indian Railways provides free Wi-Fi services at 6,117 stations, prioritising passenger convenience.

RailOne App: One-Stop Solution for Passengers

Indian Railways has launched the RailOne App, a comprehensive one-stop solution for passenger services, available on Android and iOS platforms.

Key features include:

• Unreserved UTS ticketing (3% discount via R-Wallet)

• Live train tracking

• Grievance redressal

• E-catering

• Porter booking

• Last-mile taxi services

Aadhaar-Authenticated Reservation Reforms

Aadhaar verification of users is an important step which has been taken to make the system more robust. To prioritise genuine passengers, only Aadhaar-authenticated users are permitted to book general reserved tickets during the first 15 minutes of reservation opening on the IRCTC website or app. Only Aadhaar-verified users are allowed to book Tatkal tickets. Cutting-edge technology is also being used to identify and prevent unscrupulous users trying to misuse the e-ticketing system. As a result, 5.73 crore suspicious and inactive users registered with IRCTC have been deactivated or temporarily suspended. Continuous efforts are on to deactivate more suspicious users.

Major RPF Operations and Achievements To provide security & facilitation to Railway passengers, the following initiatives have been undertaken by RPF to boost the confidence & sense of security to its passengers: I.          Continuous assistance to passengers by RPF:

II.        Focused issue based operations i.          Operation Nanhe Faristey & Rescue of children:

ii.          Operation "Jeevan Raksha":

iii.        Operation Amanat & Luggage Retrieval:

iv.        Operation "Matrishakti":

v.         Mahila Suraksha: Action taken against unauthorized passengers entering into carriage or other place reserved for females.