IR launches over 800 trains in five years

IR has introduced more than 800 new trains in the last five years after the Railway Budget was merged with the Union Budget in 2016. It was then that the national transporter ended the practice of one-time announcement of trains. IR introduced 144 new services in 2019-20, 266 in 2018-2019, 170 in 2017-2018 and 223 in 2016-2017. However, the national transporter was not able to introduce any new trains during 2020-21 on account of the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, IR will introduce 75 new “Vande Bharat Express” trains by August 2023 to mark 75 years of Indian independence.