Railways

The Railways section covers the key trends and developments in the freight and passenger segments, recent policy developments, current status of major projects such as the Dedicated Freight Coirridor, high speed rail, etc.; captital investment and financing; key issues and challenges.
Ministry of Railways, freight traffic, passenger traffic, high speed rail, Dedicated Freight Corridor, zonal railways, earnings, project commissioned, bidding, energy consumption, signalling, train control

Views of Shobhit Bhatnagar: “Commissioning of DFCs has led to enhanced freight services”

September 16, 2024

The dedicated freight corridors (DFCs) are playing a vital role in transforming the rail logistics landscape of the country. These corridors are expected to enable Indian Railways (IR) to regain its market share in freight […]

Indian Railways (IR) is taking big strides towards the advancement and upgradation of various divisions to achieve higher levels of efficiency and capacity in the coming years. Rolling stock is one such segment that has […]

Key Statistics: Rolling stock production trends

June 25, 2024

Bridging the Gaps: Metro rail progress and challenges

May 31, 2024

Metro rail is emerging as a key component of India’s urban mobility landscape. Over the past few years, project management has changed significantly. Digital platforms are now being used for project monitoring, designing, communication, inventory […]

Integrated Growth: Railway stations offer a huge opportunity for transit-oriented development

May 2, 2024

Transit-oriented development (TOD) focuses on integrating land use and transportation planning for the development of sustainable urban growth centres. These would feature high-density mixed land use developments in key zones. Emphasis is placed on the […]

Safety Net: Uptake of advanced security measures in the railway sector

January 31, 2024

The railway sector has undergone some significant reforms in the past decade, having centred its focus on modernising rail infrastructure and improving operational safety. As a result, the number of consequential train derailments has seen […]

Ambitious Targets: Initiatives to increase the modal share of railways in freight movement

November 1, 2023

The robust development of rail freight infrastructure plays a crucial role in logistics movement and supply chains in India. The modal split of freight transportation varies based on geography, nature of commodities, legal and regulatory […]

Expansion Track: IR undertakes large-scale capacity enhancement

October 1, 2023

Indian Railways (IR) connects the length and breadth of the nation through a network spanning more than 68,000 km, servicing over 7,000 stations. Over the past few years, IR has steadily worked towards infrastructure development, […]

On the Fast Track: Technology and innovation transforming the railway sector

August 22, 2023

India has the fourth largest rail network globally. In the past couple of years, the sector has witnessed many reforms, aimed primarily at modernising the rail infrastructure and improving the safety of operations. Some of […]

Key Statistics: Rail safety and decarbonisation trends

August 22, 2023

Reduction in train accidents The average number of consequential train accidents during the period 2004-14 was 171.1 per annum, compared to 70.9 per annum during the period 2014-23. The average number of train derailments during […]

Key Statistics: Trends in railway traffic and earnings

August 22, 2023

Growth in passenger and freight traffic Rail passenger traffic in India has grown at a CAGR of 1.3 per cent from 2002 to 2023. In 2020-21, it declined by 84 per cent owing to the […]

Views of Hari Mohan Gupta: “The part-commissioning of DFCs has significantly boosted freight transportation”

August 22, 2023

The dedicated freight corridor (DFC) project is seen as a veritable game changer for rail freight movement in India. These corridors will play a pivotal role in increasing the modal share of rail in the […]

Views of Ved Parkash Dudeja: “The station redevelopment programme aims to transform stations into city centres”

August 22, 2023

Station redevelopment is one of the flagship programmes of Indian Railways. The aim is to enhance the passenger experience by redeveloping stations as city centres with state-of-the-art amenities. The redevelopment will integrate various modes of […]

Interview with Rajendra Prasad: “The HSR project will foster growth”

August 22, 2023

A game changer for the country, the government’s flagship high speed rail (HSR) project is aimed at transforming the rail network by increasing passenger train speeds and incorporating world-class technologies. In an interview with Indian […]

The Journey So Far: Timeline of events over the past 25 years

August 22, 2023

Views of Ashwini Vaishnaw: “The aim is to develop infrastructure for the next 50 years”

August 22, 2023

The railways play a critical role in India’s transportation sector. The country’s rail network is one of the largest, most extensive and busiest in the world. Over the years, several key reforms and initiatives have […]

Growth Track: Changes and challenges for Indian Railways

August 22, 2023

Indian Railways (IR) has been changing over the years, although the pace of change may not be in line with customer expectations and global technologies. Taking a 25-year perspective, I see the standardisation of broad […]

Zooming into the Future: Update on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad HSR corridor

January 31, 2023

With a vision to make the railway system in the country future ready and transform the conventional railway network, Indian Railways (IR) has introduced the high speed rail (HSR) system. The aim is to provide […]