Manesar, Haryana:
Union Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw today said that Indian Railways has witnessed an unprecedented transformation in the last 11 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. He said that before 2014, Railways remained a victim of neglect for decades, with an annual investment of only ₹25-30 thousand crores. But now this investment has increased to ₹2.5 lakh crores, which is accelerating the development of railway infrastructure and facilities.
Shri Vaishnaw said, “Legacy problems accumulated in Railways over the years are now being eliminated one by one. Stations, trains, toilets, tracks, cleanliness, technology—every sector has been improved comprehensively. New facilities are being provided to passengers and integrated development is being given priority in collaboration with the industry.”
Speaking at the inauguration of the railway siding facility at Maruti Plant in Manesar, Haryana, Mr. Vaishnav listed the major announcements and achievements
100 new Main Line EMU (MEMU) trains
To upgrade passenger trains, 16 and 20 coach Main Line EMU trains will now be manufactured. Till now, MEMUs were manufactured with 8 or 12 coaches. This project will be implemented in a new factory being started in Kazipet, Telangana. This will provide great relief to short distance travel.
50 new ‘NaMo Bharat’ AC passenger trains
‘NaMo Bharat’ trains have received a great response from the passengers. Now 50 new AC passenger trains will be added. Earlier, two trains were started between Ahmedabad-Bhuj and Patna-Jaynagar. In total, 150 new passenger trains will come into service.
More than 1200 new general coaches
Last year In 2018, keeping in mind the demand of passengers, Railways has added more than 1200 general coaches. This campaign is being run continuously for the last 2.5 years.
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme
So far, work of 1300 Amrit Bharat stations has been approved. Out of these, 103 stations have been completed recently and the Prime Minister inaugurated it from Bikaner. 100 more stations will be completed by December 2025 and 500 more stations by the year 2026.
Improvement in ticketing system
To prevent misuse of bots in Tatkal ticket booking, only KYC verified passengers will get the facility of online booking from July 1. ID will also be mandatory on window booking.
Innovation in chart publishing
Bikaner Division has started publishing the chart 24 hours in advance (earlier it was 4 hours in advance) as an innovative initiative. This has reduced uncertainty among the passengers and is facilitating them in making better plans.
Extension of Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains
The number of Amrit Bharat Express trains will soon increase by 6 more. 50 more trains are under construction. Vande Bharat trains are also being extended to new routes.
Freight Corridors and Freight Services
India now ranks second in the world in both freight and passenger traffic. Last year, 7.2 billion passengers travelled by rail and 1617 million tonnes of goods were carried. The freight corridor is now fully operational and about 400 freight trains are running on it every day.
Proof of Concept Testing in Barabamboo–Chakradharpur–Lotapahar Section for provision of EIDS
Railway Infrastructure Makeover in Haryana
Mr Vaishnav informed that before 2014, Haryana used to get an allocation of just ₹315 crore, which has now increased to ₹3416 crore. In Haryana:
- 823 km of new tracks laid—more than the total rail network of UAE.
- 100% electrification of rail network*
- 34 stations: being redeveloped under the AMRUT Bharat Yojana.
- 540 Flyovers and underpasses have been constructed.
- Railway factory in Sonipat is being “modernised”.
- Railways is investing Rs 11,800 crore in Haryana.
Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Terminals
In line with the vision of the Prime Minister, Railways undertook major reforms in 2021 to strengthen multi-modal logistics, resulting in the construction of 108 multi-modal cargo terminals in a short span of time. The terminal in Haryana, where the announcement was made, is spread over 45 acres and has a cargo handling capacity of up to 4.5 lakh cars.
Shri Vaishnaw concluded, “Indian Railways’ journey of transformation, led by Prime Minister Modi, is creating a new age railway—fast, clean, modern and people-friendly. We are committed to take it to greater heights in the years to come.”
EoM