New Delhi, Apr 23 (IANS): Union Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday that in the next five years, it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantee that almost any passenger who wants to travel can easily get a confirmed ticket.

In an interaction with IANS, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that in the last 10 years, PM Modi has done unprecedented transformation in Railways.

"In the next five years, PM Modi's guarantee is that the capacity of the Railways will be increased so much that almost any passenger who wants to travel can easily get a confirmed ticket," the Union Minister emphasised.

Sharing an example of how the Indian Railways has transformed in the last decade, the Union Minister informed that in the process of building railway tracks, only 17,000 kilometers of tracks were built between 2004 and 2014.

"From 2014 to 2024, 31,000 kilometers of new tracks were built. In the 10 years from 2004 to 2014, only around 5,000 kilometers were electrified, whereas in the last 10 years, a staggering 44,000 kilometers of railway electrification took place," Ashwini Vaishnaw noted.

"Only 32,000 coaches were made from 2004-2014. In the last 10 years, 54,000 coaches were built. For the dedicated freight corridor, not even a single kilometer was commissioned before 2014. Now, two dedicated freight corridors of 2,734 kilometers have been commissioned,” the Union Minister informed.

In the next five years, Railways, which is a strong link in the growth of the country's economy, “will be further strengthened and the facilities, especially for the passengers, will be expanded at a much faster pace”.