Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 18: The government has said that Indian Railways is focusing on affordable travel by increasing the number of non-AC general and sleeper class coaches while providing substantial fare subsidies to passengers.
According to the Ministry of Railways, nearly 70 per cent of railway coaches currently fall under general and sleeper categories. To further strengthen affordable travel options, about 1,250 additional general coaches were added during 2024–25, while around 860 more are planned for 2025–26.
The Railways provides an average concession of roughly 45 per cent per passenger, amounting to an annual subsidy of nearly Rs 60,000 crore. In addition, suburban rail services—especially those in Mumbai—receive an extra subsidy of around Rs 3,000 crore.
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also highlighted major growth in freight operations. Freight loading has increased from about 1,055 million tonnes in 2013–14 to nearly 1,650 million tonnes, making Indian Railways the second-largest freight carrier globally.
The minister noted that railway electrification has expanded rapidly, reaching nearly 47,000 km, with more than 99 per cent of the network now electrified.
Infrastructure development has also accelerated significantly. Around 35,000 km of new railway tracks have been constructed in recent years, compared with roughly 15,000 km during the previous period.
Safety infrastructure has seen notable improvements as well. The number of Road Over Bridge (ROB) and Road Under Bridge (RUB) projects has grown from about 4,000 to nearly 14,000. Meanwhile, automatic signalling coverage has expanded from roughly 1,500 km to over 4,000 km.
Vaishnaw emphasised that safety remains a key priority for the Railways, with increased focus on track maintenance, rolling stock upkeep, adoption of modern technology, and enhanced training for personnel.
The minister added that the deployment of safer Linke-Hofmann-Busch coach (LHB) coaches has increased significantly, with about 48,000 such coaches added in recent years. Locomotive production has also risen to nearly 12,000 units, while the induction of freight wagons has crossed two lakh units.
To improve oversight and transparency, major railway projects are now reviewed through institutional mechanisms involving the Ministry of Finance and NITI Aayog.
Vaishnaw further said that the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) programme has made significant progress, with around 2,800 km already completed and approximately 480 freight trains operating daily on these dedicated corridors.