Self-reliance in manufacturing, improved passenger services and enhanced safety systems drive major transformation
TFP Burea, New Delhi, April 5, 2026: Indian Railways has registered significant all-round progress during the financial year 2025–26, achieving major milestones in freight transportation, passenger services, infrastructure development, safety systems and indigenous manufacturing. The achievements reflect the railway network’s expanding role in supporting India’s economic growth, strengthening connectivity and promoting self-reliance in technology and production.
Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the transformative progress of Indian Railways during the year, noting record freight movement, expansion of modern train services and major improvements in operational safety and infrastructure.
Record freight movement boosts economic activity
Indian Railways recorded a historic freight loading of about 1,670 million tonnes during FY 2025–26, the highest ever achieved by the national transporter. The strong freight performance reflects the railways’ ability to efficiently transport key commodities such as coal, cement, fertilisers, steel, petroleum products and food grains across the country.
The growth in freight operations has played a crucial role in sustaining supply chains for industries, power plants and agriculture, thereby supporting economic activities nationwide. Improved logistics planning and infrastructure upgrades have further strengthened the railways’ capability to handle higher cargo volumes.
Extensive passenger connectivity across the country
Rail operations remained robust throughout the year with around 25,000 trains running daily across the vast railway network, ensuring connectivity between metropolitan cities, towns and remote regions.
To accommodate increased passenger demand during festive seasons and peak travel periods, special train services were also introduced across several routes. These additional services helped ease congestion and ensured smoother travel for passengers.
Modern train services and passenger comfort
Passenger services witnessed major improvements with the continued expansion of modern trains such as Vande Bharat Express and Amrit Bharat Express. A key development during the year was the introduction of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains designed for long-distance travel.
These trains offer faster travel speeds, modern onboard facilities and enhanced passenger comfort, marking a new phase in railway modernization.
Indigenous manufacturing strengthens ‘Make in India’
Indian Railways significantly advanced its self-reliance initiatives under the Make in India programme by manufacturing 1,674 locomotives during the financial year.
Additionally, 6,677 modern LHB coaches were produced. These Linke Hofmann Busch coaches are known for improved safety features, better riding comfort and higher speed capability compared to older coach designs.
The large-scale domestic production of locomotives and coaches has strengthened the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat by reducing reliance on imports and boosting domestic manufacturing capabilities.
Expansion of indigenous safety systems
Railway safety initiatives gathered further momentum with the rapid expansion of the indigenous automatic train protection system Kavach.
The system has already been commissioned over more than 3,100 route kilometres and work is currently underway to expand it across approximately 24,400 additional kilometres of the railway network. Kavach helps prevent train collisions and enhances operational safety through automated monitoring and control mechanisms.
Digital transformation improves passenger experience
Digital services also expanded significantly with the launch of the RailOne App in July 2025. The application provides passengers with a single platform for ticket booking, train information, service updates and grievance redressal.
To ensure fair ticketing and curb misuse of railway services, authorities also removed more than 3.04 crore suspicious user accounts from the railway ticketing system. These measures have helped ensure that genuine passengers receive better access to tickets and services.
Major infrastructure development across the network
Infrastructure modernization continued at a rapid pace during the year. A total of 35 new Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal facilities were commissioned to strengthen logistics operations and promote multimodal cargo movement.
In addition, 119 railway stations were redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, providing upgraded passenger amenities, improved accessibility and modern infrastructure.
Connectivity expansion in Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir
Significant progress was also achieved in improving rail connectivity in strategically important regions of the country. The completion of the Bairabi–Sairang Railway Line has extended rail connectivity to Aizawl, strengthening the transportation network in the northeastern region.
Meanwhile, major bridge and railway infrastructure projects are improving all-weather connectivity to Jammu and Kashmir, which is expected to boost tourism, trade and regional development.
These achievements reflect Indian Railways’ continued commitment to modernization, capacity expansion, enhanced safety and improved passenger services. With sustained investment in infrastructure, technology and self-reliance initiatives, the national transporter aims to further strengthen its role in supporting India’s economic growth and national connectivity.
