In LS, Vaishnaw hails Railways’ improved punctuality
Railways has achieved an “on-time performance of over 90%” through the adoption of advanced signalling systems, real-time monitoring, AI-driven scheduling, and predictive maintenance
Indian Railways has achieved an “on-time performance of over 90%” through the adoption of advanced signalling systems, real-time monitoring, AI-driven scheduling, and predictive maintenance, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.
“Out of our total 68 divisions, 49 have a punctuality rate of more than 80%. Moreover, 12 of our divisions have a punctuality rate of 95%,” Vaishnaw told Parliament, while replying to a debate on the Demands for Grants under the control of the railway ministry for 2025-26. The Lok Sabha later passed the Demands for Grants.
Currently, more than 13,000 passenger trains are operational, of which 4,111 are Mail trains, 3,313 are Express trains, and 5,774 are suburban trains. The total number of trains running is higher than the pre-Covid levels.
Praising the government’s efforts to connect Kashmir with Jammu via railways, Vaishnaw said, “The dream we had for years, the dream of connecting Jammu to Srinagar, has been fulfilled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This dream has been realised with the construction of two bridges over the Anji and Chenab rivers. These bridges have set new records, with the Chenab bridge being 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower.”
“Very soon, a new train will run from Jammu to Srinagar. The CRS (Commission of Railway Safety) inspection has been completed, and their report has been received. The suggestions given in the report are being implemented. Once the implementation is complete and with CRS permission, the train will run from Jammu to Srinagar, and this great dream of the nation will be realised,” he said, without revealing the timeline for operations to begin.
On the freight corridor, the minister said, “During the UPA government, only the name of the freight corridor was mentioned. Before 2014, there was no freight corridor, but today, the freight corridor has been completed. Very soon, 350 trains will be running daily on the freight corridor, and what previously took 24 hours to reach the port now takes just 12 hours. Goods are now reaching the port from inland in half the time.”
Vaishnaw also said that the current government has completed the construction of 97 Gati Shakti cargo terminals, with 257 new Gati Shakti cargo terminals under construction.
He added: “After independence, until 2014, the total length of tunnels in India’s railway network was 125 kilometers. From 2014 until today, 460 kilometers of new tunnels have been constructed, which is almost four times more. It is a matter of pride that the world has acknowledged the skill of India’s engineers and the vision of a self-reliant India. Today, the Himalayan tunneling method—a new tunneling technique—has been invented.”
Replying to the Oppositions queries regarding the bullet train project, Vaishnaw said, “I want to emphasise that it represents a shift in mindset. Many esteemed MPs have expressed the need for a bullet train. Unfortunately, during Congress rule, there was a persistent attempt to instill a sense of inferiority about such ambitious projects. This is a result of that outdated mindset.”
He also mentioned that the North-East Railway Expansion was progressing well. “In the last ten years, track construction has crossed 34,000 km, which is more than the entire railway network of Germany. Since 2014, 50,000 km of track has been replaced, leading to significant improvements in safety,” he said.
He also said that Indian Railways will achieve Scope 1 Net Zero emissions this year. “Achieving Scope 1 Net Zero is a major milestone, and Indian Railways is set to accomplish this by 2025,” Vaishnaw added.
He further stated that investment in railway safety has increased to Rs. 1.16 lakh crore, which is multiple times higher than before.
Vaishnaw also announced that due to high demand for Vande Bharat chair cars, 50 new Vande Bharat chair car trains will be manufactured. “260 new Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be introduced. 100 new Amrit Bharat non-AC trains will be developed to enhance affordable travel options. 50 new MEMU trains will be manufactured, and 50 new Namo Bharat trains will be introduced,” he said.