New Delhi: In a significant push towards modernization and improved passenger services, Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced a series of major initiatives aimed at transforming the Indian Railways. These include the expansion of train capacity, production of new-generation trains, enhancements to passenger convenience, and a historic rise in budgetary allocation for Haryana.
Highlighting a key decision to boost short-distance rail services, the Minister announced the augmentation of over 100 MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) trains. These trains will now operate with extended compositions — increased from the existing 8 to 12 coaches to 16 to 20 coaches. A dedicated factory for manufacturing these MEMU trains has been set up at Kazipet, Andhra Pradesh.
Riding on the success of the operational Namo Bharat trains, the Railway Ministry has decided to manufacture 50 additional Namo Bharat trains to meet rising passenger demand. “The strong public response to these trains reinforces our commitment to providing faster, safer, and more comfortable travel options,” the Minister stated.
The Indian Railways witnessed record-breaking performance in FY 2023–24, transporting approximately 720 crore passengers and 1,617 million tonnes of freight. “This achievement has made Indian Railways the second-largest freight transporter in the world,” Vaishnaw noted.
To curb ticketing fraud and ensure availability for genuine passengers, a new reform in Tatkal ticket booking will be implemented from July 1, 2025. Under the new rule, only Aadhaar-authenticated and KYC-verified users will be permitted to book Tatkal tickets during the first 30 minutes of the booking window.
As part of passenger-centric initiatives, a pilot project in the Bikaner Division has shifted the preparation of reservation charts from 4 hours to 24 hours before train departure. The initiative has garnered positive feedback and is expected to enhance the travel experience.
Three Amrit Bharat trains are currently operational, and six more are set to be launched soon. The production of 50 more Amrit Bharat trains is underway, with additional batches planned.
Simultaneously, under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, 34 railway stations across Haryana are being redeveloped to provide world-class amenities to passengers.
Emphasizing the government’s commitment to equitable development, Vaishnaw said Haryana has received a record allocation of Rs 3,416 crore in the current financial year — a sharp increase from the Rs 300 crore allocated prior to 2014. In the last 11 years, 823 km of new railway lines have been added in the state, and its entire railway network has been electrified.
Ongoing projects worth Rs 11,800 crore are currently in progress across Haryana, which also includes the construction of 540 road overbridges and underpasses.
The Railway Coach Factory in Sonipat is undergoing modernization and is nearing readiness for inauguration. The upgraded facility will significantly enhance coach production capacity.
The announcements were made at a public event graced by several dignitaries including Nayab Singh Saini, Chief Minister of Haryana; Rao Narbir Singh, Minister of Industries, Government of Haryana; Mukesh Sharma, MLA; and Hisashi Takeuchi, CEO & Managing Director, Maruti Suzuki India Limited.
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