The Indian Railways is gearing up for a major transformation over the next few years. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared while speaking to ET that the government plans to introduce 1,000 new trains in the next five years. One of the biggest goals is to start running the bullet train commercially by 2027.
Vaishnaw said the vision is to make Indian Railways not just more efficient and affordable for Indian passengers, but also a strong global player in train manufacturing and exports. He pointed out that India has added 35,000 km of railway tracks in the last 11 years – almost equal to Germany’s entire rail network. In just one year, 5,300 km of tracks were laid.
To support this expansion, 30,000 wagons and 1,500 locomotives are now being made every year in India – more than what North America and Europe make together. Investment in the railways has also seen a huge jump – from ₹25,000 crore earlier to ₹2.52 lakh crore now, with an extra ₹20,000 crore coming from public-private partnerships.
On the logistics front, Vaishnaw explained that transporting cargo by rail is much cheaper and more eco-friendly compared to roads. Railways currently handle 29% of all freight in India, and the aim is to increase this to 35% shortly.
Talking about the bullet train project, which is being developed with help from Japan, the minister said the prototype should be ready in 2026, and full commercial operations are expected in 2027. Institutes like IIT Madras and IIT Roorkee are helping in research and design. Many components of the high-speed rail are now being made in India and even exported abroad.
For passengers, the focus is on improving affordability and comfort. In the past two years, 2,000 general coaches have been added, and new trains like Amrit Bharat and Namo Bharat have been launched. The minister said Indian railway fares are cheaper than those in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Safety has also improved. Derailments have dropped from 170 per year to under 30, and rail accidents are down by 80%. Vaishnaw made it clear there are no plans to privatise the Railways completely. Instead, India will follow countries like Japan and Switzerland, where railways are well-integrated and professionally managed.
