If you enjoy traveling with Indian Railways but find the irregular schedules or lack of seating stressful, we have some good news! Indian Railways is set to make significant changes to improve your travel experience. By 2030, they plan to double the train-departure capacity in 48 major cities. This initiative is designed to accommodate increasing passenger numbers, reduce overcrowding, and enhance overall connectivity throughout the country. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also shared that the department is working to upgrade coaching terminals and improve operational capabilities to serve travelers better.
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Why Is Indian Railways Planning This Update
Passenger travel demand for trains has been consistently growing, which has put a strain on the railway network. Many major city terminals are now nearing their peak capacity, making it challenging to accommodate future growth. Upgrading the current infrastructure is essential to manage the expected increase in traffic, as overcrowding at large stations affects both timeliness and overall operations.
The cities selected for this upgrade include Delhi, Mumbai (Central & Western Railway), Kolkata (Eastern, South Eastern & Metro), Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Patna, Puri, Lucknow, Pune, Nagpur, Varanasi, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Mathura, Ayodhya, Agra, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Jammu, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Vadodara, Surat, Madgaon, Kochi, Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Haridwar, Guwahati, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Mysuru, Coimbatore, Tatanagar, Ranchi, Raipur, and Bareilly. This list encompasses various major cities across India that will benefit from the planned upgrades.
What Are The Key Goals For This Update
The primary goals of the expansion plan are to double the number of trains departing from key cities, alleviate congestion at busy stations, enhance punctuality and operational efficiency, and strengthen both suburban and long-distance rail services. Additionally, it aims to ensure that traffic is distributed more evenly across various stations.
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To achieve the targets set for 2030, Indian Railways plans to construct more platforms at current terminals, expand stabling and shunting facilities, and identify new terminal sites within urban areas.
Maintenance hubs, including large coaching complexes, will be developed, alongside upgrades to signaling systems and traffic management practices. Multi-tracking projects will also be initiated to increase capacity on certain routes.
All Zonal Railways have been directed to improve capacity across their respective divisions. This includes a focus on terminals, stations, and yards where operational constraints hinder train movement. Priority improvements will be made in cities with heavy commuter traffic. Stay tuned for more updates!
