1,000 extra trains between Del, Mum, Kok, Chn soon

Indian Railways plans to operate more than 1,000 additional regular trains after expanding seven major railway corridors to four parallel tracks, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday. The expansion covers routes connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, along with three diagonal corridors, including Delhi–Chennai, Mumbai–Kolkata and Delhi–Guwahati.

Vaishnaw said the four-track expansion would increase railway capacity, ease congestion and reduce pressure on passenger waiting lists and reservation availability. The additional trains will be possible after the expansion work is completed. The minister also discussed the festive-season arrangements, including 18,000 special trains, around 700 AI-enabled cameras and holding areas at approximately 20 railway stations.

Explaining the Railways' long-term capacity expansion plans, Vaishnaw said seven major corridors were being expanded to four lines to accommodate more train services. The projects cover the routes connecting Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai, which form part of the country's golden quadrilateral railway network. Three diagonal corridors are also included in the expansion plan. These are Delhi to Chennai, Mumbai to Kolkata and Delhi to Guwahati.

Four-lining means expanding a railway route to four parallel tracks instead of the existing two-track arrangement on sections that currently have two lines. This additional infrastructure can provide more space for passenger and freight trains to operate, reducing congestion on busy routes. Vaishnaw said the government had prioritised these corridors to increase capacity and address delays caused by heavy traffic on existing railway lines. He also referred to the frequency of railway infrastructure approvals by the Union Cabinet, saying the Prime Minister often approves new projects in nearly every second or third Cabinet meeting.

The minister said completing the four-lining of these seven corridors would allow Indian Railways to operate more than 1,000 additional regular trains. "Once this four-lining is complete, we will be able to run over 1,000 additional regular trains. This will significantly alleviate the pressure on waiting lists and reservation availability," Vaishnaw said. The proposed additional services are regular trains, separate from the special trains operated during festivals and other periods of high passenger demand.

Addressing questions about train delays and network congestion, Vaishnaw said Indian Railways was currently experiencing peak congestion because of heavy movement of coal and other goods. He said freight movement, particularly coal transportation, was adding to the pressure on the existing network at a time when passenger traffic was also high. "We are currently experiencing a period of peak congestion. There is a peak in the movement of coal and other goods," he said. The minister said the Railways had laid 36,000 kilometres of additional tracks over the last 10 years as part of its efforts to increase capacity. He emphasised that building more tracks and expanding railway infrastructure were necessary to address congestion permanently.

Separately, Indian Railways has deployed 18,000 special trains this festive season to manage additional passenger demand during Durga Puja, Diwali and Chhath. This is higher than the 12,000 special trains operated during the corresponding festive period last year. Vaishnaw said special trains had been stationed at several locations in Delhi, including Shakur Basti, Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar, Anand Vihar Terminal and locations near New Delhi railway station. He also said Indian Railways operated around 75,000 special trains during the previous financial year. The number is expected to cross 80,000 in the current financial year.

To manage passenger movement during the festive rush, the Railways has installed around 700 AI-enabled cameras at railway stations. Holding areas have also been established at approximately 20 stations to provide passengers with designated spaces to wait for their trains. Ticket counters have been shifted from station premises to these holding areas. Additional scanning counters have also been installed to speed up security checks and reduce queues. The arrangements are intended to prevent overcrowding at station entrances and manage passenger movement before travellers enter the main station premises.

Referring to passenger movement on Chhoti Diwali, Vaishnaw said the traffic situation at railway stations across locations had returned to normal on Saturday. "Even today, on the occasion of Chhoti Diwali, the traffic situation across all locations has already returned to normal. We intend to maintain this throughout the festive season," he said.