New Delhi: The total number of trains in operation has now exceeded pre-Covid levels, reflecting the Indian Railways’ commitment to reliability and improved service delivery, the government has informed.
According to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Railways has achieved an on-time performance of over 90 per cent through the adoption of advanced signalling systems, real-time monitoring, AI-driven scheduling and predictive maintenance.
As highlighted by the minister in the Lok Sabha, out of 68 railway divisions, 49 have already surpassed 80 per cent punctuality, while 12 divisions have impressively reached 95 per cent.
This enhanced efficiency has resulted in smoother train operations, benefiting both passengers and freight services. Currently, Indian Railways operates more than 13,000 passenger trains, including 4,111 Mail and Express trains, 3,313 Passenger trains, and 5,774 Suburban trains.
The minister also highlighted the modernisation of railway stations, with 129 stations already completed and many more to be operational by 2025-26 as part of the world’s largest station redevelopment programme.
He further highlighted the significant expansion of the Kolkata Metro, where 38 km of metro lines have been added in just a decade, compared to 28 km in the previous 42 years.
Vaishnaw also emphasised on the ambitious Bullet Train project as a transformative step toward modern, high-speed rail connectivity, ensuring world-class infrastructure for future generations.
In line with the government’s commitment to environmental sustainability, Indian Railways has taken several initiatives towards environmental sustainability with its ambitious goal of achieving Net Zero Carbon Emission (Scope 1) by 2025.
A major step in this direction has been the transition from diesel to electric traction, with 97 per cent of railway operations already electrified, and the remaining 3 per cent nearing completion.
With projected emissions for 2024-25 estimated at 20 lakh tonnes and available offsets reaching 22 lakh tonnes, Indian Railways is well-positioned to meet its Net Zero target ahead of schedule, according to the minister.
(IANS)
