How India is modernising railways, the ‘transport lifeline of the nation’

Evolution of Indian railways

Often called the greatest contribution of the British Raj to India, Indian Railways has been the “transport lifeline of the nation” for more than a century and a half, unifying the nation into a social and economic entity. 

The first passenger train started on April 16, 1853, from Bori Bunder to Thane, covering a distance of 34 km. Its evolution since then can be viewed around three broad phases: 

The pre-independence era (1853–1947): It laid the foundational network of railways across the subcontinent. This network, designed for the colonial extraction of Indian resources, became vital for nationalism. It served as a medium for the mobilisation of people for the freedom movement, allowing leaders like Mahatma Gandhi to travel across the length and breadth of the nation.

Post-independence era of expansion (1947-2014): Following independence, Indian Railways entered a phase of sustained expansion that prioritised affordability and accessibility. Networks were expanded to reach remote corners of the nation, supporting socioeconomic integration and fulfilling a social mandate to make the nation’s large cities accessible to all.

Over time, however, large volumes of transport, saturated tracks, aging infrastructure, and a widening gap between Indian rail and global standards made modernisation a necessity.

The era of transformation (2014-present): Over the last decade, there has been a greater focus on quality transport. This is marked by emphasis not only on track expansion but also on technological sophistication and passenger comfort. 

This phase uses a strategy of track segregation, diverting slow freight to dedicated tracks to free up fast passenger travel, replacing older coaches, and introducing high-tech platforms such as Vande Bharat. 

Other key developments include:

– In 2017, the government ended the decades-old practice of having a distinct railway budget and merged it with the union budget, based on the recommendations of the NITI Aayog Committee chaired by Bibek Debroy.

– The merger aimed at facilitating multimodal transport planning between highways, railways and inland waterways.

– The move also signalled a transition from revenue expenditure in the form of subsidies to capital expenditure, treating railways as a long-term asset and harnessing its capacity to be a GDP multiplier.

From Vande Bharat to Amrit Bharat

The Vande Bharat Express trains are among the most popular modernisation measures of Indian Railways. Introduced in 2019, these are modern, indigenous, high-speed, air-conditioned trains with superior passenger amenities and safety features like Kavach, operating at speeds of up to 160kmph. 

Introduced as day-trains, the Vande Bharat platform has now launched sleeper trains designed for quality overnight travel, with the objective of offering a premium alternative to air travel. The first Vande Bharat Sleeper train was flagged off in January 2026 from Howrah to Guwahati in Malda, West Bengal. 

The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), launched in 2022, is another notable modernisation measure. It reflects the idea that railway modernisation must start at railway stations where the journey begins. The scheme seeks to upgrade over 1300 stations, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, with roof plazas and modern amenities to bridge the gap in infrastructure quality. 

The ‘One Station One Product’ stalls to promote local products and boost local economies have also been integrated into ABSS. The transformation of these stations into ‘city centres’ is also an attempt to implement Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) to reverse the urban decay seen around transit hubs in India and spur urban renewal. 

The high-speed vision 

Besides trains and stations, another facet of the modernisation drive is the high-speed ambitions outlined in the bullet train project and the seven new High-Speed Rail (HSR) corridors announced in the Union Budget 2026-27. These corridors are:

1. Mumbai-Pune

2. Pune-Hyderabad

3. Hyderabad-Bengaluru

4. Hyderabad-Chennai

5. Chennai-Bengaluru

6. Delhi-Varanasi

7. Varanasi-Siliguri 

They envisage a ‘diamond quadrilateral’ of speed spanning around 4000 km to significantly cut travel time between major economic, industrial, and technology hubs. In the Railway Budget 2014-15, it was announced to undertake planning of high-speed rail connectivity on the ‘Diamond Quadrilateral’ network connecting major metros and growth centres of the country. 

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR), with an outlay of ₹1,08,000 Crore, is central to this vision. The project, under execution with technical and financial assistance from the government of Japan, is seen as a milestone for India. It introduces world-class standards such as the Slab Track System, advanced seismic monitoring, and specialised concrete viaducts. 

These projects recognise that traditional rail speeds are no longer sufficient for business connectivity and seek to create a multiplier effect, akin to that of Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train project, by connecting the major Indian cities at more than 300 km/h.

The high-speed vision recognises the increasing time-value of money in the new age. High-speed rail is not only a luxury for the elite but an economic tool that allows businesses to operate across multiple cities as if they were a single integrated market.

Linking capitals of Northeastern states 

Another key aspect of modernisation is the effort towards regional connectivity, with priority accorded to linking the capitals of Northeastern states to national networks through rail, road and air routes. The new Bairabi-Sairang railway line, which connects Aizawl, along with ongoing rail expansion to Imphal and Kohima, marks a new era of regional integration based on ‘mountain engineering’. 

This uses extensive tunnelling and building of tall pier bridges to overcome the challenges placed by the hilly terrains of the Northeastern region and its seismic risks. Aizawl is the fourth Northeastern capital to be connected, while Imphal, Kohima, and Gangtok are scheduled to be connected within the next two years. Efforts to link Shillong are also underway. This is expected to spur regional development, with the transportation of goods and tourists becoming considerably easier and more affordable.

Further, the construction of the new Pamban Bridge, India’s first vertical lift sea bridge, spanning 2.07 km across the Palk Strait in Tamil Nadu, connecting Rameshwaram island with mainland India, is another project that demonstrates the nation’s new-age technical maturity that enables the linking of difficult terrains. 

These measures to ensure connectivity to hitherto unconnected regions are not just rail expansion measures. There are steps to bring the final frontiers of the nation into the economic mainstream, ensuring that the benefits of a modernised railway network are equitably distributed. Further, it can ensure that no region is held back in the journey to development due to its lack of connectivity.

Need for efficient balance between passenger and freight 

However, the pursuit of higher speed in passenger trains is constrained by the present-day tracks, which are deeply congested with both passenger and freight trains competing for limited line capacity, often delaying both.

While improvements of the stations and amenities in the trains are inevitable to bring the railways to global standards, these cannot make up for a lack of speed in an age where time is a critical resource. The success of initiatives such as the Vande Bharat and the upcoming high-speed rail corridors, as well as the modernisation drive at large, will depend on achieving a more efficient balance between passenger and freight operations. 

The path forward appears to lie in the functional segregation of the two. The shifting of heavy cargo to Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) to clear the pathway for rapid passenger movement. This structural separation can help ensure that neither passenger mobility nor freight efficiency is compromised.

Post read questions

Indian Railways is transitioning from a mass transport system to a quality-driven mobility network. Discuss in the context of recent modernisation initiatives.

Examine the role of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan in transforming railway infrastructure in India.

How do initiatives like Vande Bharat Express and the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme contribute to improving passenger experience?

Discuss the significance of Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) in enhancing the efficiency of Indian Railways.

Evaluate the importance of railway connectivity in promoting regional integration, with special reference to Northeast India.

(Kannan K is a Doctoral candidate at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad.) 

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