New Delhi, Dec 26: The Ministry of Railways has announced an ambitious plan to double the train-originating capacity of major Indian cities over the next five years, in response to sustained growth in passenger demand. The initiative aims to reduce congestion at busy stations and strengthen nationwide rail connectivity.
Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, said the move would involve large-scale expansion of coaching terminals and upgrades to existing infrastructure. “We’re expanding coaching terminals and enhancing sectional and operational capacities in various cities to meet rising passenger demand and reduce congestion. This move will upgrade our railway network and improve nationwide connectivity,” he said.
According to officials, the current infrastructure in major urban centres is insufficient to handle the growing volume of rail traffic. To address this, Indian Railways plans to augment existing terminals by adding new platforms, stabling lines, pit lines, and shunting facilities. In addition, new terminals will be identified and developed in and around urban areas.
The plan also includes the creation of modern maintenance facilities, such as mega coaching complexes, and enhancement of sectional capacity through traffic facility works, signalling upgrades, and multitracking. These measures are intended to enable the handling of a larger number of trains across the network.
Railway authorities will consider stations surrounding major terminals to ensure balanced capacity development. For instance, in Pune, capacity expansion is being planned not only at Pune station but also at nearby stations such as Hadapsar, Khadki, and Alandi.
The exercise will cover both suburban and non-suburban traffic, taking into account the distinct operational requirements of each segment. A comprehensive capacity expansion plan covering 48 major cities is currently under consideration. The plan will consolidate works that are already sanctioned, proposed, or planned, with the objective of doubling train-handling capacity in a time-bound manner.
While the overall target is to achieve full capacity doubling by 2030, the Ministry expects progressive capacity enhancement over the next five years. Actions will be categorised as immediate, short-term, and long-term, with clear timelines and defined outcomes.
Zonal Railways have been directed to identify short- and medium-term measures to ease congestion at busy stations. They have also been asked to improve train-handling capacity across divisions by addressing sectional constraints and operational bottlenecks at stations and yards.
The initiative is expected to deliver early benefits by gradually increasing capacity and meeting growing traffic requirements in the coming years.
