Indian Railways plans to double train capacity in 48 major cities within five years
New Delhi: Indian Railways decided to double the train-originating capacity of major cities across the country within the next five years, aiming to ease congestion and meet the rapidly growing demand for passenger travel, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Under the Indian Railways capacity expansion plan, the railways will significantly upgrade existing infrastructure and create new facilities so that major urban centres can handle more trains by 2030. Officials said the strategy focused on delivering early benefits through phased capacity additions over the next five years.
As part of the plan, Railways will expand existing coaching terminals by adding platforms, stabling lines, pit lines and shunting facilities. At the same time, authorities will identify and develop new terminals in and around urban areas to distribute traffic more evenly.
The programme also includes creating modern maintenance facilities, including mega coaching complexes. In addition, Railways will enhance sectional capacity through signalling upgrades, traffic facility works and multi-tracking to support higher train frequency.
While expanding terminal capacity, Railways will also strengthen nearby stations to avoid bottlenecks. For instance, in Pune, stations such as Hadapsar, Khadki and Alandi will complement capacity upgrades at Pune station itself.
Indian Railways capacity expansion to cover 48 major cities
The Indian Railways capacity expansion plan covers both suburban and non-suburban traffic, keeping in view the distinct operational needs of each segment. A comprehensive roadmap for 48 major cities is currently under consideration.
The cities identified for capacity doubling include: Delhi; Mumbai (Central and Western Railways); Kolkata (Eastern, South Eastern Railway and Kolkata Metro); Chennai; Hyderabad; Bengaluru; Ahmedabad; Patna; Lucknow (Northern and North Eastern Railways); Pune; Nagpur; Varanasi; Kanpur; Gorakhpur; Mathura; Ayodhya; Agra; Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction; Chandigarh; Ludhiana; Amritsar; Indore; Bhopal; Ujjain; Jammu; Jodhpur; Jaipur; Vadodara; Surat; Madgaon; Cochin; Puri; Bhubaneswar; Visakhapatnam; Vijayawada; Tirupati; Haridwar; Guwahati; Bhagalpur; Muzaffarpur; Darbhanga; Gaya; Mysore; Coimbatore; Tatanagar; Ranchi; Raipur; and Bareilly.
Officials said the plan would include projects already sanctioned, works under implementation and new proposals required to achieve capacity doubling in a time-bound manner. Actions will fall under immediate, short-term and long-term categories, each with defined timelines and outcomes.
Although Railways set 2030 as the target for full capacity doubling, authorities expect visible improvements within the next five years. Therefore, zonal railways have been instructed to submit short- and medium-term action plans to ease congestion at busy stations and yards.
Ashwini Vaishnaw said the expansion of coaching terminals and operational capacity would help meet rising passenger demand, reduce congestion and improve nationwide connectivity. He added that the initiative would significantly upgrade the country’s railway network.
