A government announcement was issued on Wednesday announcing that 99.6 percent of the broad gauge network in India has been electrified by Indian Railways. This represents a major achievement in terms of operating efficiency and sustainability.
With 741 crore passengers carried in FY 2025-26, the national transporter presently operates over 25,000 trains everyday. The record-breaking goods movement reached 1,670 million tonnes, and the total revenue for the year was around 80,000 crore.
In 2014, just 20% of the network was electrified; by March 2026, that number will have risen to 69,873 route kilometres, a remarkable increase. The transition has decreased reliance on diesel, resulting in fuel savings of around 180 crore litres and ₹6,000 crore in the fiscal year 2024–25 alone.
As evidence of its lightning-fast infrastructure upgrading, India has surpassed key global peers in terms of electricity, including the United Kingdom, Russia, and China.
We have also increased the size of safety and technology use. Expansion of the Kavach Automatic Train Protection System is now in progress, with deployment spanning 3,100 route km. At 1,874 stations, you may find video surveillance systems powered by artificial intelligence. At 1,405 stations, you can find Integrated Passenger Information Systems connected to real-time train data.
Between 2014 and 2026, there was a continuous investment in track infrastructure, with 54,600 km being renewed. Increased network efficiency is a direct result of the proliferation of high-speed capable rails (over 110 kmph).
Premium services are still quite popular. With a total of more than 9.1 crore ridership, the Vande Bharat Express network transported 3.98 crore passengers in FY26. Also showing early promise is the sleeper variation, which was just released.
There are now 60 trains running on the Amrit Bharat Express, which provides modern, inexpensive travel choices for budget-conscious tourists.
Image Credit: Construction World
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