Railways planning to do away with waiting list tickets: Vaishnaw

“Your rail journey with Indian Railways will now be even more convenient. Soon, you will only get confirmed tickets, as the Railway Ministry is working on a plan to eliminate the hassle of waiting lists. According to media reports, by 2027, everyone will get a confirmed ticket for train travel. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has stated that considering the increasing number of railway passengers, they plan to introduce 3,000 new trains in the next four to five years. The ministry is working on a plan to increase the current railway passenger capacity from 800 crore to 1,000 crore in the next four to five years. To accommodate the growing number of passengers, the railway is also planning to reduce the travel time during railway journeys.

Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned that currently, approximately 800 crore passengers travel by train annually. In the next four to five years, this capacity needs to be increased to one billion due to the rising population. According to Vaishnaw, to provide convenience to the increasing number of passengers, the Railwas needs 3,000 additional trains. Currently, there are about 69,000 new coaches available, and around 5,000 new coaches are being manufactured every year. With these efforts, the Railways can introduce 200 to 250 new trains every year, apart from the 400 to 450 Vande Bharat trains.

Reducing the waiting period:

According to media reports, the Railways also aims to reduce the waiting period. By 2027, all passengers are expected to receive confirmed tickets. Adding 3,000 new trains to the Indian Railways’ fleet is expected to decrease the waiting time. Currently, 10,748 trains run daily, and the goal is to increase the number of daily running trains to 13,000.

Reducing travel time:

To make rail travel more convenient, the Ministry is planning to reduce the time spent during train journeys. The ministry aims to improve the speed of trains and expand the rail network to decrease travel time. Vaishnaw mentioned that reducing travel time is another important goal for his ministry.

New tracks being laid:

Vaishnaw also mentioned that to increase the capacity of Indian Railways, approximately 5,000 kilometers of track are laid every year. More than a thousand flyovers and underpasses have also been approved. Work has already begun in many places. According to the Railway Minister, last year, the Railways constructed 1,002 flyovers and underpasses. This year, the goal is to increase this number to 1,200.”