New Delhi [India], December 29 (ANI): Indian Railways continued its transformative journey in the year 2024, paving the way for a new era of modernization and progress. With a strong focus on meeting world-class travel experience, boosting freight efficiency, and adopting advanced technologies, the Railways has solidified its role as a catalyst for national growth.
As of December 26, a total of 136 flagship Made in India Vande Bharat trains are running across the Indian Railways network. During the Calendar year 2024 itself, as many as 62 Vande Bharat services were introduced, the Ministry of Railways said in a year-end statement.
The semi-high-speed train, Vande Bharat trains have become a symbol of India’s aspirations for modern, efficient, and comfortable rail travel.
These trains are equipped with top-tier amenities and advanced safety features, such as Kavach technology, 360-degree rotating seats, accessible toilets for Divyangjan, and integrated Braille signages, among many others.
Besides, Indian railways have electrified 3,210 kms of rail track during the calendar year 2024. The broad gauge network of railway electrification has been extended to 97 per cent.
As part of the modernisation of railway stations, the ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme’, as many as 1,337 stations have been identified for redevelopment. Out of 1,337 stations, tenders have been awarded and work has commenced in 1,198 railway stations. Other railway stations are at different stages of tendering and planning.
Indian Railways, which has set a target of becoming a Net Zero Carbon Emitter by 2030, has as of November commissioned approximately 487 MW of solar plants (both rooftop and ground-mounted) and about 103 MW of wind power plants.
Total Capex for the Indian Railways in 2024-25 is Rs 2,65,200 cr, which is the highest amount allocated in the budget.
E-ticketing has touched 86 per cent in the reserved sector. E-ticketing in the unreserved sector has gone up from 28 per cent at the beginning of the current financial year to around 33 per cent in October 2024.
In order to boost investment from industry in setting up of cargo terminals, ‘Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals (GCT) are being developed across the country. So far, 354 locations (327 on non-railway land and 27 on railway land) have been identified across the country.
Till October, 91 such terminals have been commissioned.
Three Economic Corridors were also sanctioned in 2024: Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridors; High Traffic Density Routes; and Rail Sagar corridors.
A total of 434 projects have been planned for implementation under these three corridors. In the calendar year 2024, a total of 58 projects out of total of 434 projects were sanctioned across three economic corridors, with a combined completion cost of about Rs 88,875 crore and a total track length of about 4,107 kilometres.
The Energy, Mineral and Cement Corridors accounted for 51 projects, spanning 2,911 kilometres with a completion cost of Rs 57,313 crore.
The High Traffic Density Routes included 5 projects, covering about 830 kilometres and costing about Rs. 11,280 crore.
The Rail Sagar corridor had 2 projects, with a total track length of about 366 kilometres and a completion cost of about Rs. 20,282 crore. (ANI)
