Mumbai, Jan 15: A seven-hour workshop, headed by Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, was held at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi,
recently with senior railway officials to deliberate on passenger-centric reforms, service quality, system responsiveness and citizen experience.
During the workshop, the Union Minister heard presentations and views of officials and addressed the meeting for around 15 minutes, emphasising a consultative and participative approach to improving railway services.
52 weeks, 52 reforms
Under the 52 Weeks, 52 Reforms framework, each reform has clearly defined timelines and implementation steps. The reforms are being rolled out sequentially to ensure stability, effective monitoring and measurable outcomes, enabling continuous review and course correction where required.
The roadmap has been shaped through extensive consultations across the railway system, ensuring broad participation and grounding reforms in operational realities.
Indian Railways’ 52 Weeks, 52 Reforms initiative reflects a focused, time-bound transformation agenda aimed at strengthening capacity, enhancing safety, and delivering a modern, reliable and citizen-centric rail network equipped to meet future demands.
Capacity enhancement
To overcome historical capacity constraints and meet rising passenger and freight demand, Indian Railways has undertaken unprecedented network expansion. Nearly 35,000 km of new tracks, equivalent to the entire railway network of Germany, have been constructed, significantly strengthening national connectivity and easing congestion on key corridors.
Railway manufacturing has been scaled up substantially over the past three years. Large-scale wagon procurement and increased locomotive production have positioned India among the world’s leading rail manufacturing hubs, with output levels comparable to, and in certain segments exceeding, the combined manufacturing capacity of the US and EU.
Future targets
Safety performance has witnessed a transformative improvement, with consequential railway accidents reduced by nearly 90%, from around 170 earlier to about 12. Building on this progress, the next reform milestone targets a 95% reduction, aiming to bring accident numbers into single digits.
This will be supported by sustained investment in safety infrastructure, workforce training and advanced technologies, including wider deployment of the Kavach safety system and related applications.
Expansion of Vande Bharat services, along with basic fare rationalisation, is being pursued to improve affordability and provide a competitive alternative to air travel, encouraging a gradual modal shift while ensuring equitable access.
Passenger services
Passenger-centric reforms form a core pillar of the initiative. Enhanced planning and operational preparedness enabled Indian Railways to successfully manage peak festive travel demand during Diwali, Chhath and Christmas, with zero complaints reported during Christmas operations.
Focused attention is being given to maintenance quality, vendor accountability, cleanliness, onboard experience, reliability and system efficiency. Station redevelopment is being advanced with a strong emphasis on facilities for the common citizen, alongside a renewed cleanliness drive across trains and stations.
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Measures such as Aadhaar-based verification are being introduced to strengthen system integrity and prevent misuse, while passenger access policies continue to prioritise women, children, senior citizens and Divyangjan, particularly in demand-constrained scenarios.
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