New Delhi, March 18 (IANS) Indian Railways is prioritising affordable travel by expanding non‑AC general and sleeper capacity and providing an average concession of about 45 per cent per passenger to keep fares low, the government has said.

Around 70 per cent of coaches are general and sleeper class and additional general coaches include about 1,250 coaches in 2024–25 and around 860 in 2025–26, according to Ministry of Railways.

Railways provides a passenger subsidy of approximately Rs 60,000 crore annually, with an additional Rs 3,000 crore subsidy for suburban sections such as Mumbai.

Freight loading has increased from about 1,055 million tonnes in 2013–14 to around 1,650 million tonnes, making Indian Railways the second-largest freight carrier globally, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The minister also highlighted electrification rising rapidly to nearly 47,000 km, with over 99 per cent of the network electrified.

“Track construction has accelerated substantially, with approximately 35,000 km of new tracks laid, compared to about 15,000 km in the earlier period,” he noted.

In terms of safety infrastructure, the number of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) has increased from around 4,000 to about 14,000. Automatic signalling has expanded from about 1,500 km to over 4,000 km.

Vaishnaw emphasised that safety remains a core priority, with focused interventions in track maintenance, rolling stock maintenance, technology adoption, and training practices.

The Mminister also stated that safer Linke-Hofmann-Busch (LHB) coaches have increased significantly, with about 48,000 coaches added in recent years. Locomotive production has also risen to around 12,000 units, while wagon induction has crossed 2 lakh units, he noted.

The government brought in greater transparency and institutional monitoring, with projects being reviewed through systems involving the Ministry of Finance and NITI Aayog, he added.

The minister noted that the Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs) have seen substantial progress, with around 2,800 km completed and about 480 freight trains operating daily on these corridors.

—IANS

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