Indian Railways accelerates track upgrades, strengthening safety and speed nationwide

Indian Railways has made substantial progress in modernising its track infrastructure, marking a major leap in safety, efficiency, and operational speed across the national rail network. Continuous investments and focused execution over the past decade have transformed the backbone of India’s railway system, enabling smoother and faster train movement.

In the financial year 2024–25 alone, track renewal works were completed across 6,851 kilometres. The momentum continues strongly in 2025–26, with renewal activities currently underway on more than 7,500 kilometres of track. Looking ahead, Indian Railways has already planned renewal of around 7,900 kilometres in 2026–27, underlining its long-term commitment to infrastructure reliability and passenger safety.

Significant attention has also been given to upgrading turnouts, which play a critical role in safe and seamless train operations. During 2024–25, Indian Railways installed 7,161 Thick Web Switches along with 1,704 Weldable CMS Crossings. The scale of work has expanded further in 2025–26, with provisions exceeding 8,000 Thick Web Switches and over 3,000 Weldable CMS Crossings.

Ballast deep screening, a key maintenance activity that enhances track stability and ride comfort, has been carried out extensively. A total of 7,442 kilometres of track underwent mechanised deep screening in 2024–25, while more than 7,500 kilometres are being covered during the current financial year.

To support modern maintenance practices, Indian Railways has significantly strengthened its fleet of track machines. Since 2014, over 1,100 machines have been inducted, allowing faster execution of maintenance works and improved productivity across the network.

Safety measures along railway corridors have also been intensified. Around 15,000 kilometres of safety fencing have been installed to curb cattle movement and trespassing, particularly on high-speed routes where trains operate at speeds above 110 kmph.

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These sustained initiatives have delivered visible results. The length of railway track capable of supporting speeds of 110 kmph and higher has surged from 31,445 kilometres in 2014, covering roughly 40 percent of the network, to 84,244 kilometres today, which is nearly 80 percent of the total rail network. This transformation is enabling faster, safer, and more reliable train services across the country.