(Image source from: x.com/RailMinIndia)

Indian Railways has revealed its intention to increase train capacity in 48 important cities by 2030. This initiative is designed to accommodate the growing number of passengers, alleviate crowding, and enhance connections across the country. The Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw mentioned, "We are improving coaching terminals and increasing operational and sectional abilities in various cities to cater to higher passenger demand and diminish congestion. This plan will enhance our railway system and boost national connectivity." The demand for passenger travel has been continuously growing in recent years, putting a lot of strain on the railway system. Many major city terminals are already nearing their full capacity, which complicates future expansion. There is an urgent need to upgrade the current infrastructure to cope with the expected rise in traffic, since crowding at busy stations is impacting timeliness and overall function. Indian Railways has pointed out that current facilities must be significantly improved to satisfy future travel needs and provide smoother experiences for travelers.

Primary Goals Of The Expansion Plan:

Increase the number of trains starting from major cities.
Alleviate congestion at busy stations.
Enhance punctuality and operational effectiveness.
Reinforce both suburban and long-distance rail services.
Achieve even traffic distribution across various stations.

Proposed Infrastructure Improvements:

To reach the 2030 objective, Indian Railways will carry out:
Building more platforms at current terminals.
Expanding stabling lines, pit lines, and shunting areas.
Finding and creating new terminals in urban regions.
Establishing maintenance stations, including large coaching complexes.
Upgrading signaling and traffic facility works.
Introducing multi-tracking projects to increase sectional capacity.

To meet rising travel demand, Indian Railways is set to double originating train capacity in major cities within five years, supported by augmentation of existing infrastructure. pic.twitter.com/2rYIy2NhbF

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) December 29, 2025

Here are the Cities:

Delhi, Mumbai (Central & Western Railway), Kolkata (Eastern, South Eastern & Metro), Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Patna, Puri, Lucknow, Pune, Nagpur, Varanasi, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Mathura, Ayodhya, Agra, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Jammu, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Vadodara, Surat, Madgaon, Kochi, Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati, Haridwar, Guwahati, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Gaya, Mysuru, Coimbatore, Tatanagar, Ranchi, Raipur, Bareilly.

Execution Plan:

All Zonal Railways have been directed to devise plans for boosting capacity in their divisions.
Essential targets include terminals, sections, stations, and yards.
Issues affecting train operations will be resolved.
Improvements will focus on both suburban and long-distance services.
Cities with high commuter levels will be prioritized for enhancements.

Indian Railways will also upgrade stations near major terminals to spread out train traffic and lessen the burden on single locations. For instance, in Pune, improvements are scheduled at Hadapsar, Khadki, and Alandi, along with additional platforms and stabling lines at Pune station.