Indian Railways

Indian Railways is headed by a seven-member Railway Board whose chairman reports to the Ministry of Railways. Railway Board also acts as the Ministry of Railways. The officers manning the office of Railway Board are mostly from organised Group A Railway Services and Railway Board Secretariat Service. IR is divided into 18 zones, headed by general managers who report to the Railway Board.[34][35] The zones are further subdivided into 68 operating divisions, headed by divisional railway managers (DRM).[36][37][38] The divisional officers of the engineering, mechanical, electrical, signal and telecommunication, stores, accounts, personnel, operating, commercial, security and safety branches report to their respective DRMs and are tasked with the operation and maintenance of assets. Station masters control individual stations and train movements through their stations' territory. In addition, there are a number of production units, training establishments, public sector enterprises and other offices working under the control of the Railway Board.[39]

IR is a major shareholder in 16 public sector undertakings (PSU) and other organizations that are related to rail transport in India. Notable among this list include:[40]

Financing, construction and project implementation: IRFC, RITES, IRCON, MRVC, RVNL

Land and station development: RLDA, IRSDC

Rail infrastructure: DFCCIL, PRCL[41]

Passenger and freight train operations: KRCL, CONCOR

IT and communications: CRIS, RCIL

Catering and tourism: IRCTC

Staff are classified into gazetted (Groups A and B) and non-gazetted (Groups C and D) employees.[42] Gazetted employees carry out executive / managerial / officer level tasks. As of March 2017, the number of personnel (Groups A & B) constitutes 1.2% of the total strength, while Group C & D account for 92.6% and 6.2% respectively.[43]

There is no direct recruitment of Group B employees in Indian Railways and they are recruited by departmental promotional exams of Group C employees. Recruitment of Group A employees is carried out by the Union Public Service Commission Civil Service exam.[44] Recruitment of Group C junior engineers and depot material superintendents is conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board. Group C employees are recruited by 21 Railway Recruitment Board or RRB, which are controlled by the Railway Recruitment Control Board (RRB).[45][46] Group D staffs are recruited by 16 Railway Recruitment Cells or RRCs.

The training of all groups is shared among seven centralized zonal training institutes and 295 training centers all over India.

IR offers housing and runs its own hospitals, schools and sports facilities for the welfare of its staff.[43]

Ajni Loco Shed WAP-7-class broad gauge AC electric locomotive

WDM-3D broad-gauge diesel locomotive

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, which uses one of India's few running steam locomotives

From 1985, steam locomotives were phased out and electric and diesel locomotives, along with a few CNG (compressed natural gas) locomotives are used.[47] Steam locomotives are used only in heritage trains. Locomotives in India are classified by gauge, motive power, the work they are suited for, and their power or model number. Their four- or five-letter class name includes this information. The first letter denotes the track gauge, the second their motive power (diesel or electric), and the third their suitable traffic (goods, passenger, multi or shunting). The fourth letter denoted the locomotive's chronological model number, but in 2002, a new classification was adopted in which the fourth letter in newer diesel locomotives indicate horsepower range.

A locomotive may have a fifth letter in its name, denoting a technical variant, subclass, or sub-type (a variation in the basic model (or series) or a different motor or manufacturer). In the new diesel-locomotive classification, the fifth letter refines the horsepower in 100-hp increments: A for 100 hp, B for 200 hp, C for 300 hp and so on. In this classification, a WDM-3A is a 3100 hp, a WDM-3D a 3400 hp and a WDM-3F a 3600 hp locomotive.[lower-alpha 1] Diesel locomotives are fitted with auxiliary power units, which save almost 88 percent of fuel during idle time when a train is not running.[48]

As of March 2017, IR fleet consisted of 277,987 goods wagons. They carried 1,110 million tonnes of freight in Fiscal Year 2016–17.[3] Wagon types used by IR include BCACBM, BCCN, BCNA, BCNHL, BOBRN, BOBYN, BOXN (BOXN-HL, BOXN-HS, BOXN-HL, BOXN-CR, BOXN-LW, BOXN-AL, BOXN-EL), BRH, BTPGLN, BTPN and VVN.

IR's bulk requirement of wagons is met by wagon manufacturing units both in public and private sectors as well as other Public Sector Units under the administrative control of Ministry of Railways.[49]

On long-distance routes and also on some shorter routes, IR uses 2 primary types of coach design types. ICF coaches, in production from 1955 until Jan 2018,[50] constitute the bulk of the current stock. These coaches, considered to be having inadequate safety features, are slowly being phased out. As of September 2017, around 40,000 coaches are still in operation.[51] The older coaches are being replaced with LHB coaches. Introduced in mid '90s, these coaches are lighter, safer and are capable of speeds up to 160 km/h (99 mph).[52]

IR has announced that two new self-propelled train set designs will be introduced starting from mid 2018. These two train types, termed as Train-18 and Train-20, are expected to replace locomotive-hauled trains on long-distance routes.[53]

On regional short-distance routes, IR runs Mainline Electrical Multiple Unit (MEMU) or Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit (DEMU) trains, depending on the traction available. These train sets are self-propelled with capability for faster acceleration or deceleration and are expected to reduce congestion on dense routes. Passenger locomotive-hauled trains, having frequent stops, are slowly being replaced with train sets across India.[54]

On suburban commuter routes around the large urban centers, IR runs trains with Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) coaches. As of March 2017, about 9100 coaches are in operation.[55]

Comparison of gauges in India with the standard gauge

As of March 2017, IR network spans 121,407 km (75,439 mi) of track length, while the route length is 67,368 km (41,861 mi).[5] The Indian Railways, as of 1 April 2019, had a broad-gauge network of 64,298 km (39,953 mi). Of this, 35,488 km (22,051 mi) was electrified. Track sections are rated for speeds ranging from 80 to 200 km/h (50 to 124 mph), though the maximum speed attained by passenger trains is 180 km/h (110 mph) during trial runs. As of March 2017, most of the broad-gauge network is equipped with long-welded, high-tensile strength 52kg/60kg 90 UTS rails and pre-stressed concrete (PSC) sleepers with elastic fastenings.[5]

1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge is the predominant gauge used by IR and spans 61,680 km (38,330 mi) of route (92% of total route network). It is among the broadest gauge in use across the world for passenger movement.[5] Broad gauge generated 100% of the freight output (Net tonne-Kilometres) and more than 99% of the passenger output (Passenger Kilometres) in the fiscal year 2016–17.[5]

The 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) metre gauge tracks and 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) and 610 mm (2 ft) narrow gauge tracks are present on fewer routes. All of these routes, except the heritage routes, are being converted to broad gauge. The metre gauge tracks were 3,479 kilometres (2,162 mi) (5% of total route network) and narrow gauges tracks were 2,208 km (1,372 mi) (3% of total route network) as of 31 March 2017.[5]

As of 31 March 2019, IR has electrified 50% or 35,442 km (22,023 mi) of the route kilometers and 46% or 55,240 km (34,320 mi) of the total running track. India uses 25 kV 50 Hz AC traction on all its electrified tracks.[3]

Total Route Kilometers Covered in the State as on 2018 (In Percentage).

Railway electrification in India began with the first electric train, between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Kurla on the Harbour Line, on 3 February 1925 on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) at 1500 V DC. Heavy gradients in the Western Ghats necessitated the introduction of electric traction on the GIPR to Igatpuri on the North East line and Pune on the South East line. On 5 January 1928 1500 V DC traction was introduced on the suburban section of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway between Colaba and Borivili, and between Madras Beach and Tambaram of the Madras and Southern Mahratta Railway on 11 May 1931, to meet growing traffic needs.[56] The 3000 V DC electrification of the Howrah-Burdwan section of the Eastern Railway was completed in 1958. The first 3000 V DC EMU service began on the Howrah-Sheoraphuli section on 14 December 1957.[56]

Research and trials in Europe, particularly on French Railways (SNCF), indicated that 25 kV AC was an economical electrification system. Indian Railways decided in 1957 to adopt 25 kV AC as its standard, with SNCF their consultant in the early stages. The first 25 kV AC section was Raj Kharswan–Dongoaposi on the South Eastern Railway in 1960. The first 25 kV AC EMUs, for Kolkata suburban service, began service in September 1962. For continuity, the Howrah–Burdwan section of the Eastern Railway and the Madras Beach–Tambaram section of the Southern Railway were converted to 25 kV AC by 1968. Because of limitations in the DC traction system, a decision was made to convert the electric traction system of the Mumbai suburban rail network of WR and CR from 1.5kV DC to 25 kV AC in 1996–97. The conversion from DC to AC traction was completed in 2012 by Western Railway, and in 2016 by Central Railway. Since then, the entire electrified mainline rail network in India uses 25 kV AC, and DC traction is used only for metros and trams.[56]

Railway electrification rate for leading and laggard states of India

Railway electrification trend and road map for India until FY 2022

Indian Railways announced on 31 March 2017 that the country's entire rail network would be electrified by 2022.[27][57]

Though not a nascent concept, the electrification in India now has been committed with a fresh investment of ₹35,000 crore (US$4.9 billion) to electrify the entire network and eliminate the cost of fuel under transportation which will amount to a massive savings of ₹10,500 crore (US$1.5 billion) overall. This will be a boon for savings for the Government to channelize the investments in modernization of the railway infrastructure.[58]

Close to 30 billion units of electricity will be required for railway electrification on an annual basis by 2022, leading to excellent opportunities for IPPs of conventional power.[57]

IR uses a range of signalling technologies and methods to manage its train operations based on traffic density and safety requirements.

As of March 2017, around 2,850 km (1,770 mi) of the route uses automatic block signalling for train operations – concentrated in high density routes, large cities and junctions.[59] Remaining routes are based on absolute block signalling with trains manually controlled by signal men from the signal boxes typically located at stations. Few low density routes still use manual block signalling methods with communication on track clearance based on physical exchange of tokens.[60] In a few sections, intermediate block signalling is provided to further enhance line capacity with minimal investment. As of March 2017, 501 block sections have intermediate block signals on IR.[59]

IR primarily uses coloured signal lights, which replaced semaphores and disc-based signalling (dependent on position or colour).[61] IR uses two-aspect, three-aspect and four (or multiple) aspect color signalling across its network.[62]

Signals at most stations are interlocked using panel interlocking, route-relay interlocking or electronic interlocking methods that eliminate scope for human signalling errors. IR uses track circuiting, and block proving axle counters for train detection.

As of March 2017, 5584 stations across IR (about 90% of stations on broad gauge) have interlocked stations and multi-aspect signalling. Around 99% of key routes (A, B, C and D) have track circuitry or block proving axle counters for automated train detection. Also, IR has about 51,000 route kilometers of optical fiber cable network across India, that is used for train control, voice and data communication. Around 2,500 km (1,600 mi) of the route is covered by GSM-R based Mobile Train Radio Communication.[59]

In December 2017, IR announced that it will implement ETCS Level 2 system for signalling and control on key routes with an investment of ₹12,000 crore (US$1.7 billion).[63] Currently IR uses Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) on the busy Ghaziabad – Kanpur route and real-time train monitoring systems on Mumbai and Kolkata suburban routes.[59]

Rail links between India and neighboring countries are not well developed.

Two trains operate to Pakistan: the Samjhauta Express between Delhi and Lahore and the Thar Express between Jodhpur and Karachi. However, as of August 2019, they have been cancelled due to the tension over Kashmir. Bangladesh is connected by the four times a week Maitree Express that runs from Kolkata to Dhaka and weekly Bandhan Express which began running commercial trips between Kolkata and Khulna in November 2017.[64][65]

Two rail links to Nepal exist: passenger service between Jainagar and Bijalpura and freight services between Raxaul and Birganj.

Indian and Bangladeshi governments has started work on a new rail link to ease surface transport.[66] India will build a 13 km (8.1 mi) railway linking Tripura's capital Agartala with Bangladesh's southeastern city of Akhaura, an important railway junction connected to Chittagong port, resource-rich Sylhet and Dhaka.[67] An agreement to implement the railway project was signed between the then Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina during the latter's visit to India in January 2010.[68] Total cost of the proposed project is estimated at ₹252 crore (US$35 million). The Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) is constructing the new railway tracks on both sides of the border. Of the 13 km (8.1 mi) rail line, 5 km (3.1 mi) of tracks fall in Indian territory.[69][70] The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) is laying the connecting tracks for the new rail link on the Indian side, up to Tripura's southern-most border town, Sabroom – 135 km (84 mi) south of Agartala. From Sabroom, the Chittagong international sea port is 72 km (45 mi) away.[71]

No rail link currently exist with Myanmar, but a railway line is to be built from Jiribam (in Manipur) to Tamu through Imphal and Moreh.[72] The construction of this missing link, as per the feasibility study conducted by the Ministry of External Affairs through RITES Ltd, is estimated to cost ₹29.41 billion (US$410 million).[73]

An 18 km (11 mi) railway link with Bhutan is being constructed from Hashimara in West Bengal to Toribari in Bhutan.

No rail link currently exist with either China or Sri Lanka.[74]

From December 2017, stations are categorised into the Non-Suburban Groups NSG1 to NSG6, the Suburban Groups SG1 to SG3, and the Halt Groups HG1 to HG3 based on the earnings, passenger footfall, and strategic importance.[75]

Before December 2017, stations were classified into A1, A, B, C, D, E, and F categories, based only on the passenger earnings from the sales of platform tickets, thus limiting the ability of IR to better focus its investments in passenger amenities.[75]

Interior of a first-class compartment on the Rajdhani Express

Interior of a three-tier compartment on the Dakshin Express

Interior of an air-conditioned chair-car coach on the Jan Shatabdi Express

Interior of a sleeper coach

IR has several classes of travel, with or without air-conditioning. A train may have one or several classes. Slow passenger trains have only unreserved seating, and the Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, Garib Rath Express, Double Decker Express, Tejas Express, Humsafar Express , Duronto Express , Yuva Express, and Vande Bharat Express have only air-conditioned classes. Fares for all classes differ, and unreserved seating is the least expensive. Fares for the Rajdhani, Duronto Shatabdi and Vande Bharat Express trains include food. In September 2016, IR introduced dynamic fares for the Rajdhani, Duronto and Shatabdi trains (except 1AC and EC classes) to increase revenue.[76] Long-distance trains usually include a pantry car, and food is served at the passengers' berth or seat. Luxury trains (such as Palace on Wheels) have separate dining cars, but these trains cost as much as—or more than—a five-star hotel room.[77]

A standard passenger rake has four unreserved (general) compartments, two at the front and two at the rear (one of which may be for women). The number of other coaches varies by demand and route. A luggage compartment may be at the front or the rear. On some mail trains, a separate mail coach is attached. Lavatories are communal, and Indian- and Western-style. The classes in operation are (although a train may not have all these classes):

At the rear of the train is the guard's cabin. It contains a transceiver, and is where the guard usually gives the all-clear signal before the train departs.

The Mumbai Rajdhani Express. The long-distance, high-speed Rajdhani Expresses connect state capitals and large cities with New Delhi.

Secunderabad-Yeshwanthpur Garib Rath Express, an economy air-conditioned train

Trains are sorted into categories which dictate the number of stops on a route, their priority on the network, and their fare structure. Each express train is identified by a five-digit number. If the first digit in the train number is 1 or 2, they are long-distance express trains. If the first digit is 0, the train is a special train which will operate for a limited period of time with a different fare structure. A first digit of 5 denotes a passenger train.

The second digit indicates the zone operating the train. However, for high-speed trains, the second digit is either 0 or 2 (the first remains 1 or 2).[84] The third digit denotes the division within the zone which is responsible for maintenance and cleanliness, and the last two digits are the train's serial number.[84] The train numbering system was changed from four digits from December 2010,[85] to accommodate the increasing number of trains.

Trains traveling in opposite directions along the same route are usually labelled with consecutive numbers.[84] However, there is considerable variation in train numbers; some zones, such as Central Railway, have a less-systematic method of numbering trains.[84]

Trains are classified by average speed.[86] A faster train has fewer stops (halts) than a slower one, and is usually used for long-distance travel. Most express trains have special names to identify them easily. The names of the trains usually denote the regions they connect, the routes they traverse, or a famous person or tourist spot connected with the train.[87][88]

Indian Railway operates tourist train or coach services on popular tourist circuits in different regions of the country. The service offers tour packages inclusive of rail travel, local transportation, accommodation, food and guided tours. IR offers various tourist services in this segment including Luxury tourist trains, Semi luxury trains, Buddhist special trains, Bharat Darshan trains, Aastha Circuit trains, and Steam trains.[91]

The Palace on Wheels is a luxury-train service, frequently hauled by a steam locomotive, to promote tourism in Rajasthan.[92] The train has a seven-night, eight-day itinerary on a round trip from New Delhi via Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur and Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra.

Royal Rajasthan on Wheels covers a number of tourist destinations in Rajasthan. The seven-day, eight-night tour is a round trip from New Delhi's Safdarjung station via Jodhpur, Udaipur and Chittaurgarh, Ranthambore National Park and Jaipur, Khajuraho, Varanasi and Sarnath, and Agra.[93]

Maharajas' Express, a luxury train operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), runs on five routes[94] to about 12 destinations across northwest and central India (centered around Rajasthan) from October to April.

The Deccan Odyssey covers tourist destinations in Maharashtra and Goa. Its seven-night, eight-day tour begins in Mumbai and stops at Jaigad Fort, Ganapatipule and Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Tarkarli and Sawantwadi, Goa, Kolhapur and Pune (Day 5), Aurangabad and Ellora Caves, and Ajanta Caves and Nashik.[95]

The Golden Chariot is a luxury train service running on two tours: Pride of the South[96] and Splendor of the South.[97]

The Mahaparinirvan Express, an air-conditioned service also known as the Buddhist Circuit Train, is run by the IRCTC for Buddhist pilgrims. Its seven-night, eight-day tour begins in New Delhi and visits Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda, Varanasi and Sarnath, Kushinagar and Lumbini, Sravasti, and the Taj Mahal.[98]

The Fairy Queen, a tourist attraction also known as the world's oldest operating steam engine, hauls a luxury train from Delhi to Alwar.

An Indian Railway ticket from Bangalore to Pune on Lokmanya Tilak Terminus - Coimbatore Express

Until the late 1980s, Indian Railways ticket reservations were made manually. In late 1987, IR began using a computerized ticketing system. The system went online in 1995 to provide current information on status and availability. The ticketing network at stations is computerized with the exception of remote areas. As of March 2017, close to 6000 stations are networked with reserved or unreserved ticketing systems across India.[91] IR now provides multiple channels for passengers to book tickets between any two train stations in the country.

Reserved tickets may be booked up to 120 days in advance on the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website, smartphone apps, SMS, rail reservation counters at train stations, or through private ticket booking counters. A Tatkal train ticket can be booked by passengers who want to travel at short notice with a reserved seat or berth, but such tickets are sold at higher fares than regular advance reservation tickets.[99]

Confirmed reservation tickets will show the passenger and fare details along with berth or seat number(s) allocated to them on the ticket. If the reservation is not available on a particular train, the ticket has a wait-list number. A person with a wait-listed ticket must wait for enough cancellations to obtain a confirmed ticket. If their ticket is not confirmed on the day of departure, they cannot board the train. Reservation against cancellation tickets, between the waiting and confirmed lists, allow a ticket holder to board the train and obtain a seat chosen by a ticket collector after the collector has found a vacant seat.[100][79]

Unreserved tickets for short distance or unplanned travels may be purchased at stations at any time before departure. Holders of such tickets may only board the general compartments. Suburban networks issue unreserved tickets valid for a limited time or season passes with unlimited travel between two stops for a period of time. Commuters can purchase tickets and season passes at stations or through UTS mobile apps.[101]

A valid proof for the purchase of ticket along with photo identification is required to board the train.

India has some of the lowest train fares in the world, and passenger traffic is subsidised by higher-class fares.[102] Discounted tickets are available for senior citizens (over age 60), the differently-abled, students, athletes, and those taking competitive examinations. One compartment of the lowest class of accommodation is earmarked for women on every passenger train. Some berths or seats are also reserved for women or senior citizens.[103]

In the freight segment, IR ferries various commodities and fuels in industrial, consumer, and agricultural segments across the length and breadth of India. IR has historically subsidised the passenger segment with income from the freight business. As a result, freight services are unable to compete with other modes of transport on both cost and speed of delivery, leading to continuous erosion of market share.[104] To counter this downward trend, IR has started new initiatives in freight segments including upgrading of existing goods sheds, attracting private capital to build multi-commodity multi-modal logistics terminals, changing container sizes, operating time-tabled freight trains, and tweaking with the freight pricing/product mix.[105] Also, end-to-end integrated transport solutions such as roll-on, roll-off (RORO) service, a road-rail system pioneered by Konkan Railway Corporation in 1999 to carry trucks on flatbed trailers,[106] is now being extended to other routes across India.

Perhaps the game changer for IR in the freight segment are the new dedicated freight corridors that are expected to be completed by 2020. When fully implemented, the new corridors, spanning around 3300 km, could support hauling of trains up to 1.5 km in length with 32.5 ton axle-load at speeds of 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Also, they will free-up capacity on dense passenger routes and will allow IR to run more trains at higher speeds. Additional corridors are being planned to augment the freight infrastructure in the country.

IR has two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Mumbai,[107] and the "Mountain Railways of India".[108] The latter are three rail lines in different parts of India: the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a 610 mm (2 ft) narrow-gauge railway in the Lesser Himalayas of West Bengal; the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) metre gauge rack railway in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu, and the Kalka-Shimla Railway, a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow-gauge railway in the Siwalik Hills of Himachal Pradesh.[108]

Infrastructure modernisation projects include high-speed rail, with the first Ahmedabad-Mumbai train in operation in 2022;[118][119][120] redevelopment of 400 stations by monetizing 2,700 acres (11 km²) of spare railway land under a ₹1,070,000 crore (US$150 billion) plan;[121] doubling tracks to reduce congestion and delays while improving safety (15,000 km of double track existed in 2016, and funding for 12,500 km more was approved that year);[122] the refurbishing of 12- to 15-year-old coaches at the Carriage Rehabilitation Workshop in Bhopal to enhance passenger amenities and fire safety;[123][124] Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled tracking of trains to improve safety and service;[125] Digital India-driven ₹3,500,000 million (equivalent to ₹4.0 trillion or US$55 billion in 2019) digitalisation of the railway to improve efficiency and reduce cost;[122] rainwater harvesting, with 1885 systems installed by December 2016;[126] and reforestation of railway land and along the tracks.[127]

All routes will be electrified to save on imported-fuel costs. 57.91 percent of the network was electrified as of November 2019, with full electrification planned by March 2021.[122] Off-the-grid solar-powered trains are planned with the installation of one gigawatt of solar and 130 megawatts of wind power between 2017 and 2022; India introduced the world's first solar-powered train and 50 coaches with rooftop solar farms in June 2017.[128][129][130] Initial assessments of this experiment has been positive.[131]Rooftop solar electricity is planned at stations to reduce long-term fuel costs and protect the environment,[132] and sustainable LED lighting at all stations is planned by March 2018 to cut electricity costs.[133] Locomotive factories have been modernised, including two new factories in Bihar: an electric locomotive factory in Madhepura and a diesel locomotive factory in Marhaura, and 2,285 bio-toilets were introduced from April to July 2014.[134][135][136] A ₹200 billion (US$2.8 billion) partnership with Alstom to supply 800 electric locomotives from 2018 to 2028 was announced.[117]

Safety projects include the elimination of an average of 1,217 unguarded level crossings per year by building an average of 1,066 overpasses and underpasses per year;[137][122] the extension of an automated fire alarm system, first introduced on Rajdhani Express trains in 2013, to all air-conditioned coaches;[138] and 6,095 GPS-enabled Fog Pilot Assistance System railway signalling devices (replacing the practice of placing firecrackers on tracks to alert train drivers) installed in 2017 in four zones: Northern, North Central, North Eastern and North Western; and replacing ICF coaches with LHB coaches.

In an unprecedented move, the railways had suspended the services of 13,523 trains for 21 days after the lockdown was announced by the PM on March 24.

Its freight trains however continued to run during this period.[139] This was the first time in its 167 year history the lifeline of the nation was stopped.