Doubling, covering 35,966 km at an estimated cost of Rs. 6,75,000 crore (US$ 78.41 billion). Out of this, 12,769 km has been commissioned, with an expenditure of approximately Rs. 2,91,000 crore (US$ 33.65 billion) up to March 2025.
Indian Railways plans to invest Rs. 16,70,000 crore (US$ 193.98 billion) by 2031 to modernise 1,309 stations, expand freight corridors, develop high-speed rail projects, and electrify tracks, aiming to boost operational efficiency and reduce logistics costs.
India’s export of railways grew at and reached US$ 315 million in FY24 as compared to US$ 173 million in FY21.
Since 2016, Indian Railways has exported over 1,000 rail cars, 3,800 bogies, 4,000 flatpacks, and 5,000 propulsion systems to countries including Australia, Canada, Germany, Egypt, Sweden, Brazil, the UK, Saudi Arabia, France, Mexico, Romania, Spain, Italy, Mozambique, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the Republic of Guinea, reflecting rapid growth in global exports up to 2025.
The Marhowrah Diesel Locomotive Factory in Bihar will export 150 Evolution Series ES43ACmi locomotives to Guinea’s Simandou iron ore project under "Make in India," in a Rs. 3,000 crore (US$ 345.9 million) deal, boosting India’s global railway exports with advanced 4,500 HP locomotives and creating over 2,100 jobs nationwide.
Under the Union Budget 2026–27, Indian Railways has been allocated a record capital expenditure of Rs. 2,93,030 crore (US$ 32.56 billion), underscoring the government’s continued focus on modernising rail infrastructure, expanding network capacity, and strengthening freight and passenger connectivity.
The Union Budget 2026 proposed seven new high-speed rail corridors including Mumbai–Pune, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Chennai–Bengaluru, Delhi–Varanasi and Varanasi–Siliguri—to accelerate high-speed connectivity across major economic regions.
India is expanding its railway manufacturing footprint globally, exporting coaches, bogies, locomotives, and propulsion systems to more than 16 countries, supported by rising orders and successful deliveries from facilities such as the Marhowra plant.
The total number of passengers carried increased to 741 crore in 2025–26 from 716 crore in 2024–25.
164 Vande Bharat trains are operational as of December 2025.
Indian Railways will launch the first Vande Bharat Sleeper train in September 2025, offering speeds up to 180 kmph. With features like USB charging, modular pantries, enhanced safety, and showers in 1st AC coaches, it aims to redefine long-distance rail travel.
As of March 2025, Indian Railways operates more than 13,000 passenger trains, including 4,111 Mail and Express trains, 3,313 Passenger trains, and 5,774 Suburban trains.
In FY26 (Revised Estimates), freight revenue rose to Rs. 1.78 trillion (US$ 20.11 billion), accounting for 63.97% of Indian Railways’ total receipts, reaffirming freight as the primary revenue driver for the sector.
In February 2026, Indian Railways reported freight earnings of Rs. 145.72 billion (US$ 1.65 billion), with freight loading rising 3.96% YoY to 137.72 million tonnes, driven by strong growth in steel, iron ore and fertiliser traffic.
In FY26, Indian Railways carried a record 1,670 million tonnes (MT) of freight, registering a 3.25% increase over the previous year, reflecting sustained growth in rail-based logistics demand.
India’s freight wagon market is expected to nearly double by 2031, rising to about Rs. 25,000 crore to Rs. 30,000 crore (US$ 2.83 billion to US$ 3.40 billion), driven by exports, technology upgrades and large-scale procurement.
In FY26, passenger revenue increased to Rs. 800 billion (US$ 9.05 billion) from Rs. 755 billion (US$ 8.93 billion) in FY25, supported by higher ridership and improved earnings.
Passenger traffic increased to 7.41 billion in FY26 from 7.16 billion in FY25, reflecting sustained growth in rail-based mobility across the country.
In FY26, Indian Railways loaded a record 1,670 MT of freight, while freight earnings rose to Rs. 1.78 trillion (US$ 20.11 billion), driven by strong growth in fertilisers, steel, iron ore, and cement movement.
Indian Railways has boosted operational efficiency by modernising trains and stations, improving punctuality to 80% in FY26, deploying advanced Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, and Namo Bharat services, upgrading tracks and signaling, expanding bio-toilet coverage, and streamlining catering, all while maintaining affordable fares for over 720 crore passengers.
Indian Railways is developing and creating technology in areas such as signalling and telecommunication with 15,000 km being converted into automatic signalling and 37,000 km to be fitted with ‘KAVACH’, the domestically developed Train Collision Avoidance System.