Good News for Passengers: Indian Railways unveils upgraded coaches with modern toilets; Ashwini Vaishnaw reviews sample

To enhance the safety and comfort of passengers, the Indian Railway has come up with new coach designs and better toilet facilities. A sample coach has been prepared to showcase these improvements by upgrading an existing one. Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, visited and inspected the coach to review the changes.

Railway Ministry unveils nationwide plan to decongest 76 busy stations using technology and improved passenger flow systems

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A few days ago, the Railway Ministry had launched a nationwide plan to decongest 76 major stations using technology-based crowd control, redesigned passenger flow systems and strict entry protocols. Union Minister announced the move in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, which aims to tackle overcrowding at some of the busiest stations in the country and also improve safety, efficiency and passenger experience.

• Dedicated Holding Areas for Passengers: The Railways is planning to create waiting areas outside platforms to handle the rush more smoothly. Passengers will be able to sit there and access basic facilities like water, toilets and train updates instead of crowding the platforms too early.
• Strict Entry Based on Ticket Status: Platform access is likely to be tighter going forward. Those with confirmed tickets will be allowed in directly, while others, including waitlisted passengers, may have to stay back in the holding areas until their journey is confirmed.
• Use of AI and Enhanced Security Systems: Stations are also set to get more tech-driven monitoring. AI-based CCTV cameras, along with scanners and metal detectors, will be used to keep an eye on crowd levels and improve overall security.
• Infrastructure and Management Upgrades: Along with this, the Railways is working on wider foot-over bridges to ease movement. Control rooms at stations and more decision-making power for station heads are also part of the plan to deal with heavy crowds and emergencies more effectively.

Railways sanctions Rs 398 crore optical fibre project to strengthen communication network across key divisions

On a separate note, the Indian Railways has also sanctioned an important project for strengthening its communication infrastructure in Western Railway with the approval of the provision of 4x48 Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) Backbone in Ahmedabad and Ratlam Divisions at a total cost of Rs. 398.36 crore.

The project has been approved under the umbrella work titled "Provision of Kavach with communication backbone of Long Term Evolution (LTE) on balance routes of Indian Railways (Umbrella Work 2024-25)", which has an overall sanctioned cost of Rs. 27,693 crore under Works Programme 2024-25 (PH-33). A sub-umbrella work for Western Railway has also been approved at a cost of Rs. 2,800 crore, under which this project has been taken up.

As part of the approved work, 2x48 fibre OFC cables will be provided over 1929 Route Kilometres (RKm) across Western Railway. This includes:1456 RKm in Ahmedabad Division and 473 RKm in Ratlam Division.

Indian Railways records strong growth in FY26 with gains in freight, passenger services and infrastructure development

Indian Railways has recorded a year of strong and well-rounded progress in FY 2025-26, achieving significant milestones across freight operations, passenger services, infrastructure development, safety systems, digital initiatives, and advancing self-reliance in technology and manufacturing.

Union Minister Vaishnaw took to X to underscore the transformative progress of Indian Railways in FY 2025-26. He highlighted record freight and passenger performance, the introduction and expansion of Vande Bharat services, including the new Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, historic improvements in safety through reduced accidents and enhanced systems, and strengthened station and terminal infrastructure, all of which have enriched connectivity and improved the passenger experience nationwide.

With ANI Inputs