Indian Railways has made significant strides in upgrading its track infrastructure, with more than 78% of railway tracks now capable of supporting speeds of 110 km/h or higher, as per data shared by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Rajya Sabha.
The extensive upgrades carried out over the past decade include the use of 60 kg rails, wider concrete sleepers, longer rail panels, H-beam sleepers, and deployment of advanced track maintenance technologies. These measures have drastically improved the speed potential of Indian Railways.
In 2014, only 39.6% of tracks supported speeds of 110 km/h or more. By 2025, this has increased to 78.4%, with 56.6% of tracks now supporting speeds between 110 and 130 km/h and 21.6% allowing for 130 km/h and above. Conversely, the proportion of tracks with speed potential below 110 km/h has dropped from 60.4% to just 21.6%.
The minister also informed the House about the progress of Vande Bharat trains, which are semi-high-speed services designed for speeds up to 180 km/h and operating at a maximum of 160 km/h. The commissioning of the first prototype of the Vande Bharat Sleeper trainset is currently underway following successful field trials.
(DD News)
