Lok Sabha Question No. 1639 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Operational Speed of Vande Bharat Trains
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri  Radhakrishna

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1639 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## OPERATIONAL SPEED OF VANDE BHARAT TRAINS

## 1639.     SHRI RADHAKRISHNA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the operational speed of Vande Bharat trains is currently lower  than  their  designed  speed  due  to  limitations  in  track  conditions along various routes;
- (b) if so, the details of the routes where Vande Bharat trains are unable to operate at their full potential speed;
- (c) the status of ongoing/proposed track upgradation, signalling improvements, and related infrastructure works required to enable higher operational speeds for Vande Bharat trains; and
- (d) the details of the timelines for completing such upgradation works and achieving higher permissible speeds on major corridors?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (d)  Upgradation  and  improvement  of  railway  tracks  on  Indian Railways to increase the speed potential have been carried out in a big way  during  last  11  years.  Improvement  of  track  infrastructure  is  a continuous and ongoing process over Indian Railways. The following

measures are being taken by Indian Railways to upgrade railway tracks:

- i. Modern  track  structure  consisting  of  60kg,  90  Ultimate  Tensile Strength (UTS) rails, Wider and heavier Pre-stressed Concrete Sleepers (PSC) with elastic  fastening,  fan-shaped  layout  turnout  on PSC sleepers  and  Steel  Channel/H-beam  Sleepers  on  girder  bridges are being used while carrying out primary track renewals.
- ii. The Thick Web Switches and Weldable CMS Crossings are being used
3. in turnout renewal works.
- iii. Supply of 130m/260m long rail panels have been increased to avoid welding of joints, thereby improving safety.
5. Thick Web Switch Expansion Joints are being used in place of earlier
- iv. Conventional/Improved SEJs.
- v. Adoption  of  better  welding  technology  for  rails  i.e.  Flash  Butt Welding.
8. Adoption  of  mechanized  system  for  track  maintenance  using  high output  plain  tampers  and  points  &  crossing  tampers  for  improved
- vi. maintainability & reliability of track.
- vii. Deployment of state-of-the-art modern machines including Rail Grinding Machines to further improve asset reliability.
- viii. Mechanisation of track laying activities through use of track machines like PQRS, TRT, T-28 etc.
- ix. Interlocking of Level Crossing (LC) Gates for enhancing safety at LC gates.
- x. Use of advanced USFD testing technique of rail and welds by Phased Array technology.
- xi. Deployment  of  Integrated  Track  Monitoring  Systems  (ITMS)  and Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) for comprehensive health assessment to ascertain optimal maintenance requirements.

- xii. Adoption of portable Track Measuring Trolley for continuous recording of track parameters in yards.
- xiii. Using web enabled Track Management System (TMS) for integration and data analytics of the track inspection records received through
3. various sources to enable precise maintenance inputs.
- xiv. Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation of points and signals in place of old mechanical signalling have been provided at 6656 stations as on 31.10.2025.
- xv. Interlocking of Level Crossing Gates (LC) has been provided at 10098 Level  Crossing  Gates  upto  31.10.2025  for  enhancing  safety  at  LC Gate.
- xvi. Axle counters for automatic clearance of Block Section, BPAC (Block Proving Axle Counter) are provided to ensure complete arrival of train without manual intervention before granting line clear to receive next train  and  to  reduce  human  element.  These  systems  have  been provided on 6142 Block Sections up to 31.10.2025.
- xvii. Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) that enhances line capacity within existing  track  infrastructure  has  been  provided  at  6341  Route  km upto 31.10.2025.
- xviii. Kavach  is  a  highly  technology  intensive  system,  which  requires safety  certification  of  highest  order.  Kavach  was  adopted  as  a National ATP system in July 2020. Kavach is provided progressively in phased manner. Kavach has already been deployed on 1,465 RKm on South Central Railway. Presently, the work is in progress on DelhiMumbai  and  Delhi-Howrah  corridors  (approximately  3,000  RKm). Kavach has been successfully commissioned over 633 Route Km of Palwal  -  Mathura  -  Nagda  section  (Delhi  -  Mumbai  route)  and  105 Route Km of Howrah - Bardhaman section (Delhi - Howrah route).

As  a  result  of  above  measures,  there  has  been  significant  increase  in speed potential of the tracks. The  details of speed potential of railway tracks during 2014 vis-a-vis 2025 are as under:

| Sectional Speed   | 2014     | 2014   | 2025 (up to Nov'25)   | 2025 (up to Nov'25)   |
|-------------------|----------|--------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| (kmph)            | Track Km | %      | Track Km              | %                     |
| 130 & above       | 5,036    | 6.3    | 23,010                | 21.8                  |
| 110 - 130         | 26,409   | 33.3   | 60,726                | 57.5                  |
| < 110             | 47,897   | 60.4   | 21,936                | 20.8                  |
| Total             | 79,342   | 100    | 1,05,672              | 100                   |

On Indian Railways(IR), the average speed of the train services, including Vande  Bharat services, is dependent inter alia  on  the  Maximum Permissible Speed (MPS) of the section, track structure, geometry along the  route  including    gradients  and  curves,  topographical  conditions, number  of  stoppages  enroute,  line  capacity  utilisation  of  sections, maintenance  works  in  the  section  etc.  Accordingly,  the  Vande  Bharat train services have been charted at the Maximum Permissible Speed of the respective sections over which the trains are being operated.

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