Lok Sabha Question No. 1741 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Restructuring of Fare Policy
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Shyamkumar Daulat Barve

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1741 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## RESTRUCTURING OF FARE POLICY

1741. SHRI SHYAMKUMAR DAULAT BARVE:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government acknowledges that the current operational model of Railways continues to face challenges related to financial sustainability due to the cross-subsidisation of passenger fares through freight revenue, resulting in freight logistics  becoming  less  competitive  compared  to  road  transport and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the Government  proposes  to  restructure the fare through a rationalised tariff policy aimed at balancing affordability, commercial viability and multimodal competitiveness and if so, the
- details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  Government  plans  to  implement  a  United  Train Control and Traffic  Management System based on ETCS-Level-2/3, ATO, or satellite-based signalling under Kavach in order to improve network  capacity,  real-time  safety  and  punctuality  and  if  so,  the details thereof; and
- (d) whether  a  long-term  transition  roadmap  has  been  prepared  to shift  toward  a  Net-Zero  Carbon  Framework  through  expanded electrification,  green  hydrogen-based  propulsion,  energy  storage systems, renewable grid integration and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) & (b):Indian Railways strives to provide affordable transportation services  for  both  passengers  and  goods.  Evaluation  of  various

alternatives for rationalization of passenger fare and freight tariff is a continuous and ongoing process.

To  keep  the  freight  rate  competitive,  the  freight  rates  have  not been  revised  since  2018  despite  increase  in  input  cost  over  the years.

Passenger fares have been rationalized w.e.f. 01 st July 2025 after a gap of more than 5 years. The increase in fares is very low, ranging from half paise per km to two paise per km for premium classes.

The details of the fare revision are as follows:

- i) No increase in general class up to 500 km and thereafter half paisa increase in fare per passenger per kilometer.
2. ii) Half paisa increase in fare per passenger per kilometer in Sleeper Class Ordinary and First-Class Ordinary.
3. iii) 01  paisa  increase  per  passenger  per  kilometer  in  Non-AC classes in Mail Express.
4. iv) 02 paisa increase per passenger per kilometer in reserved AC- Classes.

To  maintain  affordability  for  low  and  middle  income  families,  the fares for MST (Monthly Season Ticket) and Suburban travel have not been revised.

During FY 2024-25, the earning of Indian Railways was ₹2,65,678 cr and  revenue  expenditure  was  ₹2,63,018  cr.  Major  expenditure  is done on Staff cost, Pension, energy consumption etc.

- (c) Indian Railways have taken several measures during the last eleven years to improve asset reliability, safety and  punctuality of trains.

As a consequence of various asset reliability and safety measures taken over the years, there has been a steep decline in the number

of  accidents.  Consequential  Train  Accidents  have  reduced  from 135 in 2014-15 to 31 in 2024-25 as shown in the graph below.

It may be noted that the Consequential Train Accidents during the period  2004-14  was  1711  (average  171  per  annum),  which  has declined  to  31  in  2024-25  and  further  to  11  in  2025-26  (upto November 2025).

Another important index showing improved safety in train operations  is  Accidents  Per  Million  Train  Kilometer  (APMTKM) which  has  reduced  from  0.11  in  2014-15  to  0.03  in  2024-25, indicating an improvement of approx. 73% during the said period.

The  number  of  consequential  train  accidents  during  the  last  ten years is depicted in the graph below:-

<!-- image -->

The  various  safety  measures  taken  to  enhance  safety  in  train operations are as under:-

1. On Indian Railways, the expenditure on Safety related activities has increased over the years as under:-

| Expenditure on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   |
|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| 2013-14                                                 | 2022-23                                                 | 2023-24                                                 | 2024-25                                                 | 2025-26                                                 |
| (Act.)                                                  | (Act.)                                                  | (Act.)                                                  |                                                         |                                                         |
| 39,463                                                  | 87,327                                                  | 1,01,651                                                | 1,14,022                                                | 1,16,470                                                |

2. Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation  of  points  and  signals  have  been  provided  at  6,656 stations  up  to  31.10.2025  to  reduce  accident  due  to  human failure.
3. Interlocking of Level Crossing (LC) Gates has been provided at 10,098  Level  Crossing  Gates  up  to  31.10.2025  for  enhancing safety at LC Gates.
4. Complete  Track  Circuiting  of  stations  to  enhance  safety  by verification  of  track  occupancy  by  electrical  means  has  been provided at 6,661 stations up to 31.10.2025.
5. 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.  Initially,  Kavach  Version  3.2 was  deployed  on  1465  RKm  of  South  Central  Railway  and  80 RKm of North Central Railway. Kavach specification Version 4.0 was approved by RDSO on 16.07.2024.

After  extensive  and  elaborate  trials,  Kavach  Version  4.0  has been successfully commissioned on Palwal-Mathura-Kota-Nagda section  (633  Rkm)  on  Delhi-Mumbai  route  and  on  HowrahBardhaman  section  (105  RKm)  on  Delhi-Howrah  route.  Kavach implementation has been taken up in balance sections of DelhiMumbai and Delhi-Howrah route.

Further,  Kavach  implementation  has  been  taken  up  on  15,512 RKm covering all GQ, GD, HDN and identified sections of Indian

Railways.

6. Detailed instructions on issues related with safety of Signalling, e.g. mandatory correspondence check, alteration work protocol, preparation of completion drawing, etc. have been issued.
7. System of disconnection and reconnection for S&T equipment as per protocol has been re-emphasized.
8. All  locomotives  are  equipped  with  Vigilance  Control  Devices (VCD) to improve alertness of Loco Pilots.
4. Retro-reflective sigma boards are provided on the mast which is located  two  OHE  masts  prior  to  the  signals  in  electrified territories  to  alert  the  crew  about  the  signal  ahead  when
9. visibility is low due to foggy weather.
10. A GPS based Fog Safety Device (FSD) is provided to loco pilots in fog  affected  areas  which  enables  loco  pilots  to  know  the distance of the approaching landmarks like signals, level crossing gates, etc.
11. Modern track structure consisting of 60kg, 90 Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) rails, Prestressed Concrete Sleeper (PSC) Normal/Wide  base  sleepers  with  elastic  fastening,  fan  shaped layout turnout on PSC sleepers, Steel Channel/H-beam Sleepers on  girder  bridges  is  used  while  carrying  out  primary  track renewals.
12. Mechanisation  of  track  laying  activity  through  use  of  track machines like PQRS, TRT, T-28 etc. to reduce human errors.
13. Maximizing supply of 130m/260m long rail panels for increasing progress of rail renewal and avoiding welding of joints, thereby improving safety.

14. Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD) testing of rails to detect flaws and timely removal of defective rails.
15. Laying  of  longer  rails,  minimizing  the  use  of  Alumino  Thermic Welding and adoption of better welding technology for rails i.e., Flash Butt Welding.
16. Monitoring  of  track  geometry  by  OMS  (Oscillation  Monitoring System) and TRC (Track Recording Cars).
17. Patrolling of railway tracks to look out for weld/rail fractures.
18. The use of Thick Web Switches and Weldable CMS Crossing in
6. turnout renewal works.
19. Inspections  at  regular  intervals  are  carried  out  to  monitor  and educate staff for observance of safe practices.
20. Web based online monitoring system of track assets viz. Track database  and  decision  support  system  has  been  adopted  to decide rationalized maintenance requirement and optimize inputs.
21. Detailed instructions on issues related with safety of Track, e.g. integrated block, corridor block, worksite safety,  monsoon precautions, etc. have been issued.
22. Preventive maintenance of railway assets (Coaches & Wagons)
11. is undertaken to ensure safe train operations.
23. Replacement  of  conventional  ICF  design  coaches  with  LHB design coaches is being done.
24. All  unmanned  level  crossings  (UMLCs)  on  Broad  Gauge  (BG) route have been eliminated by January 2019.
25. Safety of Railway Bridges is ensured through regular inspection of Bridges. The requirement of repair/rehabilitation of Bridges is taken  up  based  upon  the  conditions  assessed  during  these inspections.

26. Indian Railways  has  displayed  Statutory  'Fire Notices'  for widespread  passenger  information  in  all  coaches.  Fire  posters are provided in every coach  so  as to educate  and  alert passengers  regarding  various  Do's  and  Don'ts  to  prevent  fire. These include messages regarding not carrying any inflammable material, explosives, prohibition of smoking inside the coaches, penalties etc.
27. Production  Units  are  providing  Fire  detection  and  suppression system in newly manufactured Power Cars and Pantry Cars, Fire and  Smoke  detection  system  in  newly  manufactured  coaches. Progressive  fitment  of  the  same  in  existing  coaches  is  also underway by Zonal Railways in a phased manner.
28. Regular counselling and training of staff is undertaken.
4. 29.
5. Concept  of  Rolling  Block  introduced  in  Indian  Railways  (Open Lines) General Rules vide Gazette notification dated 30.11.2023, wherein  work  of  integrated  maintenance/repair/replacement  of assets is planned up to 52 weeks in advance on rolling basis and executed as per plan.

Further,  Automatic  Block  Signalling  (ABS)  that  enhances  line capacity within existing track infrastructure has been provided at

6341 Route km upto 31.10.2025.

## Implementation of Kavach

1. Kavach is an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system. Kavach is a highly technology intensive system, which requires safety certification of highest order (SIL-4).
2. Kavach aids the Loco Pilot in running of trains within specified speed  limits  by  automatic  application  of  brakes  in  case  Loco Pilot fails to do so and also helps the trains to run safely during
2. inclement weather.

3. The  first  field  trials  on  the  passenger  trains  were  started  in February 2016. Based on the experience gained and Independent Safety Assessment of the system by Independent Safety Assessor (ISA), three firms were approved in 2018-19, for supply of Kavach Version 3.2.
4. Kavach was adopted as National ATP system in July 2020.
5. Implementation of Kavach System involves following Key Activities:
- a. Installation  of  Station  Kavach  at  each  and  every  station, block section.
5. b.
6. Installation of RFID Tags throughout the track length.
7. c.
8. d.
9. Installation of telecom Towers throughout the section.
10. Laying of Optical Fibre Cable along the track.
- e. Provision  of  Loco  Kavach  on  each  and  every  Locomotive running on Indian Railways.
6. Based  on  deployment  of  Kavach  version  3.2  on  1465  RKm  on South Central Railway and experience gained, further improvements were made. Finally, Kavach specification version 4.0 was approved by RDSO on 16.07.2024.
7. Kavach version 4.0 covers all the major features required for the diverse railway network. This is a significant milestone in safety for  Indian  Railways.  Within  a  short  period,  IR  has  developed, tested and started deploying Automatic Train Protection System.
8. Major  improvement  in  Version  4.0  includes  increased  Location Accuracy,  Improved  Information  of  Signal  Aspects  in  bigger yards,  Station  to  Station  Kavach  interface  on  OFC  and  Direct Interface to existing Electronic Interlocking System. With these

- improvements,  Kavach  Version  4.0.  is  planned  for  large  scale deployment over Indian Railways.
9. After  extensive  and  elaborate  trials,  Kavach  Version  4.0  has been  successfully  commissioned  on  738  Route  km  on  PalwalMathura-Nagda  section  (633  Rkm)  on  Delhi-Mumbai  route  and Howrah-Bardhaman  section  (105  Rkm)  Delhi-  Howrah  route. Kavach implementation has been taken up in balance sections of Delhi-Mumbai & Delhi-Howrah corridors.
10. Progress of key items of Kavach on High density routes including Delhi-Mumbai & Delhi-Howrah corridors are as under:
11. Further, track side Kavach implementation work has been taken up  on  15,512  RKm  covering  all  GQ,  GD,  HDN  and  identified sections of Indian Railways.
12. Bids have been invited for equipping another 9,069 locomotives with Kavach version 4.0. Kavach is being provided progressively in a phased manner in locomotives.
13. Specialized training programmes on Kavach are being conducted at  centralized  training  institutes  of  Indian  Railways  to  impart training  to  all  concerned  officials.  By  now  more  than  40,000 technicians,  operators  and  engineers  have  been  trained  on Kavach technology. This includes 30,000 Loco Pilots & Assistant

| SN   | Item                                 | Progress   |
|------|--------------------------------------|------------|
| i    | Laying of Optical Fibre Cable        | 7,129 Km   |
| ii   | Installation of Telecom Towers       | 860 nos    |
| iii  | Provision of Kavach at Stations      | 549 nos    |
| iv   | Installation of Track side equipment | 2,674 RKm  |
| v    | Provision of Kavach on Locos         | 4,154      |

Loco Pilots.  Courses  have  been  designed  in  collaboration  with IRISET.

## Network expansion

To  increase  the  capacity,  network  expansion  works  such  as doubling/multitracking  of  existing  lines,  Gauge  conversion  etc. have been taken up in a big way.

The  details  of  commissioning/laying  of  new  track  across  Indian Railways is given below: -

| Period   | New track Commissioned   | Average commissioning of new tracks   |
|----------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 2009-14  | 7,599 Km                 | 4.2 Km/day                            |
| 2014-25  | 34,428 Km                | 8.57 Km/day (more than 2 times)       |

Further, as on 01.04.2025, on Indian Railways, 431 Railway infrastructure  projects  (154  New  Line,  33  Gauge  Conversion  and 244 Doubling) of total length 35,966 Km, costing approx. ₹ 6.75 lakh crore are sanctioned. The summary is as under: -

| Category                 |   No of Projects | Total Length NL/GC/DL (km)   | Length Commissioned till Mar'25 (km)   | Total Exp. upto Mar'25 (₹ in Cr)   |
|--------------------------|------------------|------------------------------|----------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| New Lines                |              154 | 16,142                       | 3,036                                  | 1,45,318                           |
| Gauge Conversion         |               33 | 4,180                        | 2,997                                  | 22,753                             |
| Doubling / Multitracking |              244 | 15,644                       | 6,736                                  | 1,22,858                           |
| Total                    |              431 | 35,966                       | 12,769                                 | 2,90,929                           |

To improve the punctuality of trains, several steps have been taken by  Indian  Railways.  These  include  rigorous  monitoring  of  running

passenger  carrying  trains  at  divisional,  zonal  and  Railway  Board levels,  introduction  of  rolling  block  system  for  maintenance  of assets to increase their reliability, removal of infrastructure bottlenecks in a planned manner and rationalization of Time Table in a scientific manner.

Further, to ensure real time and realistic reporting of arrival/departure of passenger trains, data loggers are being used.

The  sustained  focus  on  improvement  has  helped  in  achieving punctuality about 80% during current year.

(d)  Indian  Railways  has  envisioned  to  become  net  zero  emitter through  offsetting  carbon  emissions  with  the  usage  of  power through non-fossil sources, saving in diesel consumption by electrification of railway tracks, consistent efforts directed towards modal shifting of cargo and passenger from road to rail, etc.

As  of  November  2025,  about  898  Mega  Watt  (MW)  of  solar  plants (both  on  rooftops  and  on  land)  and  about  103  MW  of  wind  power plants  have  been  commissioned.  Further,  100  MW  of  renewable power under Round the Clock (RTC) mode tied up from Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has also started flowing.

In  addition  to  this,  1500  MW  renewable  capacity under RTC mode has been tied up. This is hybrid solution consisting  of solar, wind and storage component.

Further, electrification of Railway network on Indian Railways has been taken up in mission mode. So far, about 99.1% of Broad Gauge (BG) network has been electrified. The electrification in remaining network has been taken up. Electrification carried out during 201425 and before 2014 is as under:

| Period                       | Route Kilometer   |
|------------------------------|-------------------|
| Before 2014 (about 60 years) | 21,801            |
| 2014-25                      | 46,900            |

Indian Railways has taken up a state-of-the-art project for running of  its  first  hydrogen  train,  on  pilot  basis,  as  per  specifications framed by the Research Designs & Standards Organization (RDSO) to  demonstrate  the  use  of  hydrogen  powered  train  technology  in Railways. The project established the commitment  of Indian Railways  towards  advancements  in  alternative  energy-powered train  travel  thereby  ensuring  a  cleaner  and  greener  future  for  the country's transportation sector.

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