Lok Sabha Question No. 4172 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: Upgradation of Passenger Safety Measures
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4172

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026

## UPGRADATION OF PASSENGER SAFETY MEASURES

## 4172. SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  modernisation  initiative  has  been  planned  to  upgrade passenger safety measures  in the country particularly signalling systems and station infrastructure and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is enhancing the capacity of dedicated freight corridors to meet growing industry demand and reduce congestion on passenger routes and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether new express/semi-high-speed trains introduced/being introduced  on  high-demand  routes  to  improve  connectivity  and  travel efficiency and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

## ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c): Safety is accorded the highest priority on Indian Railways. As a consequence of various safety measures taken over the years, there has been a steep decline in the number of accidents.

Number  of  Consequential  Train  Accidents  has  reduced  as  shown  in  the table below:-

| Year                      | Consequential Accidents   |
|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| 2014-15                   | 135                       |
| 2025-26 (upto 28.02.2026) | 14 (90% lesser)           |

Another important index showing improvement in safety in train operations is Consequential Accident Index, the details of which are as under:-

## Consequential Accident Index:-

| Year    | Accident Index    |
|---------|-------------------|
| 2014-15 | 0.11              |
| 2024-25 | 0.03 (73% lesser) |

This index measures number of consequential accidents as a ratio of total running kilometers of all trains.

Accident Index   =

No. of consequential accidents

No. of trains X million kilometers run

<!-- image -->

2025-26

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:-
2. Electrical/Electronic Interlocking Systems with centralized operation of points and signals have been provided at 6,665 stations up to 28.02.2026 to reduce accidents due to human failure.
3. Interlocking  of  Level  Crossing  (LC)  Gates  has  been  provided  at  10,153 Level Crossing Gates up to 28.02.2026 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  6,669 stations up to 28.02.2026.
5. 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.
6. System  of  disconnection  and  reconnection  for  S&T  equipment  as  per protocol has been re-emphasized.
7. All  locomotives  are  equipped  with  Vigilance  Control  Devices  (VCD)  to improve alertness of Loco Pilots.
8. 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 visibility is low due to foggy weather.
9. 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.
10. 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
11. sleepers, Steel Channel/H-beam Sleepers on girder bridges is used while
12. carrying out primary track renewals.
11. Mechanisation  of  track  laying  activity  through  use  of  track  machines like PQRS, TRT, T-28 etc. to reduce human errors.
12. Maximizing supply of 130m/260m  long rail panels for increasing progress of rail renewal  and  avoiding welding of joints, thereby improving safety.
13. Ultrasonic  Flaw  Detection  (USFD)  testing  of  rails  to  detect  flaws  and timely removal of defective rails.
14. Laying of longer rails, minimizing the use of Alumino Thermic Welding and  adoption  of  better  welding  technology  for  rails  i.e.,  Flash  Butt Welding.
15. Monitoring  of  track  geometry  by  OMS  (Oscillation  Monitoring  System) and TRC (Track Recording Cars).
16. Patrolling of railway tracks to look out for weld/rail fractures.
17. The use of Thick Web Switches and Weldable CMS Crossing in turnout renewal works.
18. Inspections at regular intervals are carried out to monitor and educate staff for observance of safe practices.
19. 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.
20. Detailed  instructions  on  issues  related  with  safety  of  Track,  e.g. integrated block, corridor block, worksite safety, monsoon precautions, etc. have been issued.
21. Preventive  maintenance  of  railway  assets  (Coaches  &  Wagons)  is undertaken to ensure safe train operations.
22. Replacement  of  conventional  ICF  design  coaches  with  LHB  design coaches is being done.
23. All unmanned level crossings (UMLCs) on Broad Gauge (BG) route have been eliminated by January 2019.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. Regular counselling and training of staff is undertaken.
28. 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.

| Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   | Expenditure/Budget on Safety related activities (Rs. in Cr.)   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2013-14                                                        | 2022-23                                                        | 2023-24                                                        | 2024-25                                                        | 2025-26                                                        | 2026-27                                                        |
| 39,200                                                         | 87,336                                                         | 1,01,662                                                       | 1,14,022                                                       | 1,17,693                                                       | 1,20,389                                                       |

The details of the Safety related works related to better maintenance practices,  Technological  improvements,  better  infrastructure  and  rolling stock etc. undertaken by Railways are tabulated below:-

| S.N.   | Item                                   | 2004-05 to 2013-14         | 2014-15 to 2024- 25   | 2014-25 Vs. 2004-14   |
|--------|----------------------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
|        | Technological Improvements             | Technological Improvements |                       |                       |
| 1.     | Use of high-quality rails (60 Kg) (Km) | 57,450 Km                  | 1.43 Lakh Km          | More than 2 times     |

| 2.                                      | Longer Rail Panels (260m) (Km)                            | 9,917 Km                                | 77,522 Km                                       | Nearly 8 times                          |
|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| 3.                                      | Electronic Interlocking (Stations)                        | 837 Stations                            | 3,691 Stations                                  | More than 4 times                       |
| 4.                                      | Fog Pass Safety Devices (Nos.)                            | As on 31.03.14: 90 Nos.                 | As on 31.03.25: 25,939 Nos.                     | 288 times                               |
| 5.                                      | Thick Web Switches (Nos.)                                 | Nil                                     | 28,301 Nos.                                     |                                         |
| Better Maintenance Practices            | Better Maintenance Practices                              | Better Maintenance Practices            | Better Maintenance Practices                    | Better Maintenance Practices            |
| 1.                                      | Primary Rail Renewal (Track Km)                           | 32,260 Km                               | 49,941 Km                                       | 1.5 times                               |
| 2.                                      | USFD (Ultra Sonic Flaw detection) Testing of Welds (Nos.) | 79.43 Lakh                              | 2 Crore                                         | More than 2 times                       |
| 3.                                      | Weld failures (Nos.)                                      | In 2013-14: 3699 Nos.                   | In 2024-25: 370 Nos.                            | 90 % reduction                          |
| 4.                                      | Rail fractures (Nos.)                                     | In 2013-14: 2548 Nos.                   | In 2024-25: 289 Nos.                            | More than 88% reduction                 |
| Better Infrastructure and Rolling stock | Better Infrastructure and Rolling stock                   | Better Infrastructure and Rolling stock | Better Infrastructure and Rolling stock         | Better Infrastructure and Rolling stock |
| 1.                                      | New Track KM added (Track Km)                             | 14,985 Km                               | 34,428 Km                                       | More than 2 times                       |
| 2.                                      | Flyovers (RoBs)/Underpasses (RUBs) (Nos.)                 | 4,148 Nos.                              | 13,808 Nos.                                     | More than 3 times                       |
| 3.                                      | Unmanned Level crossings (Nos.) on BG                     | As on 31.03.14: 8,948                   | As on 31.03.24:Nil (All eliminated by 31.01.19) | Removed                                 |
| 4.                                      | Manufacture of LHB Coaches (Nos.)                         | 2,337 Nos.                              | 42,677                                          | More than 18 times                      |

## 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 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 Ver 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.
- b. Installation of RFID Tags throughout the track length.
- c. Installation of telecom Towers throughout the section.
9. d.
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  Ver.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 1452 Route Kilometres, covering the high density Delhi- Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah routes as below:
10. Further,  track  side  Kavach  implementation work has been  taken up on 24,427 RKM covering all GQ,GD,HDN and identified sections of Indian Railways.
11. Progress  of  key  items  of  Kavach  on  High  density  routes  including Delhi- Mumbai & Delhi- Howrah corridors as on 14.03.2026 are as under:
12. The  sections  mentioned  above  also  includes  sections  which  pass through states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh.
13. In addition, work for installation of Kavach in 8979 Locomotives and 1200 EMU/MEMU has been taken up.
14. 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 55,000 technicians, operators and engineers have been trained on Kavach technology. This includes about 47,500 Loco Pilots & Assistant Loco Pilots. Courses have been designed in collaboration with IRISET.
15. The cost for  provision  of  Track  Side  including  Station  equipment  of Kavach  is  approximately  Rs.  50  Lakhs/Km  and  cost  for  provision  of Kavach equipment on locomotives is approximately Rs. 80 Lakh/Loco.
16. The funds utilized on Kavach works so far up to Feb'26 is Rs. 2,763.90 Crores.  The  allocation  of  funds  during  the  year  2025-26  is  Rs.  1673.19 Crores. Requisite funds are made available as per the progress of works.

| SN   | Section                                           | Progress (Route Km)   |
|------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
| (1)  | Delhi-Mumbai route:                               | Delhi-Mumbai route:   |
| i    | Junction cabin - Palwal - Mathura - Nagda section | 667                   |
| ii   | Vadodara - Ahmedabad section                      | 96                    |
| iii  | Vadodara - Virar section                          | 336                   |
| (2)  | Delhi - Howrah route:                             | Delhi - Howrah route: |
| i    | Gaya Sarmatanr section                            | 93                    |
| ii   | Chota Ambana - Bardhaman - Howrah section         | 260                   |

| SN   | Item                                 | Progress    |
|------|--------------------------------------|-------------|
| i    | Laying of Optical Fibre Cable        | 8570 Km     |
| ii   | Installation of Telecom Towers       | 1100 nos    |
| iii  | Station Data Centre                  | 767 station |
| iv   | Installation of Track side equipment | 6776 RKm    |
| v    | Provision of Kavach in Loco          | 4211 nos    |

## Amrit Bharat Station Scheme:

Ministry of Railways has launched Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for redevelopment of stations with a long-term approach.

The scheme involves preparation of master plans and their implementation  in  phases  to  improve  the  stations.  The  master planning includes:

-  Improvement of access to station and circulating areas
- 
- Integration of station with both sides of city
-  Improvement of station building
-  Improvement of waiting halls,  toilets,  sitting  arrangement,  water booths
-  Provision  of  wider  foot  over  bridge/air  concourse  commensurate with passenger traffic
-  Provision of lift/escalators/ramp
-  Improvement /Provision of platform surface and cover over platforms
-  Provision  of  kiosks  for  local  products  through  schemes  like  'One Station One Product'
-  Parking areas, Multimodal integration
-  Amenities for Divyangjans
-  Better passenger information systems
-  Provision  of  executive  lounges,  nominated  spaces  for  business meetings, landscaping, etc. keeping in view the necessity at each station.

The  scheme  also  envisages  sustainable  and  environment  friendly solutions,  provision  of  ballastless  tracks  etc.  as  per  necessity, phasing and feasibility  and creation  of city  centre  at  the  station  in the long term.

So far, 1,338 stations have been identified for development under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

## Completed stations:

Development  works  at  railway  stations  under  Amrit  Bharat  Station Scheme have been taken  up  at  a  good  pace.  Till  now,  works  have been completed at 180 stations. Names of stations completed so far are as following:

Alnavar, Amb Andaura, Ambikapur, Amgaon, Anandpur Sahib, Anara, Angamali  For  Kaladi,  Ayodhya  Dham,  Badami,  Bagalkot,  Baijnath Paprola,  Balrampur,  Bantawala,  Barabhum,  Baramati,  Bareilly  City, Baripada, Barmer, Barpali, Begumpet, Beohari, Bhanupratappur, Bhilai, Bhind, Bijnor, Bimalgarh, Bommidi, Bundi, Chanda  Fort, Chalakudi, Changanassery, Chennai Park,Chhindwara, Chidambaram, Chinchpokli,  Chinna  Salem,  Chirayinkeezh,  Cuttack,  Dakor,  Derol, Deshnoke, Devlali, Dharwad, Dhule, Dongargarh, Fatehabad, Fatehpur, Fatehpur Shekhawati, Ferok, Gadag, Gangapur City, Godda, Godhra  Jn.,  Gogameri,  Gokak  Road,  Gola  Gokarnath,  Gomti  Nagar, Govardhan,  Govind  Garh,  Govindpuri,  Govindpur  Road,  Hafizpeta, Haibargaon, Haldia, Hapa, Harpalpur, Hathras City, Hodal, Idgah Agra Jn.,  Izzatnagar,  Jaisalmer,  Jam  Jodhpur,  Jam  Wanthali,  Joychandi Pahar,Junnor Deo, Kakinada Town, Kalyani Ghoshpara, Kamakhyaguri, Kanalus Jn., Karaikkudi Jn., Karamsad, Karimnagar, Katni  South,  Kedgaon,  Khairthal,  Khambhaliya,  Khalilabad,  Koppal, Kosamba Jn., Kulitturai, Kuttipuram, Lasalgaon, Limbdi, Lohardaga, Lonand Jn.,  Mahe,  Mahuva,  Mailani,  Mandal  Garh,  MandawarMahwa Road, Madhupur, Mambalam, Manaparai, Mandi Dabwali, Mangalagiri, Mannargudi, Matunga, M.C.S. Chhatarpur, Mithapur, Morappur, Morbi, Muktsar, Munirabad, Muri Jn., Murtizapur Jn., Nainpur Jn., Nandura, Narmadapuram (Hoshangabad), Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Itwari Junction,  Nidadavolu  Jn.,  Nilambur  Road,  Okha,  Orchha,  Palitana, Panagarh, Panki Dham, Parel, Parlakhemundi, Pirpainti, Piska, Pokhrayan, Pollachi Jn., Polur, Porbandar, Rajgarh, Rajmahal, Rajula Jn., Ramagundam, Ramghat Halt, Rayanpadu, Saharanpur Jn., Sahibzada  Ajit  Singh  Mohali,  Sahebgunj,  Samakhiyali,  Samalpatti, Sanchi,  Sankarpur,  Savda,  Seoni,  Shahad,  Shajapur,  Sholavandan, Shoranur  Jn.,  Shridham,  Siddharth  Nagar,  Sihor  Jn.,  Siuri,  Sri  Bala Brahmeswara Jogulamba, Srirangam, Srivilliputtur, St.Thomas Mount,

- Sullurpeta,  Suraimanpur,  Swaminarayan  Chappia,  Talcher,  Tamluk, Thawe,  Thiruvarur  Jn.,  Tiruvannamalai,  Tripunithura,  Tuni,  Ujhani, Urkura,  Utran,  Vadakara,  Vadala  Road,  Vidisha,Vriddhachalam  Jn., Wadakancheri, Warangal. The activities for development at other stations have also been taken up  at  good  pace  and  progress  of  some  of  the  above  stations  is  as given below: ·   Tirupati  station:  The  structural  framework  of  new  second  entry station  building  on  South  side,  2  nos.  air  concourses  and  sewage treatment  plant  have  been  completed.  The  finishing  works  of  new second  entry  station  building  on  South  side  and  air  concourses, structural  work  of  station  building  on  North  side,  platform  shelter, lift, escalator etc. have been taken up. · Nellore station: The structural framework, brickwork and plastering of station building on both East and West sides have been completed. The finishing works of station building on both East and West  side  and  air  concourse,  extension  work  of  subway,  parking, water tanks and sewage treatment plant have been taken up. · Bangalore  Cantonment  station:  The  works  of  diversion  road  on South side, training centre, hostel on North side, electric substation building  have  been  completed.  The  works  of  South  side  station building, North side station building, circulating area and Foot Over Bridge have been taken up. Kota  Junction  station:  The  structural  works  of  front  departure hall,  front  arrival  hall  and  rear  side  station  building  have  been
- completed.  The  finishing  works  of  front  departure  hall,  rear  side

station  building,  air  concourse,  through  roof,  circulating  area  have been taken up.

· Bhubaneshwar station: The structural work of new station building at East and West side and air concourse have been completed. The structural work of elevated driveway at East and West side station, extension of Foot Over Bridge and platform shelter have been taken up. The finishing works of new station building at East and West side, works of MEP (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing), HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) and escalators have been taken up.

Further,  development / redevelopment / upgradation / modernisation of stations on Indian Railways is a continuous and ongoing process and works in this regard are undertaken as per requirement, subject to inter-se priority and availability of funds. Development / redevelopment /  upgradation / modernisation of a station is carried out based on category of station/condition/traffic handled etc.

Development / Upgradation of railway stations is complex in nature involving safety of passengers & trains and requires various statutory  clearances  such  as  fire  clearance,  heritage,  tree  cutting, airport  clearance  etc.  The  progress  also  gets  affected  due  to brownfield related  challenges  such  as  shifting  of  utilities  (involving water/sewage lines, optical fibre cables, gas pipe lines, power/signal cables,  etc.),  infringements,  operation  of  trains  without  hindering passenger movement, speed restrictions due to works carried out in close  proximity  of  tracks  and  high  voltage  power  lines,  etc.  and these factors affect the completion time.

Further, development  / upgradation / modernization of stations including  Amrit  Bharat  Station  Scheme  is  generally  funded  under

Plan  Head-53  'Customer  Amenities'.  The  details  of  allocation  and expenditure under Plan Head-53 are maintained Zonal Railway-wise and not work-wise or station-wise or state-wise. The fund allocation of ₹ 12,120 crore has been made for the financial year 2025-26 under Plan  Head-53  and  expenditure  (up  to  February,  2026)  of  ₹  11,892 crore has been incurred so far.

## Dedicated Freight Corridors

Ministry  of  Railways  has  taken  up  construction  of  two  Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) viz. Eastern  Dedicated  Freight Corridor (EDFC)  from  Ludhiana  to  Sonnagar  (1337  Km)  and  the  Western Dedicated  Freight  Corridor  (WDFC)  from  Jawaharlal  Nehru  Port Terminal (JNPT) to Dadri (1506 Km).

The work on EDFC has been completed and commissioned. In WDFC, 1404 RKm  out of total 1506 RKm  has been completed and commissioned.  The  balance  work  on  WDFC  from  Vaitarna-JNPT section (102 Rkm) has been taken up.

DFC has contributed to creating additional paths on the conventional network by diverting freight traffic to EDFC and WDFC. Presently, 443 average trains per day are being run on these corridors.

A  New  Dedicated  Freight  Corridor  i.e.,  Dankuni  -  Surat,  has  been announced  by  the  Govt.  of  Bharat  in  the  Budget  2026.The  work  of preparation/updation  of  DPR  for  the  DFC  has  been  assigned  to DFCCIL. Alignment and Financing model are under finalisation.

Vande  Bharat  (Chair  Car),  Vande  Bharat  (Sleeper),  Amrit  Bharat Trains, Namo Bharat Rapid Rail

Indian Railways (IR) constantly endeavours to augment the travelling facilities  for  the  passengers  inter  alia  by  introducing  new  train services.    Indian  Railways,  during  the  period  during  2020-2021  to 2025-2026 (upto Feb, 2026), introduced  1078 new train services on its  network.  These  services  include  158  Vande  Bharat  (Chair  Car) services,  02  Vande  Bharat  (Sleeper)  services,  54  Amrit  Bharat services and 04 Namo Bharat Rapid Rail services.

Indian  Railways,  with  a  view  to  improve  travel  experience  of  the passengers, have introduced indigenously designed and manufactured Vande Bharat trains with modern coaches, advanced safety  features  and  passenger  amenities.  These  new  Vande  Bharat Chair Car Trains  have the following features:

- Jerk Free Semi-Permanent couplers.
- Fitted with KAVACH
- Centrally  controlled  Automatic  Plug  Doors  and  Fully  Sealed  wider gangways.
- Emergency Alarm Push buttons and Talk Back Units on all Coaches.
- Improved fire safety  -  Aerosol  based  fire  detection  and  suppression system in electrical cabinets and lavatories.
- Higher acceleration with design/operating speed of 180/160 KMPH.
- Driver-Guard  communication  with  voice  recording  facility  &  Crash hardened memory.
- Air  conditioning  units  provided  with  indigenously  developed  UV-C lamp based disinfection system for deactivating 99% harmful bacteria from  conditioned  air  to  improve  the  hygiene  standards  inside  the passenger area.
- Better Ride Comfort.
- CCTVs in all Coaches.
- For Divyangjan passengers special lavatory in the driving coaches on each end.
- Coach  condition  monitoring  System  (CCMS)  display  with  remote monitoring

As on 12.03.2026, the following 162 Vande Bharat train services (Chair Car) are being operated on the Indian Railways network.

|   SN | Train No. and Name                                                                 |
|------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | 22435/22436 New Delhi - Varanasi Vande Bharat Express                              |
|    2 | 22439/22440 Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra - New Delhi Vande Bharat Express           |
|    3 | 20901/20902 Gandhinagar Capital - Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express              |
|    4 | 22447/22448 Amb Andura - New Delhi Vande Bharat Express                            |
|    5 | 20607/20608 Mysuru - MGR Chennai Central Vande Bharat Express                      |
|    6 | 20825/20826 Nagpur - Bilaspur Vande Bharat Express                                 |
|    7 | 22301/22302 New Jalpaiguri - Howrah Vande Bharat Express                           |
|    8 | 20833/20834 Secunderabad - Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express                      |
|    9 | 22223/22224 Sainagar Shirdi - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (T) Vande Bharat Express |
|   10 | 22225/22226 Solapur - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (T) Vande Bharat Express         |
|   11 | 20171/20172 Nizamuddin - Rani Kamlapati Vande Bharat Express                       |
|   12 | 20701/20702 Tirupati - Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express                           |

|   13 | 20643/20644 Coimbatore - Chennai Vande Bharat Express                      |
|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   14 | 20977/20978 Chandigarh - Ajmer Vande Bharat Express                        |
|   15 | 20633/20634 Thiruvananthapuram- Kasargod Vande Bharat Express              |
|   16 | 22895/22896 Puri - Howrah Vande Bharat Express                             |
|   17 | 22457/22458 Dehradun - Anand Vihar Vande Bharat Express                    |
|   18 | 22227/22228 Guwahati - New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express                 |
|   19 | 20911/20912 Nagpur - Indore Vande Bharat Express                           |
|   20 | 22229/22230 Madgaon - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (T) Vande Bharat Express |
|   21 | 22349/22350 Ranchi - Patna Vande Bharat Express                            |
|   22 | 20661/20662 Dharwar - Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express                       |
|   23 | 20173/20174 Rewa - Rani Kamlapati Vande Bharat Express                     |
|   24 | 22549/22550 Gorakhpur - Prayagraj Vande Bharat Express                     |
|   25 | 12461/12462 Sabarmati - Jodhpur Vande Bharat Express                       |
|   26 | 22925/22926 Okha - Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express                          |
|   27 | 20665/20666 Tirunelveli - Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express              |
|   28 | 20677/20678 Narsapur - Chennai Vande Bharat Express                        |
|   29 | 20703/20704 Yesvantpur - Kacheguda Vande Bharat Express                    |
|   30 | 20631/20632 Thiruvananthapuram- Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express             |
|   31 | 26963/26964 Udaipur - Asarva Vande Bharat Express                          |
|   32 | 22347/22348 Patna - Howrah Vande Bharat Express                            |
|   33 | 20835/20836 Puri - Rourkela Vande Bharat Express                           |

|   34 | 20897/20898 Ranchi - Howrah Vande Bharat Express                          |
|------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   35 | 22415/22416 New Delhi - Varanasi Vande Bharat Express                     |
|   36 | 20641/20642 Coimbatore - Bengaluru Cant Vande Bharat Express              |
|   37 | 20645/20646 Mangaluru - Madgaon Vande Bharat Express                      |
|   38 | 20705/20706 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (T) - Nanded Vande Bharat Express |
|   39 | 22477/22478 Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra - New Delhi Vande Bharat Express  |
|   40 | 22425/22426 Anand Vihar - Ayodhya Cantt. Vande Bharat Express             |
|   41 | 22487/22488 Amritsar - Delhi Vande Bharat Express                         |
|   42 | 22962/22961 Mumbai Central - Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express               |
|   43 | 20707/20708 Visakhapatnam - Secunderabad Vande Bharat Express             |
|   44 | 20663/20664 Chennai - Mysuru Vande Bharat Express                         |
|   45 | 22233/22234 Patna - New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express                   |
|   46 | 22470/22469 Khajuraho - Nizamuddin Vande Bharat Express                   |
|   47 | 22231/22232 Bengaluru - Kalburagi Vande Bharat Express                    |
|   48 | 20841/20842 Visakhapatnam - Bhubaneswar Vande Bharat Express              |
|   49 | 22345/22346 Gomti Nagar - Patna Vande Bharat Express                      |
|   50 | 20887/20888 Varanasi - Ranchi Vande Bharat Express                        |
|   51 | 22545/22546 Dehradun - Lucknow Jn Vande Bharat Express                    |
|   52 | 22490/22489 Varanasi - Meerut City Vande Bharat Express                   |

|   53 | 20627/20628 Nagercoil - Chennai Egmore Vande Bharat Express              |
|------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   54 | 20671/20672 Bengaluru Cantt - Madurai Vande Bharat Express               |
|   55 | 22500/22499 Deoghar - Varanasi Vande Bharat Express                      |
|   56 | 22309/22310 Jamalpur - Howrah Vande Bharat Express                       |
|   57 | 20871/20872 Rourkela - Howrah Vande Bharat Express                       |
|   58 | 20893/20894 Patna - Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express                       |
|   59 | 20892/20891 Tatanagar - Brahmapur Vande Bharat Express                   |
|   60 | 22303/22304 Gaya - Howrah Vande Bharat Express                           |
|   61 | 20669/20670 Pune - Hubballi Vande Bharat Express                         |
|   62 | 20673/20674 Pune - Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj (T) Vande Bharat Express    |
|   63 | 20101/20102 Secunderabad - Nagpur Vande Bharat Express                   |
|   64 | 20829/20830 Visakhapatnam - Durg Vande Bharat Express                    |
|   65 | 21893/21894 Patna - Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express                       |
|   66 | 21895/21896 Patna - Tatanagar Vande Bharat Express                       |
|   67 | 20176/20175 Banaras - Agra Cantt. Vande Bharat Express                   |
|   68 | 26901/26902 Veraval - Sabarmati Vande Bharat Express                     |
|   69 | 26401/26402 Srinagar - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express |
|   70 | 26403/26404 Srinagar -Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express  |
|   71 | 26502/26501 Patliputra - Gorakhpur Vande Bharat Express                  |
|   72 | 26751/26752 KSR Bengaluru - Belagavi Vande Bharat Express                |

|   73 | 26406/26405 Amritsar - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express   |
|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   74 | 26101/26102 Pune - Ajni Vande Bharat Express                               |
|   75 | 26302/26301 Jogbani - Danapur Vande Bharat Express                         |
|   76 | 26481/26482 Delhi Cantt - Jodhpur Vande Bharat Express                     |
|   77 | 26471/26472 Delhi Cantt - Bikaner Vande Bharat Express                     |
|   78 | 26462/26461 Delhi - Firozpur Cantt. Vande Bharat Express                   |
|   79 | 26651/26652 Ernakulam - KSR Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express                 |
|   80 | 26506/26505 Khajuraho - Banaras Vande Bharat Express                       |
|   81 | 26504/26503 Saharanpur - Gomtinagar Vande Bharat Express                   |

Further, to cater to long distance travel, IR has introduced the sleeper variant  of  Vande  Bharat  Express.  Presently,  2  Vande  Bharat  Sleeper services are in operation on the Indian Railway network.

|   SN | Train No. and Name                                         |
|------|------------------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | 27575/27576 Howrah - Kamakhya Vande Bharat Sleeper Express |

Broad Technological advancements and safety features provided in the Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains are as below:

- Jerk-Free Semi permanent couplers and Anti Climbers.
- Fitted with KAVACH.
- Higher acceleration with design/operating speed of 180/160 KMPH.
- Crashworthy Design of Car body complying with EN standards.
- Fire  barrier  doors  at  the  end  of  each  coach  for  compliance  of  Fire Safety standards.
- Aerosol  based  fire  detection  and  suppression  system  in  electrical cabinets and lavatories.
- Regenerative braking system for energy efficiency.
- Air  conditioning  units  provided  with  indigenously  developed  UV-C lamp based disinfection system for deactivating 99% harmful bacteria from  conditioned  air  to  improve  the  hygiene  standards  inside  the passenger area.
- Centrally  controlled  Automatic  Plug  Doors  and  Fully  Sealed  wider gangways.
- CCTVs in all coaches.
- Emergency talk-back unit for communication between Passenger and Train Manager/Loco Pilot in case of emergency.
- For Divyangjan passengers special lavatory in the driving coaches on each end
- Centralized Coach Monitoring System for better condition monitoring of passenger amenities such as Air conditioning, Saloon Lighting etc
- Ergonomically  designed  ladder  for  ease  of  climbing  on  to  upper berths.

Railways  have  developed  fully  non-AC  modern  train  named  as  Amrit Bharat express. Presently, 58 services are in operation. These modern trains comprise of 11 General Class coaches, 8 Sleeper Class coaches, 01 Pantry car and 02 Luggage cum Divyangjan coaches.

|   SN | Train No. and Name                                            |
|------|---------------------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | 11015/11016 Lokmanya Tilak (T) - Saharsa Amrit Bharat Express |
|    2 | 13697/13698 Gaya - Delhi Amrit Bharat Express                 |
|    3 | 15293/15294 Muzaffarpur - Charlapalli Amrit Bharat Express    |

|   4 | 15557/15558 Darbhanga - Anand Vihar (T) Amrit Bharat Express           |
|-----|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   5 | 15561/15562 Darbhanga - Gomtinagar Amrit Bharat Express                |
|   6 | 15567/15568 Bapudham Motihari - Anand Vihar (T) Amrit Bharat Express   |
|   7 | 22361/22362 Rajendranagar (T) - New Delhi Amrit Bharat Express         |
|   8 | 13433/13434 SMVT Bengaluru - Malda Town Amrit Bharat Express           |
|   9 | 13435/13436 Malda Town - Gomtinagar Amrit Bharat Express               |
|  10 | 15133/15134 Chhapra - Anand Vihar (T) Amrit Bharat Express             |
|  11 | 14047/14048 Sitamarhi - Delhi Amrit Bharat Express                     |
|  12 | 14627/14628 Saharsa - Chheharta Amrit Bharat Express                   |
|  13 | 19623/19624 Madar - Darbhanga Amrit Bharat Express                     |
|  14 | 16601/16602 Erode - Jogbani Amrit Bharat Express                       |
|  15 | 19021/19022 Udhna - Brahmapur Amrit Bharat Express                     |
|  16 | 15671/15672 Kamakhya - Rohtak Amrit Bharat Express                     |
|  17 | 20609/20610 New Jalpaiguri - Tiruchchirappalli Amrit Bharat Express    |
|  18 | 16597/16598 SMVT Bengaluru - Alipurduar Amrit Bharat Express           |
|  19 | 11031/11032 Panvel - Alipurduar Amrit Bharat Express                   |
|  20 | 16107/16108 Tambaram - Santragachi Amrit Bharat Express                |
|  21 | 13065/13066 Howrah - Anand Vihar (T) Amrit Bharat Express              |
|  22 | 22587/22588 Sealdah - Banaras Amrit Bharat Express                     |
|  23 | 20603/20604 New Jalpaiguri - Nagercoil Amrit Bharat Express            |
|  24 | 15949/15950 Dibrugarh - Gomti Nagar Amrit Bharat Express               |
|  25 | 16121/16122 Tambaram - Thiruvananthapuram Central Amrit Bharat Express |

|   26 | 16329/16330 Nagercoil - Mangaluru Amrit Bharat Express                  |
|------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   27 | 17041/17042 Charlapalli - Thiruvananthapuram North Amrit Bharat Express |
|   28 | 16619/16620 Podanur - Dhanbad Amrit Bharat Express                      |
|   29 | 16357/16358 Nagercoil - Charlapalli Amrit Bharat Express                |

These trains have following enhanced features and amenities:

- Better aesthetics of seat and berths with enhanced look & feel on the lines of Vande Bharat Sleeper.
- Jerk Free Semi-Automatic Couplers.
- Improved Crashworthiness in coaches by provision of crash tube.
- Provision of CCTV system in all coaches.
- Improved designs of toilets.
- Improved design of Ladder for ease of climbing on to the berth.
- Improved LED Light fitting & Charging Sockets.
- Provision of EP assisted braking system.
- Aerosol  based  fire suppression  system  in  toilets and  electrical cubicles.
- USB Type-A and Type-C mobile charging sockets.
- Emergency  Talk  Back  system  for  two-way  communication  between Passenger and Guard/Train Manager.
- Non-AC pantry with enhanced heating capacity.
- Fully  sealed  gangways  with  quick  release  mechanism  for  easy attachment and detachment.

Namo Bharat Rapid Rail has been introduced to enhance the travelling experience  of  suburban  and  regional  commuters  for  inter-city  short distance movement by harnessing the features of Vande Bharat Trains.

Presently,  4  Namo  Bharat  Rapid  Rail  services  are  in  operation  on  the Indian Railway network.

|   SN | Train Number and Name                             |
|------|---------------------------------------------------|
|    1 | 94801/94802 Ahmedabad-Bhuj Namo Bharat Rapid Rail |
|    2 | 94803/94804 Jaynagar-Patna Namo Bharat Rapid Rail |

The prominent features of Namo Bharat Rapid Rail are as follows:

- Centrally controlled Double Leaf Automatic Sliding Doors.
- CCTVs for safety and passenger surveillance.
- Modular interior with Cushioned Seats and Sealed Flexible Gangway.
- Emergency Talk back System.
- Continuous LED lighting with Energy Efficient Lighting system.

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