Lok Sabha Question No. 796 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-04
Subject: Average Speed of Trains across Country
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Lalji Verma, Shri Kuldeep Indora

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 796

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026

## AVERAGE SPEED OF TRAINS ACROSS COUNTRY

## †796. SHRI KULDEEP INDORA: SHRI LALJI VERMA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the reasons for the lack of any significant increase in the average speed of  passenger  and  express  trains  across  the  country  in  recent  years, despite  the  operation  of  semi-high-speed  trains,  such  as  the  Vande Bharat Express;
- (b)  the  reasons  for  reduction  in  speed  despite  repeated  announcements regarding the modernization of tracks, signalling and rolling stock;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  assessed  the  reasons  such  as  track congestion/condition, delay in maintenance, infrastructure related challenges,  difficult  terrains,  seasonal  impacts  and  safety  related restrictions that limit the average speed;
- (d)  the  steps  being  taken  to  modernise  the  railway  infrastructure  to achieve  the  projected  operating  speed  of  160  km  per  hour  for  Vande Bharat trains/semi-high speed/high speed rail service on major routes;
- (e) the timeline and strategy for running Vande Bharat trains on new routes
- to ensure their expected speed;
- (f) the time limit set for achieving higher average speed for trains under PM
- Gati Shakti and Mission Raftaar; and
- (g) whether the Government is considering to run Vande Bharat train from Ayodhya  to  Delhi  via  Akbarpur  (Ambedkar  Nagar),  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND

ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (g)  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 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 in turnout renewal works.
- iii. Supply of 260m long rail panels have been increased to avoid welding of joints, thereby improving safety.
- iv. Thick Web Switch Expansion Joints are being used in place of earlier Conventional/Improved SEJs.
- v. Adoption of better welding technology for rails i.e. Flash Butt Welding.
- vi. Adoption  of  mechanized  system  for  track  maintenance  using  high output  plain  tampers  and  points  &  crossing  tampers  for  improved 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
9. like PQRS, TRT, T-28 etc.
- ix. Use of advanced Phased Array technology of testing of rail and welds.
- x. Deployment of Integrated Track Monitoring Systems (ITMS) and Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) for comprehensive health assessment to ascertain optimal maintenance requirements.
- xi. Adoption of portable Track Measuring Trolley for continuous recording of track parameters in yards.
- xii. Using  web  enabled  Track  Management  System  (TMS)  for  integration and  data  analytics  of  the  track  inspection  records  received  through
14. various sources to enable precise maintenance inputs.
- xiii. Electrical/Electronic  Interlocking  Systems  with  centralized  operation of points and signals in place of old mechanical signalling have been
16. provided at 6660 stations as on 31.12.2025.
- xiv. Interlocking of Level Crossing Gates (LC) has been provided at 10097
18. Level Crossing Gates upto 31.12.2025 for enhancing safety at LC Gate.
- xv. 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 31.12.2025.
- xvi. Automatic  Block  Signalling  (ABS)  that  enhances  line  capacity  within existing track infrastructure has been provided at 6625 Route km upto 31.12.2025.
- xvii. Indian  Railways  has  also  gone  for  implementation  of  indigenously developed  Automatic  Train  Protection  (ATP)  system  which  required safety certification of highest order. Kavach has also been adopted as a National AT system in July 2020. After extensive and elaborate trials, Kavach  version  4.0  has  been  successfully  commissioned  on  1297 Route Kilometres, covering the high density Delhi - Mumbai and Delhi Howrah routes. On the Delhi - Mumbai route Kavach ver 4.0 has been commissioned  on  Junction  cabin  -  Palwal  -  Mathura  -  Nagda  section (667 Rkm) & Ahmedabad - Vadodara - Virar section (432 Rkm) and on the Delhi - Howrah route on Gaya - Saramatan (93 Rkm) and Bardhaman - Howrah section (105 Rkm).

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 Dec'25)   | 2025 (up to Dec'25)   |
|-------------------|----------|--------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| (kmph)            | Track Km | %      | Track Km              | %                     |
| 130 & above       | 5,036    | 6.3    | 23,010                | 21.8                  |
| 110 - 130         | 26,409   | 33.3   | 61,234                | 57.9                  |
| < 110             | 47,897   | 60.4   | 21,428                | 20.3                  |
| Total             | 79,342   | 100    | 1,05,672              | 100                   |

On  Indian  Railways,  the  average  speed  of  the  train  services,  including Vande Bharat services, is dependent inter alia on the Maximum Permissible Speed (MPS) of the sections, 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  train  services have been charted at the Maximum Permissible Speed of the respective sections over which the trains are being operated. Further, speeding-up of train services is an on-going process on Indian Railways.

To improve capacity of existing network, several capacity enhancement/augmentation survey/works have been sanctioned by railways. These works include multi-tracking, rail flyovers, by pass lines, yard remodelling works etc

As  on  01.04.2025,  across  Indian  Railways,  431  Railway  infrastructure projects (154  New line, 33  Gauge Conversion  and  244 Doubling) of total length 35,966 Km, costing approx. 26.75 lakh crore are sanctioned.

Zone-wise/year-wise details of all Railway projects are made available in public domain on Indian Railway's website.

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)       |

At present, the Delhi-Ayodhya Dham-Akbarpur section is served by 3 pairs of  train  services viz.14017/18 Raxaul-Anand Vihar (T) Sadbhavna Express, 12225/26 Azamgarh-Delhi Kaifiyat Express, and 15743/44 BalurghatBathinda  Farakka  Express,  while  the  Delhi-Ayodhya  Dham/Ayodhya  Cantt section  is  served  by  10  pairs  of  train  services  and  the  Delhi-Akbarpur section by 5 pairs of train services.

Besides, introduction of new train services, including Vande Bharat Sleeper services, on any route/section depends on various factors which include-

- Capacity of that section
- Availability of path
- Availability of required rolling stock
- Availability of matching infrastructure for rolling stock
- Maintenance requirement of railway tracks and other assets

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