The story of India’s railways is, in many ways, the story of India itself — a tale of reinvention, resilience, and revolution on steel tracks. Today, as sleek, air-conditioned coaches glide across electrified lines, millions experience a new era of rail travel defined by comfort, safety, and digital precision. Passengers book with a tap, track their journeys in real time, and step aboard carriages so pristine that they mirror the nation’s growing technological confidence. Even the simplest act — cleaning a train — has been transformed. On the Amrit Bharat Express, high-pressure drones now complete in minutes what once took hours, heralding a future of “Smart trains, Smarter cleaning.”
Yet, this marvel of modernity was born from a humbler, harder past. The world’s first steam-powered railway journey commenced in South Wales, Great Britain in 1804 and when the first Indian passenger train chugged from Bori Bunder to Thane in 1853, pulled by Sahib, Sindh, and Sultan, it was not built for the people, it was built to serve the empire. Over time, those same rails that once carried colonial ambition came to bind a nation together. From a tool of control, the railways evolved into a lifeline of democracy, connecting villages and cities, dreams and destinies. What began as borrowed steam now runs on the power of self-reliance.
The nation's lifeline
Today, the Indian Railways operates one of the world’s largest railway networks under single management. Its expansive tracks stretch for tens of thousands of kilometres, carrying over eight billion passengers annually, underscoring its foundational vitality. This includes the densely packed suburban 'local' lines, which form the literal and figurative arteries of metropolitan centres like Mumbai and Kolkata, and the rapidly growing metro networks that power urban economies.
The rail system is not merely a mode of transport; it is a gargantuan contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product. It moves essential commodities like coal, steel, iron ore, and food grains across the country, serving as the most affordable and reliable logistical backbone, thereby supporting everything from heavy industry to the daily mobility of its vast workforce. Yet, this steady, decades-long growth has witnessed a breath-taking acceleration and fundamental shift in focus over the past ten years under the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A decade of rapid transformation
The period since 2014 marks a true inflection point, moving away from an era of comparative stagnation towards aggressive expansion and modernisation. Investment figures highlight this rapid transformation: the Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) for the Railways in 2023-24 was increased to ₹2.4 Lakh Crore, an eight-fold increase over the 2013-14 allocation. This financial push has translated directly into physical infrastructure development and electrification. As a measure of acceleration, between 2004 and 2014, approximately 14,985 Route Kilometres (RKM) of rail track were completed. In stark contrast, over 25,871 RKM of track was laid in the nine years following 2014, with the current daily track laying target set at an unprecedented 16 km.
The electrification drive further boosts train speeds, cutting fuel imports, and slashing carbon emissions while saving billions annually. Today, Indian Railways stands as the world’s largest electrified network, a testament to innovation and foresight. Leading this transformation is the indigenously built Vande Bharat Express and complementing it is the KAVACH collision avoidance system, developed in India, which enhances safety across new corridors, marking a decisive move toward the ambitious goal of a ‘zero-accident’ railway network and a cleaner, smarter transport future.
For the travelling public, the arrival of these newer services represents a monumental leap in the quality of the rail journey. Madhan, a regular traveller, described journey as a "whole new experience," comparing the quiet, smooth ride favourably to older European trains. He lauded the Vande Bharat as an "excellent upgraded new age train" and the "Pride of Bharat." Similarly, Abhiroop Sengupta, whose earliest memories of train travel date back to the late 1980s, noted the vast positive shift from a time when safety concerns and dirty facilities were common. Today, he finds the staff courteous, the washroom clean, and the amenities, such as spacious, reclinable seats in the Executive Chair Car, rival premium air travel. The ease of booking, the general cleanliness, and the efficiency of the modern system collectively demonstrate that Indian Railways is now firmly headed in the right direction, blending strategic business acumen with a renewed, uncompromising focus on the passenger experience.
