Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the Rail Bhoomi portal to manage the complete process of land acquisition for railway projects, saying the system will provide a centralised digital platform for records and transactions. He outlined a set of reforms aimed at modernising Indian Railways and improving efficiencies in construction and freight movement. The ministry has introduced measures to allow transport of fertilisers in containerised form and to move fly ash from power plants in containers to reduce dust pollution. The minister also announced a unified licence system under the container policy to streamline approvals for operators.

Containerisation of fly ash is intended to prevent fine particulate emission during transit and to facilitate use of ash in sectors such as railways, cement and road construction. The move is expected to promote environmentally cleaner logistics and to open new supply chains for construction materials. Operators will be able to transport materials in sealed containers under the updated policy.

The ministry has opened wagon design to the industry, allowing any designer or manufacturer to propose new wagon configurations. Submitted designs will be evaluated and, if approved, the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) will grant permission to build and test prototypes. The change aims to enable bespoke wagon solutions to meet specific industrial requirements.

A national skill certification framework for workers on railway projects will be implemented across all projects within a maximum of 24 months to ensure consistent standards of workmanship. The framework will cover trades such as plumbing, welding, fitting, masonry and concrete testing so that a larger workforce can meet the demands of large scale infrastructure creation. The minister said the reforms respond to continuous encouragement from the prime minister to modernise the railways. Officials expect the combined measures to improve project delivery and operational sustainability.