Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw chaired a review meeting at Rail Bhawan in New Delhi and set out that providing a comfortable ride and better travel experience for the poor and middle class remains the top priority for Indian Railways. He congratulated the railway organisation for a historic reduction in accidents, record freight loading and the successful operation of numerous special trains during festival periods. The minister urged collective effort by officials nationwide to build on these achievements and sustain improvements in safety and reliability.

The minister emphasised that railway stations are the public face of the system and must be kept clean and well maintained to improve passenger amenities. He directed officials to ensure optimal utilisation of the record allocation for railway modernisation in the past decade so that transformation of stations and enhancement of facilities is visible to travellers. Attention to crowd management during peak periods was highlighted to enable smooth access to platforms and reduce inconvenience.

The meeting also reviewed pending land acquisition for ongoing projects and the minister instructed officials to expedite processes and, where needed, seek expertise from experienced retired officers of state revenue and forest departments to remove bottlenecks. He underlined that sensitive matters involving people living near railway tracks must be resolved without harming livelihoods and that a humane approach in coordination with state authorities is essential. Officials were directed to adopt measures that balance project needs with social considerations and to prioritise timely and compassionate solutions.

Decisions were taken to prioritise the construction of rail underpasses (Puliyas) over foot overbridges where feasible and to undertake pilot projects across different regions. Designs will facilitate movement for pedestrians, cycles, scooters and motorcycles, and in selected cases wider structures will accommodate tractors and other vehicles to meet both urban and rural requirements. The minister commended zones that achieved high levels of punctuality and those that improved to more than 85 per cent despite operational challenges, and he reiterated that sustained planning and a passenger-centric focus will continue to enhance safety and service quality.