Railways To Add 2,000 Trains, End Waiting Lists

27 Jun 2025 CW Team

Indian Railways will introduce about 2,000 extra trains a day over the next four years, lifting the daily total to nearly 13,000 services and aiming to provide every traveller with a confirmed berth. According to a senior Railway Ministry official, the enlarged timetable should raise annual passenger capacity from roughly 8 billion to 10 billion and wipe out the 50 million-strong waiting-list that recurs each year.

The plan calls for 450 Vande Bharat sets, 200 push-pull formations and a mix of new Mail and Express services. Capacity freed by the Dedicated Freight Corridor, plus continuous track-doubling and electrification, will allow the extra trains to run without clogging the network. Work is also under way on 1,000 rail overbridges and underpasses this financial year to cut level-crossing delays.

To reinforce booking transparency, Railways has capped wait-listed tickets at 25 per cent of a coach’s confirmed seats across all classes—Sleeper, AC First, AC Second, AC Third, Chair Car and Executive Chair Car. In past peak seasons a Sleeper coach could carry more than 300 hopefuls and AC carriages up to 150; the new ceiling keeps the list manageable and gives passengers a clearer idea of their odds of travel.

Rail-administrators say the twin approach of expanding rolling stock and tightening booking rules will remove uncertainty for passengers while boosting revenue and operational reliability. With construction works and tendering already in hand, the first tranche of new trains is expected to enter service early in the current plan period, marking a pivotal step towards a wait-list-free railway.

Infrastructure Urban

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