New Delhi: Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament Wednesday that the daily average number of train services on the Indian Railways network has gone up to 11,740 (November 2025) from 11,283 services operating prior to Covid-19.
The Indian Railways network has increased the daily average number of Mail and Express services to 2,238 (November 2025) as against 1,768 services operating prior to Covid-19.
In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, the minister further stated that Indian Railways undertook rationalisation of the time-table, including rationalisation of train services and stoppages, in a scientific manner with the assistance of IIT-Bombay. The exercise has been undertaken to provide for better passenger safety by creating maintenance corridor blocks, speeding up train services and improving punctuality.
Since November 2021, Express train services have been operated as per a rationalised timetable and regular numbers.
The minister also said that at present, 164 Vande Bharat train services having Chair Cars are operational on the Indian Railways network, besides the introduction of new train services, including Vande Bharat Express services and their variants.
He further stated that to cater to long and medium distance overnight travel, the Sleeper variant of the Vande Bharat train has been indigenously designed. Two such rakes have been manufactured and are under trial.
Broad Technological advancements and safety features provided in Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains include the KAVACH safety system, higher acceleration with operating speed of 160 KMPH, crashworthy and jerk-free semi-permanent couplers and anti-climbers, fire barrier doors at the end of each coach and improved fire safety aerosol-based fire detection and suppression system in electrical cabinets and lavatories, the minister said.
Besides, these trains have a regenerative braking system for energy efficiency, air conditioning units provided with indigenously developed UV-C lamp-based disinfection systems, centrally controlled automatic plug doors and fully sealed wider gangways.
They are also equipped with an emergency talk-back unit for communication between the passenger and train manager or loco pilot in case of emergency. The facilities include a centralised Coach Monitoring System for better condition monitoring of passenger amenities such as air conditioning, saloon lighting, as well, Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw added.
