The Union Ministry of Railways is getting ready for 2026 after it highlighted its major "milestones" in 2025. "The year 2025 laid a strong foundation in giving us safer, faster, and comfortable rail travel. The new year is all set to offer comfortable sleeper journeys in 'long-distance travels' through Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains, cutting short the journey time, as well as giving travellers the branded food and beverage options at railway stations," the ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
As of December 26, 2025, the Centre said that 164 Vande Bharat train services were running across the network, including 15 new Vande Bharat Express trains introduced during the year. The railways also expanded transit options for non-AC passengers by introducing 13 Amrit Bharat Express trains in 2025, taking the total Amrit Bharat services to 30.
The first Vande Bharat Sleeper is “all set” to become operational in 2026, the ministry added. Two Namo Bharat rapid rail services between Bhuj–Ahmedabad and Jaynagar–Patna were also operational during 2025.
Active railway policing
But these are not all, the Railway Police Force (RPF) was active in the protection of passengers. Till November, the RPF rescued 17,231 children in 2025. Under Operation "Matrishakti", the RPF aided in 303 child births, out of which 198 happened in the train.
A little over 1.1 lakh people were arrested for entering into a carriage or other place reserved for females. Out of them, cases were registered against more than 1 lakh persons.
Safer tracks, record freight
Between April and November 2025, Railways renewed over 6,880 track km of rails and completed full track renewal on 7,051 track km, while raising speeds to 130kmph on 599 km and 110kmph on over 4,000 km.
Kavach Version 4.0, an upgraded indigenous automatic train protection system, was commissioned on 738 route km, and consequential train accidents fell to just 11 in 2025–26, according to government data available up to November.
The Centre also said that Railways has emerged as the world’s second-largest rail freight carrier, with loading projected around 1.6 billion tonnes in 2024–25 and a target of 3,000 million tonnes by 2029–30. Dedicated Freight Corridors now handle over 400 trains daily, it added.
Green railway ops
The Centre also took up the redevelopment of 1,337 stations so far under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme: 155 of them have been fully modernised by December 2025, and work is ongoing at 1,182 more. This meant wider entrances, lifts and escalators, improved waiting halls, better toilets, food courts and “One Station One Product” kiosks.
The railways also pushed for more solar power this year. So far, 2,626 stations are solar-powered, commissioning about 898 MW of solar capacity, roughly 70 per cent of which is used for traction. Free Wi‑Fi is available at 6,117 stations nationwide, the Centre added.
Connectivity to remote regions
The ministry highlighted the completion of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) in 2025, including the Chenab arch bridge, Anji bridge and India’s longest rail tunnel.
The Bairabi–Sairang line has put Aizawl on the rail map, it stressed. The vertical-lift Pamban bridge was restored, and the sea link to Rameswaram was 'future‑proofed', added the ministry.
Railways in 2026
As we head into the new year 2026, Indian Railways is set to overhaul 'economic corridors'. So far, the ministry has earmarked Rs 11.17 lakh crore for a total of 434 projects.
Out of them, 42 are focused on port connectivity, while 192 projects are part of the 'energy, mineral, and cement' corridor. High traffic density routes take up another 200 projects.
"As curtains are set to fall on the year 2025, Indian Railways is set to bring in more and more comfort to your rail travel experience in the new year 2026 by making it truly memorable," the ministry stated.