Business · Companies · 1 day ago
Indian Railways plans four tracks on seven corridors to add over 1,000 trains
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said Indian Railways plans to expand seven major corridors to four tracks.
The routes connect Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, and include links between Delhi and Chennai, Mumbai and Kolkata, and Delhi and Guwahati.
Four tracks would give trains more room than the two-track sections now in use.
The expansion is intended to ease congestion caused by heavy freight traffic, including coal, and high passenger volumes.
Vaishnaw said the work would allow the railway to run more than 1,000 additional regular trains after it is completed.
More services are expected to ease pressure on passenger waiting lists and reservations.
The work is not yet complete, and the sources do not give a timeline for when it will finish.
Indian Railways plans to quadruple seven major rail corridors and operate more than 1,000 additional regular trains once the work is complete.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the expansion is intended to increase capacity, ease congestion and reduce pressure on passenger waiting lists.
The corridors include routes connecting Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai, as well as Delhi–Chennai, Mumbai–Kolkata and Delhi–Guwahati.
Vaishnaw said heavy coal and other freight movement, alongside high passenger traffic, is putting pressure on existing lines.
- Who
- Indian Railways, as announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
- What
- Seven major corridors are to be expanded to four tracks, allowing more than 1,000 additional regular trains after completion.
- When
- Vaishnaw announced the plan on Saturday, November 7, 2026.
- Where
- On seven major corridors, including routes connecting Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai, and three diagonal corridors.
- Why
- To increase capacity, ease congestion and reduce pressure on waiting lists and reservation availability.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Indian Railways laid 36,000 kilometres of additional tracks, Vaishnaw said.
Vaishnaw announced the plan to quadruple seven major corridors.
Indian Railways expects to operate more than 1,000 additional regular trains.
- Corridors
- Seven major routes planned for expansion to four tracks
- Additional services
- More than 1,000 regular trains after the expansion is complete
- Routes
- Delhi–Chennai, Mumbai–Kolkata and Delhi–Guwahati are among the corridors
- Additional tracks
- 36,000 kilometres laid over the last 10 years
- Announced
- November 7, 2026
2 sources
What people are saying
Once this four-lining is complete, we will be able to run over 1,000 additional regular trains. This will significantly alleviate the pressure on waiting lists and reservation availability. Our ongoing effort is focused on expanding capacity.
We are currently experiencing a period of peak congestion. There is a peak in the movement of coal and other goods.
Constructing new tracks and increasing capacity is crucial; this is the only way to provide a permanent solution. We must continue to build more tracks.