Nationwide track upgrades underway as Indian Railways prioritizes safety and faster travel

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Nationwide track upgrades underway as Indian Railways prioritizes safety and faster travel

Indian Railways has achieved significant progress in modernising its track infrastructure, enhancing safety, efficiency, and operational speed across the national rail network.

Published by Abhishek Swain | January 19, 2026

Indian Railways has made remarkable progress in modernising its track infrastructure, achieving significant improvements in safety, efficiency, and operational speed across the national network. Continuous investments and focused execution over the past decade have strengthened the backbone of India’s railway system, enabling smoother and faster train operations.

In the financial year 2024–25 alone, track renewal work was completed on 6,851 kilometres, while in 2025–26, renewal activities are underway on over 7,500 kilometres. Looking ahead, Indian Railways plans to renew approximately 7,900 kilometres in 2026–27, demonstrating a long-term commitment to infrastructure reliability and passenger safety.

Upgrades to turnouts, critical for safe and seamless train operations, have also been prioritised. In 2024–25, 7,161 Thick Web Switches and 1,704 Weldable CMS Crossings were installed, with 2025–26 seeing an increase to over 8,000 Thick Web Switches and more than 3,000 Weldable CMS Crossings.

Mechanised ballast deep screening, which enhances track stability and ride comfort, has been extensively carried out. A total of 7,442 kilometres underwent deep screening in 2024–25, with over 7,500 kilometres covered in the current year.

To support modern maintenance practices, Indian Railways has expanded its fleet of track machines, inducting over 1,100 since 2014, enabling faster and more efficient maintenance work across the network.

Safety measures along railway corridors have also been strengthened. Around 15,000 kilometres of safety fencing have been installed to prevent cattle movement and trespassing, particularly on high-speed routes operating above 110 kmph.

These initiatives have yielded tangible results. The length of railway track capable of supporting speeds of 110 kmph and above has grown from 31,445 kilometres in 2014, covering roughly 40 percent of the network, to 84,244 kilometres today, nearly 80 percent of the total rail network. This transformation is facilitating faster, safer, and more reliable train services nationwide.