In a significant move, Indian Railways has unveiled ambitious plans to eliminate waiting lists (WL) for train passengers by the year 2027. The railway authorities are actively working on this initiative, which includes increasing the number of daily trains and expanding the railway network. To achieve this, Indian Railways is focusing on the push-pull technology, a technique that has already been applied to around 225 trains annually. The use of push-pull technology in LHB coaches is currently 4 times more efficient than in existing trains. Additionally, the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express showcases a significant increase in acceleration and deceleration capabilities compared to current trains, offering four times the efficiency.
With these forward-looking initiatives, Indian Railways aims to revolutionize the travel experience, providing passengers with confirmed tickets and minimizing waiting lists. The comprehensive plan reflects the railway’s commitment to modernization, efficiency, and meeting the evolving needs of its passengers.At present, more than 60,000 passenger coaches of both AC and non-AC compositions are available and 10,748 trains are running including 5,774 trains in sub-urban areas. Speaking to Indian Express, a senior official said days are not far when there will be no wait lists, but only confirmed tickets. “This is being planned and worked out in anticipation of a massive rise in the number of passengers from 800 crore now travelling per year to 1,000 crore in the next 4-5 years as railways has emerged as the most safe and affordable mode of national transport in the country,” said the official. He said that to meet such a massive rise in demand, the railways will operate 3,000 more trains. “Around 3,000 extra trains, once operated across the country, will automatically sort out the ‘wait list problem’. For this, infrastructure like new rail lines and associated infrastructure would be developed gradually,” he said. The plan in this regard is learnt to have got a momentum after studying trends in the last few years of originating passengers and huge rush of passengers, especially during the festive season.