‘From 2,500 new general coaches to 50 Amrit Bharat trains’, Ashwini Vaishnaw shares big plans for Railways

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced a significant boost to the country's rail network, including the production of 2,500 new general passenger train coaches and approval for an additional 10,000 coaches. The minister also highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance service quality, safety, and cleanliness across railway operations.

Also Read: Indian Railways extends train services, changes departure timings on THESE routes. Check complete list here

Speaking to reporters in the national capital, New Delhi, Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that production has begun on 50 more Amrit Bharat trains, following the successful launch of two such trains by PM Narendra Modi last year, which ran from Maldah and Darbhanga.

The Prime Minister flagged off two new Amrit Bharat trains – Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express and Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru) Amrit Bharat Express in December 2023.

Ashwini Vaishnaw further informed that the manufacturing process for another 150 Amrit Bharat trains has also started.

Also Read: Budget 2024: Defence, railways, infra, renewable energy sectors to remain in focus, say analysts

The Amrit Bharat train is an LHB (Linke-Hofmann-Busch) push-pull train with locomotives at both ends for better acceleration. Moreover, he spoke on the rollout of the Kavach system and said that "it is also being done at a fast pace."

“The manufacturing of 50 more Amrit Bharat trains has started. The process of manufacturing 150 more Amrit Bharat trains has also started. Last year, 5300 km of new tracks were added. This year also, more than 800 km of tracks have been added…" he said.

Kavach has been designed to assist locomotive pilots in avoiding Signal Passing At Danger (SPAD) and overspeeding while also providing support for train operations during adverse weather conditions such as dense fog. By automatically applying brakes when necessary, the system ensures better control over train speed and prevents potential accidents.

Also Read: Indian Railways proposes speed cut for Vande Bharat and Gatiman Express trains. Here’s why

There was much debate around the anti-collision system in light of the horrific triple-train accident in Odisha's Balasore on June 2 last year, which claimed the lives of close to 300 passengers while leaving about 1,000 injured. Vaishnaw was also targeted by the opposition, who called for his resignation. 

(With inputs from ANI)