NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday that India is on course to lead the world in rail technology systems and is at the forefront of engineering innovation.
“The Indian Railways has kept a target of about 7,000 kilometres high-speed rail corridors to be constructed by 2047. Most of these dedicated passenger corridors will be designed for ensuring speeds up to 350 kmh.” Vaishnaw said while inaugurating the 16th International Railway Equipment Exhibition (IREE) and the International Railway Conference 2025 at Bharat Mandapam. “With record production in 2024–25 of 7,000 coaches, 42,000 wagons and 1,681 locomotives, the Railways is powering India’s journey towards a developed nation,” he said.
The minister highlighted India’s rapid progress in modernisation and outlined an ambitious vision for transforming Indian Railways into a world-class, technology-driven, and passenger-focused network by 2047. He noted that India has achieved an unprecedented scale of development in the past decade, having built over 35,000 km of railway tracks, electrified more than 46,000 km of rail routes, and manufactured 7,000 coaches annually. He said Gati Shakti Vishwa Vidyalaya has signed an MoU with CII.
He highlighted that India has not opted to import hydrogen-train technology but has indigenously designed a 2,400 kW hydrogen train, marking a milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance and global leadership in sustainable rail.
Referring to PM Narendra Modi’s vision for railways, the minister said 156 Vande Bharat services and 30 Amrit Bharat trains are operational, including four Namo Bharat services. “In FY 2024-25, Indian Railways produced a record 1,681 locomotives, surpassing the combined production of Europe, North and South America, Africa, and Australia,” he said, adding that `2,65,200 crore has been earmarked for the rapid modernisation of the railways. He mentioned that the development of next-generation Amrit Bharat locomotives and coaches (Amrit Bharat 4.0) is on track with a 36-month rollout target.
The exhibition is set up across more than 40,000 square metres, featuring rail equipment from over 450 companies representing 15 countries. It has been recognised as Asia’s largest and the world’s second-largest rail technology showcase. On this occasion, the CII–ATO Report, titled ‘On the Right Track? A State of Play or Railways in Asia and the Pacific with a Spotlight on India’, was launched.
