The great Indian railway upgrade: How much has really changed for passengers?

NewsIndia NewsThe great Indian railway upgrade: How much has really changed for passengers? The great Indian railway upgrade: How much has really changed for passengers? Abhishek Mishra / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Oct 31, 2026, 20:03 IST Bigger stations, better trains: Is the passenger experience keeping pace?

NEW DELHI: New trains, redeveloped stations and upgraded infrastructure are changing the face of Indian Railways. But has the passenger experience changed at the same pace?For millions of people who depend on the network every day, the real test of modernisation begins well beyond a station's new facade or a train's sleek exterior.

It lies in whether platforms are manageable, toilets are clean, drinking water is safe, coaches are well maintained and trains arrive on time.While the Railways has invested heavily in modernisation, government audits continue to flag gaps in basic passenger amenities, onboard cleanliness and maintenance.

The contrast raises a larger question: Is Indian Railways building a more modern network without doing enough to improve the everyday journey?The challenge now is to ensure that the transformation is felt not just in the infrastructure passengers see, but in the quality of service they experience.A makeover on a massive scale The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is among the most visible parts of the railway modernisation drive.

Under the scheme, 1,337 stations had been identified for redevelopment by December 2025, with work completed at 155 stations at that point, according to the ministry of railways. The programme envisages improvements to station buildings, waiting halls, toilets, seating, drinking-water facilities, platforms, foot overbridges, lifts, escalators and passenger information systems.

">From station facelifts to faster trains: Inside Indian Railways' makeover The plan also seeks to improve access to stations, connect them better with the surrounding city and integrate different modes of transport.

Facilities for passengers with disabilities and spaces for local products under the One Station One Product initiative are part of the wider approach. The idea is to make stations more accessible and useful, rather than treat redevelopment as a cosmetic exercise alone.The scale of the programme matters in a network where stations serve very different kinds of traffic.

A major city terminal may need to handle large crowds, multiple platforms and complex interchange movements. A smaller station may need reliable drinking water, sufficient seating, accessible toilets and a safe way to cross between platforms.

A uniform-looking makeover cannot substitute for facilities suited to the number and needs of passengers using each station.Redevelopment also has to take place while trains continue to run. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has cited the difficulty of carrying out major construction without shutting down busy stations.

Work near operational tracks, shifting utilities, statutory clearances and restrictions imposed to protect passengers and train movements can all affect project schedules.That is a reminder that infrastructure transformation takes time.

It also raises a separate question: While construction continues, how effectively are existing facilities being maintained?New trains, new expectations The train itself is another important part of the modernisation story.

Vande Bharat has become the most recognisable symbol of a more contemporary railway experience, with modern coaches, improved passenger amenities and a focus on faster intercity travel.The demand for these services has been substantial.

The ministry of railways said nearly 3.98 crore passengers travelled on Vande Bharat Express services in 2025-26, up from 2.97 crore in 2024-25, an increase of about 34%. Since its introduction, the service had carried more than 9.1 crore passengers through approximately one lakh trips, according to a ministry statement issued in April 2026.The appeal is understandable.

Modern coaches, comfortable seating and onboard amenities can make a long journey less tiring. Faster services can also help passengers who travel regularly for work, education, business or family commitments. The introduction of a sleeper version in January 2026 extended the modern-train push to overnight travel.

In its first three months, the sleeper service carried 1.21 lakh passengers over 119 trips, with reported occupancy exceeding 100%.A railway official, speaking to TOI on condition of anonymity, said the introduction of newer trains was part of a broader effort to improve passenger facilities.“New trains such as Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat are being introduced using push-pull technology, offering passengers improved facilities.

The work undertaken over the past few years is gradually beginning to show results,” the official said.These figures indicate that passengers are willing to use newer services when they offer a compelling travel option. But the success of a premium service should not become the sole measure of progress across a network that serves passengers with widely differing budgets and travel needs.For a family travelling in a reserved sleeper coach, the condition of the toilets and availability of water may matter as much as the train's design.

For an unreserved passenger, access to a platform without dangerous crowding may be the more immediate concern. For someone travelling with an elderly relative, working lifts and clear signage can make the difference between a manageable journey and a stressful one.The next phase of modernisation must therefore be about raising the baseline across the network, not just creating pockets of premium travel.The basic amenities test A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit provides a sobering measure of the gap between infrastructure ambitions and everyday facilities.

Its Report No. 31 of 2026, tabled in Parliament on August 12, examined passenger amenities and sanitation at non-suburban...