Rail network speed capability expands to 24,000 km by 2026

Under the Mission Raftaar programme, the Indian Railways has increased the length of routes capable of supporting 130 km/h or higher speeds from 5,036 km in 2014 to 24,173 km in 2026. Today roughly 81 percent of the network can run trains at 110 km/h or faster, compared with just 40 percent a decade earlier. The flagship Golden Quadrilateral and Golden Quadrant corridors are being upgraded to allow speeds of up to 160 km/h, aiming to cut travel times on the nation’s busiest routes.