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

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The Amrit Bharat Station Scheme is leading the infrastructure push, with 155 of its 1,337 targeted stations redeveloped by December 2025. These projects focus on practical upgrades, including improved passenger information systems, foot overbridges, and accessibility installations like lifts and escalators. Concurrently, modern services like the Vande Bharat Express have expanded ridership, introducing a sleeper variant in January 2026 that exceeded full occupancy during its initial operational months.

Key points

  • Infrastructure redevelopment is systematically expanding accessibility features, foot ove…: Infrastructure redevelopment is systematically expanding accessibility features, foot overbridges, and waiting areas across hundreds of rail stations.
  • Modern fleet expansions have generated high commuter demand, demonstrated by strong rider…: Modern fleet expansions have generated high commuter demand, demonstrated by strong ridership across both day and overnight Vande Bharat routes.
  • Executing extensive station renovations requires transport officials to maintain active t…: Executing extensive station renovations requires transport officials to maintain active train operations without disrupting crowded daily passenger facilities.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

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…

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