New Delhi, December 10: Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, announced in Parliament on Wednesday that the daily average number of train services operated by Indian Railways has risen to 11,740 as of November 2025. This marks an increase from the pre-Covid average of 11,283 services. Specifically, the Daily Mail and Express services have grown to 2,238, up from 1,768 before the pandemic.
In response to a question in the Lok Sabha, the minister explained that Indian Railways had undertaken a scientific rationalization of its timetable, including optimizing train services and stops, with the help of IIT Bombay. This initiative aims to enhance passenger safety by creating maintenance corridor blocks, improving train speeds, and boosting punctuality.
Since November 2021, Express train services have been operating according to this revised and regularized timetable. Additionally, Vaishnaw highlighted that there are currently 164 operational Vande Bharat trains, featuring Chair Cars, along with the introduction of new services, including variants of the Vande Bharat Express.
To meet the needs of long and medium-distance overnight travel, Indian Railways has also developed an indigenously designed Sleeper variant of the Vande Bharat train. Two prototypes have been manufactured and are currently undergoing trials.
These new Sleeper trains incorporate several advanced technological and safety features, including the KAVACH safety system, high acceleration with a top speed of 160 km/h, crash-resistant and jerk-free semi-permanent couplers, fire-resistant barriers at the end of each coach, and an aerosol-based fire detection and suppression system for electrical cabinets and lavatories.
The trains also feature a regenerative braking system for better energy efficiency, UV-C lamp-based disinfection systems in air-conditioning units, centrally controlled automatic plug doors, and fully sealed wider gangways. For emergencies, the trains are equipped with an emergency talk-back unit, enabling communication between passengers and the train manager or loco pilot.
Furthermore, a Centralized Coach Monitoring System ensures optimal functioning of passenger amenities, such as air conditioning and saloon lighting, according to Minister Vaishnaw.
