Railways: Steering Towards Innovation and Safety

The Standing Committee of Railways emphasizes capacity expansion, safety enhancement, technological advancements, and automatic train protection. Recommendations include improving crowd management, energy efficiency, revenue generation, and staff welfare. Addressing underutilized resources, enhancing passenger services, and expediting high-speed rail projects are key focus areas.

The Standing Committee of Railways has released its third report on the 'Demands for Grants (2025-26)' for the Ministry of Railways, presented in the Lok Sabha. The report highlights major thrust areas including capacity expansion, safety enhancement, and the adoption of technological advances.

Among the recommendations are improvements in crowd management, energy-efficient technologies, innovative pricing strategies, and focused efforts on doubling railway lines. The Committee emphasizes the need for the Ministry to make efficient use of budget allocations, prioritize infrastructure development, and ensure timely project completion to prevent cost overruns.

The report also discusses the importance of boosting internal resources, reducing dependency on Gross Budget Allocation, and increasing passenger and freight revenue. Attention to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project and enhancement of manufacturing capacities for coaches are also recommended.