{"id":134680,"date":"2026-03-25T05:12:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T08:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shipping.einnews.com\/article\/901615342"},"modified":"2026-03-25T05:12:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T08:12:24","slug":"from-easier-tickets-to-faster-freight-nine-indian-railways-reforms-set-to-change-travel-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new7.shop\/zerocostfreehost\/index.php\/2026\/03\/25\/from-easier-tickets-to-faster-freight-nine-indian-railways-reforms-set-to-change-travel-in-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"From easier tickets to faster freight: Nine Indian Railways reforms set to change travel in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last Updated: <\/span>24 March 2026, 10:49 PM IST<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announces nine major Indian Railways reforms for 2026, covering cargo, construction, passenger convenience, and innovation.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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New Delhi: Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Tuesday unveiled five new reforms for 2026 as part of Indian Railways\u2019 ongoing \u201cReform Express\u201d initiative, bringing the total number of reforms for the year to nine.<\/p>\n

Vaishnaw explained that the reforms cover cargo, construction, and passenger convenience, aiming to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the passenger experience.<\/p>\n

Boosting rail freight: Salt and automobile transportation<\/strong><\/p>\n

One key reform focuses on salt transportation, with India producing nearly 35 million tonnes annually, of which around 9.2 million tonnes are moved by rail. Vaishnaw noted that the current rail modal share is underutilised, with industrial salt at 25% and edible salt at 65%.<\/p>\n

Challenges such as corrosion, unsuitable wagons, water seepage, and multiple handling stages prompted the development of a stainless steel, top-loading, side-discharge container system. These containers allow direct loading at production sites, multimodal transport, and flexible unloading, reducing losses and improving efficiency.<\/p>\n

Similarly, reforms targeting automobile transport address constraints in existing wagons, enabling manufacturers to design high-capacity wagons tailored to origin-destination routes. Vaishnaw highlighted that the rail share in passenger vehicle movement is only 24%, leaving significant potential to shift freight from road to rail.<\/p>\n

Also Read| IRCTC new rules from April: No refund if tickets cancelled within 8 hours of departure<\/a><\/p>\n

Construction reforms for quality and accountability<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aimed at enhancing railway project execution, the construction reforms include seven major changes:<\/p>\n

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  1. Raising eligibility thresholds, requiring at least 50% of a project value in prior experience, with 20% in railway-specific projects.<\/li>\n
  2. Fixing bid security at 2% of project value to discourage frivolous bids.<\/li>\n
  3. Mandatory bid capacity assessment for projects over Rs 10 crore.<\/li>\n
  4. Strict punitive provisions against corruption, fraud, and anti-competitive practices.<\/li>\n
  5. Submission of detailed work plans prior to project commencement.<\/li>\n
  6. Reducing subcontracting limits from 70% to 40%, ensuring contractors directly execute at least 60% of work.<\/li>\n
  7. Introducing performance guarantees for bids more than 5% below the estimated cost to prevent predatory pricing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    These measures collectively aim to improve transparency, ensure timely delivery, and enhance quality in railway construction projects.<\/p>\n

    Also Read| Big relief for loco pilots, guards as Railways revises allowances<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

    Passenger convenience and digital enhancements<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Two of the new reforms focus on passenger convenience.<\/p>\n