Indian Railways speeds up 549 trains in this year's timetable across zones
New Delhi, Jan 9
Indian Railways has speeded up 549 trains in this year's timetable across zones, along with introducing 122 new trains in 2025, extending 86 trains and converting 10 trains to superfast, the government said on Friday.
Under the Timetable of Trains (TAG) 2026, Indian Railways has introduced new trains, extended existing services, increased frequency, converted trains to Superfast, and speeded up services across various railway zones.
In the Central Railway (CR) zone, 4 new trains have been introduced, 6 trains extended, and 30 trains speeded up. The East Coast Railway (ECOR) has seen the introduction of 4 new trains, extension of 4 trains, and 3 trains speeded up, Railways Ministry said in a statement.
The East Central Railway (ECR) recorded a significant expansion with 20 new trains introduced, 20 trains extended, and 12 trains speeded up. In the Eastern Railway (ER), 6 new trains were introduced, 4 trains extended, and 32 trains speeded up.
The North Central Railway (NCR) introduced 2 new trains, extended 4 trains, increased frequency of 2 trains, and speeded up 1 train.
The North Eastern Railway (NER) added 8 new trains, extended 4, increased frequency of 2, and speeded up 12 trains.
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) introduced 10 new trains and speeded up 36 trains. The Northern Railway (NR) introduced 20 new trains, extended 10, and speeded up 24 trains, while the North Western Railway (NWR) added 12 new trains, extended 6, increased frequency of 2, and speeded up 89 trains.
Meanwhile, the Southern Railway (SR), introduced 6 new trains, 4 extended, 2 converted to superfast, and 75 trains speeded up. The South Western Railway (SWR) introduced 8 new trains, extended 6, converted 8 to superfast, and speeded up 117 trains, the highest among all zones.
The West Central Railway (WCR) introduced 8 new trains and 27 trains speeded up. The Western Railway (WR) introduced 10 new trains, extended 10, increased frequency of 2 and speeded up 80 trains.
"Overall, under TAG 2026, 122 new trains were introduced, 86 trains extended, 8 frequency increases, 10 trains converted to superfast, and 549 trains speeded up across Indian Railways," said the ministry.
With 549 trains speeded up across zones, the initiative enhances punctuality, operational efficiency and connectivity, delivering faster, more reliable rail services nationwide, it added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As a frequent traveler on the Western line, I'm cautiously optimistic. Speeding up 80 trains sounds great, but will it come at the cost of more delays due to congestion on single lines? The proof will be in the pudding.
Good step forward! But I hope this isn't just about numbers. The real test is cleaner coaches, better food, and on-time performance. Also, what about fare hikes? Speed should not make travel unaffordable for the common man.
Finally some action on the North Eastern routes! 10 new trains and 36 sped up for NFR is much needed for better integration of the region. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
The numbers look good on paper. 549 trains speeded up is a massive undertaking. Respectfully, I hope the infrastructure and safety checks keep pace with this acceleration. We don't want another Balasore.
Interesting to see the zonal breakdown. Southern Railway converting trains to superfast is a smart move for the busy Chennai-Bangalore corridor. Efficiency gains here could be a model for other zones.
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