Indian Railways general coaches at centre of Vaishnaw defence

Indian Railways general coaches were at the centre of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw’s reply in the Lok Sabha. He rejected opposition criticism. He called it a “false narrative” to suggest the railway system no longer served poor passengers, as reported by The Economic Times. He told the House on Tuesday that 70 per cent of all rail coaches were general.

Indian Railways general coaches and passenger services

During the debate on demands for grants for the Railway Ministry, Vaishnaw defended the government’s approach. According to the Press Information Bureau, he said Amrut Bharat trains were providing passengers with efficient, modern and safe travel at very low fares. Also, he criticised opposition members who questioned Vande Bharat trains. At the same time, he said those members wanted the services in their own constituencies.

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Kavach safety system and railway electrification

On rail safety, Vaishnaw said accidents had been reduced by 90 per cent. He also said a lot of investment had gone into making train travel safer. Meanwhile, he said the latest version of the Kavach safety system was being implemented. As previously covered by Railway Supply, he described it as a complex system akin to installing a telecom network rather than a standalone device. In addition, he said the current version is of international standards. He also said work on bullet trains is going smoothly.

Vaishnaw added that Indian Railways had saved ₹6,000 crore by shifting from diesel to electric energy to run trains. He said the national transporter had become the second largest cargo carrier in the world. Still, he tied that point to wider expansion under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. He said 35,000 km of railway track had been laid. He also said 27,000 km had been electrified.

Jobs, finances and the Railway Ministry grants debate

Addressing employment, the minister said five lakh jobs had been given in the railways. He added that nearly two lakh more were being provided. Separately, he said staff cost is the biggest expenditure of the Railways. He said energy cost comes next. In coming times, he said, diesel locomotives would fade away. He said electric locomotives would take their place.

Vaishnaw further argued that since the Modi government came to power in 2014, politics of performance had taken over from politics of vote. He said the merger of the railway budget with the general budget had led to an increase in financial allocation for the ministry. For example, he said new trains are now inaugurated throughout the year. He also said new projects are launched throughout the year. In addition, he said Railways’ financial health has increased. He said transparency in publishing accounts has also improved. He added that the Finance Ministry and other agencies keep a tab on monetary health using IT systems.

Separately, Vaishnaw criticised the governments of West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. He claimed that they were either not providing land or not clearing railway projects. Meanwhile, those three states are going to polls next month. He also said an earlier technology to prevent rail collisions had been found ineffective. Still, he said it was implemented by then railway minister Mamata Banerjee.

The debate on demands for grants for the Railway Ministry lasted two days. It involved 210 MPs. At the same time, the Lok Sabha later approved the demands for grants for 2026-27. Opposition cut motions were rejected by voice vote.

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