Indian Railways has approved two major structural reforms as part of its 52 reforms in 52 weeks agenda for 2026, with immediate implementation focusing on improved on board services and a large scale expansion of rail based logistics infrastructure.
Union Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced that reforms are a continuous process and not one time events. He stated that the visible impact of sustained reforms is reflected in Indian Railways becoming the second largest cargo carrier in the world, alongside the introduction of new generation trains and modern working practices.
Continuous Cleaning Model for All Coaches
The first reform introduces an end to end continuous cleaning system for trains, especially long distance services. Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that under the earlier mechanism, cleaning was largely confined to reserved coaches. For the first time in railway history, general coaches will be fully integrated into the cleaning framework.
The existing Clean Train Station concept, which provided cleaning at select stations, will be replaced with a continuous cleaning model from the origin to the destination of the train. Toilets, garbage bins, cabin interiors and water availability will be monitored and maintained throughout the journey. Minor electrical and mechanical defects such as non functional lights will also be addressed during transit.
In consultation with Zonal Railways, four to five trains per zone, primarily long distance and high footfall trains, have been selected for rollout over the next six months. In the first phase, 80 trains have been identified. Over a three year period, the reform will be extended to all trains across Indian Railways. Selection has been carried out at the managerial level based on field inputs and operational criteria.
A professional service provider will be appointed under clearly defined Service Level Agreements specifying cleaning frequency. More frequent cleaning will be undertaken during peak hours. Continuous toilet cleaning, garbage removal, cabinetry cleaning and linen handling will be ensured.
For the first time, linen distribution, collection and cleaning, previously handled by separate agencies, will be integrated under a single agency. Staff deployed at designated stations will extend cleaning services to general coaches to ensure standards equivalent to reserved coaches.
The reform includes AI enabled monitoring through war room control centres. AI generated images of cleaning activities will be analysed to verify compliance. Strict action will be taken in cases of non performance. Route specific multi tasking teams will also be deployed to handle minor repairs along with cleaning services, providing integrated on board support.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw described this as a historic shift, particularly due to the focus on general coaches and continuous service delivery.
Expansion of Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals
The second reform builds upon the Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal Policy introduced in 2022, which significantly reduced approval timelines for cargo terminal development from several years to a few months. Under that policy, 124 multi modal cargo terminals were developed with an estimated traffic potential of around 200 million tonnes and annual revenue potential of approximately 20000 crore rupees.
Following stakeholder consultations over four months, a strengthened reform framework has been approved. The number of Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals is projected to expand from 124 to over 500 in the next five years.
A key feature of the new reform is the transformation of terminals into cargo plus processing hubs. Activities such as cement grinding and bagging, food grain processing, stuffing and destuffing and other value addition processes will be permitted within terminal premises. This integration eliminates the need for separate processing facilities and is expected to attract additional freight traffic to Railways.
Underutilised goods sheds will be developed as cargo terminals. Legacy sidings under earlier policies may migrate to the simplified GCT framework. For short connecting stretches between terminals and main lines, Railways will optionally undertake maintenance on a payment basis, ensuring safety and clarity of responsibility.
Expanded common user facilities, including Y connections and rail over rail structures, have been incorporated. Multi GCT connectivity has been formalised to prevent denial of access to new terminals developed along existing stretches.
A dispute prevention mechanism has been introduced through regular joint meetings between terminal developers and railway officials, leading to joint notes and no dispute certificates. This is aimed at reducing arbitration and litigation.
Standard layouts have been included in policy. Applicants adopting standard designs will receive automatic approvals, significantly reducing timelines. Contract tenure for GCTs and cargo facilities has been extended from 35 years to 50 years, encouraging long term investment.
The Minister estimated that the reform could generate approximately 30000 crore rupees in additional revenue over three years. He cited the recent cement transportation reform, under which bulk cement movement increased sharply, with January figures reaching about 95000 tonnes compared to about 40000 tonnes last year. He added that rail based bulk cement transport has reduced costs substantially, including reductions of up to 30 percent in Jammu and Kashmir and nearly half in Mizoram, while lowering pollution.
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that seven more reforms are in progress, with two expected later this month and three more in early March. Work has also begun on another 30 to 40 reforms, marking the beginning of an ambitious transformation phase for Indian Railways in both passenger services and freight logistics.
