Northern Railway has registered notable accomplishment in both train operations and passenger services during the financial year 2024-2025. The year saw the addition of new trains, augmentation of current services and substantial boosts in passenger capacity, reflecting Northern Railway’s focus on improving connectivity and convenience for commuters.
Ashok Kumar Verma, general manager of Northern Railway has informed that a total of seven new trains, two Vande Bharat and five Express trains, were added to Northern Railway’s network during the financial year 2024-2025. Six trains, (four express and two passenger trains) were also extended to cover more destinations.
Frequency increases were also made for three trains, which benefited the passengers by offering more travel options. To meet increased demand for Vande Bharat runs, the payload capacity of four sets of Vande Bharat trains were upped from 16 cars to 20 cars, while that of a single set was boosted from 8 cars to 16 cars.
Special train operations increased sharply, a total 13,658 special trainswere run over Northern Railway, a substantial increase from the previous year’s 4,487. These included seasonal services for high-demand periods like summerrush, Poojarush,Holi, and winter rush seasons. The increase in special trains facilitated greater access for people, with a significant rise of 50.18 per cent in winter rush services and a 46.29 per cent in Holi specials.
In order to meet the spiritual demands of pilgrims, Northern Railway efficiently handled the transport of devotees for the Mahakumbh, total 2,433 Kumbh Special trains were run by/over Northern Railway (from 1-1-2025 to 6-3-2025) from different region to the Prayagarea. Besides, 142 Bharat Gaurav trains were operated, which indicates the contribution of Northern Railway in the development of cultural and religious tourism.
The GM further said that coach addition initiatives resulted in the addition of 64 coaches in 25 pairs of trains owned by Northern Railway, generating additional 9662 trips during the year 2024-25 which is 316 per cent increase over last year.
Conversion of ICF (Integral Coach Factory) rakes to LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) rakes was also a focus, with 9 pairs of trains being upgraded for improved safety and comfort. Standardisation of rakes was another priority area, with 37 train pairs of Northern Railway standardised, a 147 per cent rise compared to last year. In addition, 88 General Class coaches were attached to 41 train pairs, enhancing comfort for passengers traveling in unreserved classes.
Northern Railway’s progress in train operations is a testimony to its continuous endeavors to enhance customer experience, increase connectivity, and cope with growing travel needs. These developments are evidence of its intention to modernise India’s rail system and increase overall efficiency in railway operations.
