Development of passenger transportation on Indian railways: The end of the 20th and the first decades of the 21st century

Abstract

At the end of the 20th century and in the first decades of the 21st century, India achieved significant success in modernizing its rail transport. Good progress has been achieved in almost all branches of the railway sector. The infrastructure has been improved — the Project Unigauge, a nationwide initiative aimed at converting the country’s railway network into a single wide (1,676 mm) gauge system, has been almost completed. Currently, broad gauge railways account for about 97% of the total operational length. In parallel with the reconstruction of the tracks, many bridge crossings have been renovated, and improvement of station and logistics facilities is underway. The electrification of broad gauge tracks is nearing completion; electrified lines currently account for more than 99% of their total length. Railway automation, telecontrol and telecommunication systems are being intensively modernized, and digital technologies are being increasingly used. The rolling stock is being radically updated, including both traction facilities and passenger and freight carriage fleets. High-speed traffic is developing, and the construction of India’s first specialized Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail line is being completed. The article examines one of the activities of the railways of India — long-distance railway passenger transportation. The authors continue their historical research of the period from the appearance of the first railways in India in the 19th century to the present day. The previous parts of the study were published in this journal in 2023–2024