Elimination of unmanned level crossings to be advanced through mass ROB/RUB construction and interagency technology partnerships.
A major railway safety programme is sanctioned to eliminate unmanned level crossings by constructing ROBs and RUBs, with 970 projects to remove 3438 crossings next year. A web-based application will enable online submission and approval of drawings within sixty days and an MOU with the road-transport ministry will coordinate implementation. RDSO will develop a theft-resistant geo-spatial audio-visual warning device in consultation with ISRO, and a radio-based warning design project has been started with an engineering institute.

Railway infrastructure sanctioning expands capacity and prioritises committee-selected projects with extra budgetary funding arrangements.
The government sanctioned a package of railway infrastructure projects combining doubling, tripling and quadrupling works with electrification, and prioritised fast tracking of sanctioned multi line sections alongside targeted commissioning and gauge conversion in the coming year. A designated committee will determine project priority based on capacity enhancement, revenue generation and decongestion, while funding is to be arranged through negotiations with financial institutions to secure extra budgetary resources.

Foreign Rail Technology Cooperation Scheme to engage specialized agencies for technology transfer and bid management for complex rail projects.
The proposal establishes a Foreign Rail Technology Cooperation Scheme to engage specialized agencies to undertake preparatory work, explore technology options, and manage procurement and bid processes for technology intensive projects such as speed raising and station redevelopment, formalising reliance on technical cooperation agreements with foreign rail entities to improve service quality.

Railway policy priorities emphasise infrastructure investment, network decongestion, passenger amenities, safety and sustainability across operations.
Railway Budget identifies nine thrust areas: restoring railways as an economic mover; resource mobilisation for higher investments; decongestion of heavy haul routes via gauge conversion, doubling, tripling and electrification; project delivery; passenger amenities; safety; transparency and system improvements; maintaining railways as preferred mass transport; and sustainability.

Rail capacity expansion prioritised alongside safety, customer experience and financial self-sustainability in five-year transformation plan
Four policy goals frame a five-year transformation: measurable improvement in customer experience, prioritised rail safety, substantial capacity expansion and infrastructure modernisation, and achievement of financial self-sustainability through improved operating efficiency, cost control, disciplined project selection and enhanced revenue generation.

Passenger fare freeze alongside a five year rail modernisation plan to boost safety, capacity and passenger amenities.
Budget freezes passenger fares while advancing a medium term program to modernize railways through significant investment, partnerships and operational reforms focused on customer experience, safety, capacity expansion and financial sustainability. Key measures include ticketing reforms, station modernisation, accessibility improvements, installation of train protection systems, large scale doubling/tripling works and accelerated electrification, supported by revamped PPP/joint venture frameworks and institutional innovation to mobilise resources for the five year action plan.

Swachh Rail initiative mandates structural and operational measures to improve sanitation across stations and trains.
Indian Railways will establish a new department to manage station and train cleanliness, treat integrated cleaning as a specialized function using professional agencies and staff training, deploy pilot waste-to-energy plants at major coaching terminals, accelerate toilet replacement with expanded bio-toilet installation, and require RDSO to deliver a vacuum toilet design within six months while reassessing On-board Housekeeping Service and extending dustbin coverage and waste-collection measures.

Proposal to take up MUTP III signals coordinated urban rail planning and integrated transport solutions with state collaboration.
Proposal to take up MUTP III for Mumbai announces urban rail infrastructure planning to expand suburban rail networks and adopt integrated transport solutions, with the Ministry of Railways committing to work with state governments to coordinate planning and implementation.

Rail corridor speed upgrade announced to enable overnight inter-metro travel; freight speed and axle-load policies strengthened.
Increase of maximum permissible speeds on nine railway corridors requires upgradation of track infrastructure and rolling stock and adoption of improved track recording, monitoring and maintenance to enable higher-speed passenger operations. Complementary freight policy establishes distinct operational speed targets for empty and loaded freight trains and upgrades loading density on major freight routes to a higher axle load standard to maximise loading per train.

Infrastructure investment strategy to transform railways through partnerships, financing and governance reforms for better network and services.
A five point execution strategy establishes a Five Year Action Plan allocating capital across network decongestion and expansion, safety, IT, rolling stock, passenger amenities, high speed corridors and station redevelopment, with funding to be mobilized from multilateral financiers, pension funds and private partners. Implementation focuses on partnerships with states, PSUs and private sector, leveraging additional long term finance and technology, revamping management, decision making and human resources to improve operating performance, and setting governance and transparency standards for project delivery.

Railway budget revenue targets aim to boost receipts and fund investments to decongest lines and enhance capacity.
The Railway Budget 2015-16 raises passenger and goods earnings targets and projects higher gross traffic receipts while containing ordinary working expense growth through improved fuel efficiency and increased provisioning for safety. It anticipates higher lease and interest costs and targets an Operating Ratio. The Budget also allocates appropriations to the Pension Fund, Depreciation/Replacement Fund and Capital Fund to meet plan investment requirements, lease principal payments and reserve build-up for future debt obligations.

Nirbhaya Fund usage for rail safety enables pilot surveillance cameras in coaches to enhance women passengers' security while safeguarding privacy.
Railways will utilise resources from the Nirbhaya Fund to augment security for women passengers by funding targeted safety measures, including provision of surveillance cameras on a pilot basis in selected mainline coaches and ladies' compartments, with installations calibrated to enhance safety while protecting privacy.

Passenger grievance helpline to enable real time complaint redressal via phone and mobile app, with pilot then wider rollout.
An all India helpline number 138 will provide real time redressal of passenger complaints aboard trains, supported by a developing mobile application. The service will begin as a pilot on Northern Railway and be extended across the Railways based on operational experience and passenger feedback. Security related complaints will be handled separately via the toll free number 182.

Joint ventures for rail project delivery to expedite infrastructure development and enable faster transport and revenue generation.
Proposal to form joint ventures with States and with major public sector companies to enable focused project development covering resource mobilisation, land acquisition, project implementation and monitoring for critical rail projects; designed to expedite construction of new lines, improve transport of produce for railway customers, extend network to underserved areas and generate revenues for the Railways.

Operating ratio improvement in revised estimates reflects reduced expenses, reappropriation of funds and increased internal resource generation.
Revised Estimates moderate passenger earnings growth and reduce Ordinary Working Expenses from Budget Estimates due to expected fuel savings and offsetting higher maintenance and safety needs. Appropriation to the Pension Fund is increased to reflect higher assessed pension outgo, and appropriation to the Depreciation Reserve Fund is scaled up following improved internal resource generation. These reallocations result in an excess of receipts over expenditure and an improvement in the Operating Ratio, while the Plan size is marginally increased through enhanced internal resources and market borrowings for rolling stock requirements.

Improvement of bed linen standards: railways to upgrade design, expand laundries and enable paid online booking of disposable bedrolls.
A regulatory programme will improve design, quality and cleanliness of bed linen by engaging a specialised design institute, expanding mechanized laundry capacity, and extending online paid booking of disposable bedrolls through the national passenger booking portal, creating procurement, service-delivery and hygiene obligations for operational units.

Passenger notification service to deliver advance train arrival and departure alerts and introduce station display network.
Introduction of a Passenger Notification Service to issue SMS alerts of updated train arrival and departure times, including advance notices before arrival, alongside a centrally managed Railway Display Network to be deployed in over two thousand stations to display train timings, reservation information, general and emergency messages, and other public-interest information.

Skill development infrastructure: Railways to allocate stations and training centres to support vocational training and promote self help group products.
Indian Railways will allocate stations and training centres and make available skilled personnel to support skill development and vocational training, and to promote products made by Self Help Groups, thereby using railway facilities to facilitate capacity building, self-employment, and employment generation while maintaining core operations.

Paperless ticketing enabled: hand held terminals for TTEs and SMS as valid travel proof streamline verification and refunds.
Provision of hand held terminals to Travelling Ticket Examiners enables on board verification and electronic chart downloading to advance paperless ticketing, streamline ticket checks, and expedite refund processing. The proposal to accept mobile SMS as valid digital proof of travel for PRS tickets, together with an integrated customer portal, centralizes digital passenger authentication and access to services.

Tourism promotion through rail services to expand guide training, revenue-sharing coach allocations, and themed circuits.
Indian Railways will expand tourism promotion by training local transport operators as tourist guides, exploring a revenue-sharing model to allocate selected train coaches to travel agencies, and developing themed rail products including a Gandhi circuit and a farmer-focused Kisan Yatra to support educational travel and marketing of tourist mobility.