Station redevelopment via public-private partnership and multilateral financing to enable transit oriented development and state collaboration.
Redevelopment of railway stations will be pursued through public-private partnership arrangements, exploration of multilateral financial investment, and partnership with State Governments; a competitive bidding process for select stations is underway and a large-scale programme to redevelop hundreds of stations has been approved.

Railway modernization targets commit to improved safety, punctuality and reliable reserved accommodation and freight service commitments.
The statement directs the national railway system to adopt operational and service commitments including on-demand reserved accommodation, scheduled freight with credible service commitments, technological safety upgrades, elimination of unmanned level crossings, improved punctuality, higher average speeds for freight and express services, semi high-speed deployment on major corridors, and eradication of direct human waste discharge to create an efficient, predictable, and financially self-supporting rail ecosystem.

Empanelment of self help groups for rail catering expands procurement access and e marketing support to boost rural incomes.
IRCTC has initiated an empanelment process for Self Help Groups to provide catering and cooking services, pairing procurement access with e marketing support through collaboration with NABARD and leveraging Indian Railways' assets to develop, market and source products and services from SHGs and SC/ST entrepreneurs to increase rural incomes.

Public infrastructure digitalisation expands Wi Fi deployment and IT-based track management, with centralized land records and mobile service apps.
Phased deployment of station Wi Fi in partnership with a private technology provider is being initiated, alongside network wide rollout of a Track Management System that migrates inspection, monitoring and maintenance to an IT platform with automated alerts. Inventory Management reductions and scrap identification have been produced, centralized land data has been digitized, and ticketing plus grievance redressal functions will be integrated into two mobile applications.

Ordinary Working Expenses reduced to contain fiscal shortfall, enabling appropriation to pension and debt service funds.
Revenue shortfalls in passenger and freight earnings reduced gross traffic receipts in the revised estimates for 2015-16. In response, austerity measures on controllable heads curtailed Ordinary Working Expenses, and resultant savings were appropriated to pension obligations and debt servicing while moderating transfers to development funds, producing an improved targeted operating ratio and preserving the plan size.

Energy efficiency drive: mandated LED rollout and expanded renewable deployment to cut non-traction consumption and conserve water.
Indian Railways mandates LED lighting for new installations and a phased station retrofit to cut non-traction energy use, while expanding renewable generation via rooftop solar, larger plants and wind projects, and piloting solar micro-grids for remote stations; concurrently it will scale rainwater harvesting, water recycling and automatic coach washing to conserve water, deploy recycled-plastic composite sleepers on girder bridges, pursue waste-to-energy and environmental accreditation, convert key production units and workshops into certified green industrial units, and reward top-performing entities with an environmental shield.

Passenger accessibility services broadened, with expanded assisted-mobility, on-board baby care, and professionalized retiring-room bookings.
Expansion of Sarathi Seva to additional stations and strengthening of assisted-mobility services (battery-operated cars, porters, pick-up/drop and wheelchairs), combined with baby-care facilities and staff training and re-uniforming. Enhancements to passenger information through onboard displays, a centralized Rail Display Network and private-sector delivery. Operational reforms include conversion of operational halts into commercial halts, optional travel insurance at booking, hourly retiring-room bookings managed professionally, and introduction of SMART coaches with accessibility and amenity improvements to raise capacity and reduce unit costs.

Railway-State partnership for tourist circuit trains exploring a revenue sharing model and heritage-led tourism promotion.
Indian Railways will partner with State Governments to operate tourist circuit trains and explore a revenue sharing model, promoting tourism via upgraded rail museums and UNESCO heritage railways. The plan includes packaged wildlife circuits combining train journeys, safaris and accommodation, alongside safety measures such as a project to reduce elephant collisions, aligning railway operations with tourism development and conservation objectives.

Mission-based railway transformation aims to boost freight capacity and safety through targeted operational and governance reforms.
Avataran comprises seven missions to reform Indian Railways by increasing freight capacity through higher axle load wagons, eliminating unmanned level crossings and deploying an indigenous Train Collision Avoidance System, improving procurement and fuel consumption practices, increasing train speeds and replacing loco hauled locals with multiple unit trains, commissioning new sidings with greater private participation via an online portal, instituting outcome based accounting, and preparing a blueprint to utilise capacity from Dedicated Freight Corridors; each mission will be led by a Mission Director reporting to the Railway Board Chairman with annual outcome targets.

Container sector opening to most traffic will be piloted, enabling time tabled freight trains and tariff reform.
Diversify freight traffic through containerisation and alternative delivery models after a market study; pilot time tabled freight container, parcel and special commodity trains; open the Container sector to most traffic except coal and specified mineral ores with part loads in non peak seasons and terminal access as feasible; and undertake a review of tariff policy to allow multi point loading/unloading, differentiated tariffs and explore long term tariff contracts with pre determined escalation.

Railway budget revenue targets set with emphasis on enhanced capital expenditure and funding mix to ensure project continuity.
Railway budget estimates for 2016-17 fix Gross Traffic Receipts and budget passenger and goods earnings tied to projected passenger growth and incremental freight tonnage, allocate receipts among earnings heads, and propose Ordinary Working Expenses including provision for the Seventh Central Pay Commission and increased pension outgo; plan financing includes appropriations to Depreciation and Replacement Fund and Capital Fund, draw downs from prior balances, proposed DRF withdrawals, use of the Debt Service Fund credit, and repayment provision for lease charges while emphasizing enhanced capital expenditure funded through a mix of sources.

Railway policy: passenger fares frozen while PPP, infrastructure and service upgrades expand capacity and safety nationwide.
No passenger fare increase is proposed while the Budget advances capacity expansion, passenger amenities and safety measures-additional berths, bio vacuum toilets, expanded e ticketing and Wi Fi, SMART coaches, accessibility provisions and elimination of unmanned level crossings. It prioritizes infrastructure delivery through expedited contracts for Dedicated Freight Corridors and port links, and greater use of public private partnerships for station redevelopment. Operational audits, conversion of halts to commercial status, e procurement rollout and centralized passenger information aim to improve punctuality, governance and revenue generation.

Railway R&D reorganisation: create a specialised national R&D entity and assess holding company consolidation to leverage assets.
Proposal to create SRESTHA, a specialised R&D body led by an eminent scientist reporting to the Railway Board, to drive long term research while RDSO focuses on operational issues; RDSO to adopt transparent, time bound functioning. Simultaneously, an Aekikaran study will assess consolidating most railway owned companies under a holding company to leverage combined resources and flexibility, and a Foreign Rail Technology Cooperation Scheme will institutionalise foreign partnerships for technology transfer and indigenous capability building.

Equity contribution framework proposes shared funding between railways and states to secure cost neutrality for suburban operations.
Planning for suburban rail expansion includes new elevated corridors in the Mumbai region with metro integration to link airports and platform safety upgrades. An investment approach proposes Indian Railways share equity contribution with State Governments to ensure cost neutrality on operations and enable redevelopment, including a review of the Ring Railway in partnership with the State Government. The policy promotes suburban network development in major cities through innovative financing and urges demand-management measures like staggered office timings to reduce peak loads.

Railway electrification financing framework to use net operational savings to fund capital investment and accelerate electrification.
The government will accelerate railway electrification through increased capital outlay, intensified commissioning and partnership with the power ministry, and will implement a financing framework that uses net operational savings from electrification to finance the necessary capital expenditure, reducing pressure on the exchequer.

Innovation grants and an analytics unit to drive data-driven railway improvements, overseen by a multi-stakeholder innovation committee.
A dedicated Special Unit for Transportation Research and Analytics (SUTRA) will be set up to carry out detailed analytics and optimisation for investment and operations, complemented by an annual Innovation Challenge targeting accessibility, coach capacity and station digital capabilities, administered by an Innovation Committee headed by Shri Ratan Tata, supported by innovation labs across workshops and a dedicated Test Track to enhance R&D capability.

EPC contracting promoted to streamline infrastructure procurement, enabling large professional participation and tech-based project monitoring.
Implementation of EPC contracting is mandated for major railway works to attract large professional players and reduce cost and time overruns; at least twenty projects will use EPC in the next financial year and all works above Rs. 300 crore will be awarded under this mode. The programme further endorses private participation in non-operational services and adoption of technological project-management and monitoring tools including drone and geospatial satellite technology for tracking progress.

E-ticketing modernization expands concessions and digital services, enabling e-booking for journalist passes and wider cashless ticketing access.
Electronic ticketing enhancements include e-booking of concessional passes for journalists, opening e-ticketing to foreign debit/credit cards, platform-ticket vending machines accepting cash and cards, handheld helpline terminals as Points of Sale for short-distance travellers, mobile apps, and the GoIndia smartcard for cashless purchases of UTS and PRS tickets.

Public procurement transparency drives Make in India loco factory contracts, expanding domestic manufacturing and ancillary supply chains.
Finalisation of bids to establish two locomotive manufacturing plants under the Make in India initiative represents a procurement action described as competitive and transparent, intended to promote domestic manufacturing and create an industrial ecosystem of small and medium ancillary suppliers integrated into global supply chains, while also advancing regional employment and initiating parallel procurement for manufacture, supply and maintenance of premium train sets to increase procurement volumes.

Railway Planning & Investment Organisation to centralize project planning, financing and feasibility support for integrated national rail development.
Indian Railways will establish a Railway Planning & Investment Organisation to prepare medium and long term corporate plans, conduct market intelligence, support feasibility studies and Detailed Project Reports using standard methodologies, identify projects aligned with corporate goals, propose innovative financing mechanisms, and ensure efficient transparent allocation of funds; concurrently, a National Rail Plan will be developed to integrate the rail network with other transport modes through stakeholder consultation to enable seamless multimodal infrastructure planning and cost optimisation.