Rajya Sabha Passes Historic Bill for Railway Reforms: Minister Highlights Key Achievements

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Railways (Amendment) Bill 2025 Passed: Govt Assures More Efficiency, Safety, and Empowerment

New Delhi: On 10 March, 2025 the Rajya Sabha passed a landmark bill aimed at streamlining and modernizing railway operations in India. Addressing the House, Minister for Railways, Communications, and Electronics & IT, #AshwiniVaishnaw, emphasized the bill’s role in empowering field offices, enhancing efficiency, and reinforcing cooperative federalism.

The Minister expressed gratitude to the 25 Members of Parliament who participated in the discussion, acknowledging the valuable suggestions and debates. He categorically stated that the bill is designed to simplify existing laws and does not diminish the powers of state governments. Instead, it promotes decentralization by granting full authority to general managers in railway zones to approve projects up to ₹1,000 crore.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to state-wise railway development, Shri Vaishnaw cited substantial budget allocations in states where the ruling party is not in power. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and West Bengal have all received significantly higher allocations compared to previous administrations.

Major Achievements and Reforms in Railways:

Infrastructure Development

  • Over the past 11 years, 34,000 kilometers of new railway tracks have been laid, surpassing Germany’s total rail network.
  • Electrification of 45,000 kilometers has been completed, significantly reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
  • 50,000 kilometers of old tracks have been replaced with new, high-quality rails.

Safety Enhancements

  • Investment in railway safety has surged from ₹8,000 crore under previous administrations to ₹1.14 lakh crore under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.
  • Rail fractures have reduced by 91%, with incidents decreasing from 2,548 in 2013-14 to just a fraction today.
  • The introduction of the Kavach safety system, with SIL 4 certification, ensures high-level security in railway operations.

Employment & Capacity Building

  • More than 5,02,000 jobs have been provided under the NDA government, compared to 4,11,000 during the UPA era.
  • Large-scale recruitment exams have been conducted transparently, with millions of candidates participating.
  • Enhanced training programs on the #iGOT platform have seen maximum enrollment from railway employees.

Passenger Amenities and Modernization

  • 3,10,000 modern toilets have been installed in railway coaches, dramatically improving hygiene standards.
  • 558 running rooms for loco pilots are now fully air-conditioned.
  • New locomotives are being manufactured with state-of-the-art technology and improved working conditions.

Shri Vaishnaw also addressed concerns regarding crowd management at railway stations, particularly in light of recent incidents. He announced that full access control will be implemented at 60 major railway stations, ensuring only ticketed passengers can enter platforms. Special trains will be stationed near high-traffic stations to accommodate unexpected surges in passenger numbers.

Concluding his speech, the Minister reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India), urging railway employees and stakeholders to work three times harder to build on the strong foundation laid in the past decade. The passing of this bill marks a significant milestone in India’s railway modernization journey, ensuring safer, more efficient, and passenger-friendly services for the future.

Brief on Railways (Amendment) Bill 2025

The Railways functions through its Zones, Divisions, and Production Units etc. under the supervision of the Railway Board. The Railway Board also makes all the policy decisions for Railway operations.

Now, the railways amendment act 2025 bill replace the colonial period provisions. Now the provision for Railway Board are incorporated into the Railways Act, 1989. The new act bill will reduce reference to two Acts. Now, only one Act will need to be referred to.

The nature, scope and functioning of the Railway Board, Zones, Divisions, Production Units etc. will remain the same.

  • Motion for introduction of ‘The Railways(Amendment) Bill, 2024’ was moved in Lok Sabha on 09th August, 2024 i.e. on the last day of First Session of the 18th Lok Sabha.
  • ‘The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024’ (Bill No. 113-C of 2024) passed in the Lok Sabha on 11.12.2024.
  • The Bill has come up as Item No. 10 in the List of Business of Rajya Sabha on 10.03.2025 and passed as ‘The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2025’.