Overview
- India outlined about 7,000 km of dedicated high‑speed passenger corridors by 2047, designed for 350 km/h with 320 km/h operations and indigenous signalling and control centers.
- Ashwini Vaishnaw directed a zero‑tolerance quality regime, telling the Railway Board to debar, delist or blacklist suppliers of substandard equipment while accelerating RDSO specification upgrades.
- Vande Bharat 4.0 is targeted within roughly 18 months with upgrades to toilets, seating and coach workmanship to meet global benchmarks, as Amrit Bharat 3.0 push‑pull trains advance in development.
- The minister said Indian engineers have built a 2,400 kW hydrogen‑powered train domestically, reiterating that the technology will not be imported.
- Early execution steps include upgraded facilities at 65 North Western Railway stations and a pilot of printed blanket covers for AC passengers on the Jaipur–Asarwa service.