Railways Created 5 Lakh Jobs in 10 Years: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw

By  News On Air   Mar 17, 2025

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the government has taken several steps to improve rail infrastructure and provide a comfortable and affordable journey to passengers. He said that the Railways has created 5 lakh jobs in the last 10 years, with a continued focus on reducing rail accidents in the country. The Minister was replying to the discussion in the Rajya Sabha on Monday on the working of the Ministry of Railways.

Mr. Vaishnaw stressed that passenger fares have not been increased since 2020, and it is very cost-effective in comparison to neighbouring countries. He said that the Railways’ financial condition is fine and the government is working to further improve it. The Minister highlighted that the Ministry of Railways is continuously working to lay new railway tracks and replace older tracks, which has significantly improved the safety of trains.

Mr. Vaishnaw pointed out that rail accidents have gone down by 90 percent since 2005-2006. He added that the government is striving hard to further reduce rail accidents. He said that the Railways is working on better crowd management during the peak season by setting up 60 permanent holding areas at major stations across the country. He mentioned that 23 permanent holding areas had been set up during the Mahakumbh, and over four crore 50 lakh passengers traveled during the Mahakumbh.

Highlighting the achievements of the Railways, the Minister said that the Railways is exporting equipment and parts to other nations, which demonstrates the country’s growing prowess in manufacturing. He said that 1,400 locomotives have been manufactured in this financial year. He added that the government is focusing on the safety of trains, and massive work is underway to install the anti-collision device, the Kavach system, in 10,000 locomotives.

Earlier, participating in the discussion, Sanjay Seth of BJP said that the Railways has witnessed transformative changes since 2014. Mr. Seth said that railway stations are being designed to be parallel to airports, setting a new benchmark in sanitation. M. Thambidurai of AIADMK raised the issues of poor food quality and uncleanliness in trains. He said that the safety of women passengers on trains is important and that there should be a police official in every coach. GK Vasan of TMC (M) said that passenger comfort should be given high priority. He added that the whole country is now looking forward to the bullet train. AA Rahim of CPI (M) said that safety and the lack of recruitment in Indian Railways are interconnected. He mentioned that more than 20,000 posts of loco pilots are still vacant. Several other members also participated in the discussion, including Fauzia Khan of NCP – SCP, Ramji of BSP, Ravi Chandra Vaddiraju of BRS, and Upendra Kushwaha of RLM.