3 min readNew DelhiFeb 14, 2026 09:48 PM IST
With a focus on ensuring cleanliness in trains and ensuring higher freight loading, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw Saturday announced two major reforms. He said a total of 80 trains have been identified to implement the on-board service reforms in the first phase. “This year 52 reforms will be announced in the Indian Railways. The on-board service reforms will be implemented in the next six months in the 80 trains across the Railways zones,” he said. “After that the reforms will be implemented in another 80 trains on long routes,” he added.
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“In the next three years, all the trains will be equipped with the new clean train reforms. The objective is to prioritise a clean and hygienic travel experience. It is necessary to establish clear responsibility and accountability for deployed service providers. A long-term contract will be given (for this purpose),” said Vaishnaw while announcing the policy.
The Railways aims to engage professional service provider with a proven track record as well as 12th and ITI pass supervisors to leverage technology for real-time monitoring, feedback and performance management. It will also integrate the linen and on-board cleaning, which is currently carried out by different parties.
This entails the cleaning of all coaches including general class, toilets, basin as well as garbage collection at 1-2 hour intervals. This will also require the staff to attend to minor repairs and ensure water supply in coaches. “The new reform will require additional expenditure from the Railways. The assessment is underway. However, passengers will not have to pay any additional amount for the cleanliness services,” said Vaishnaw.
An AI-based analysis of the on-board cleaning pictures will carried out at the Railway Board control room.
The Railway Minister also announced extension of the Gati Shakti Cargo Terminal (GCT) Policy 2022, which entails the establishment of freight terminals to increase train loadings and diversify the freight basket. As part of the reform push, apart from loading and unloading, material processing will also be carried out at the Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminal (GCT), Vaishnaw said.
“They can be called cargo plus semi-processing terminals. For instance, cement clinker will now be grinded at the GCT and transported in bagged or bulk loaded to the respective destination. Similarly, some foodgrains, which will be processed at the GCT and supplied further. Our target is to develop 500 more terminals in the next 5 years, in addition to the 124 terminals built under 2022 policy,” said Vaishnaw. The Railway Minister said this will increase train freight loadings by 300 million tonnes in three years. In FY25, the railways transported over 1,600 mt freight — the highest ever.
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The policy allows cargo-related facilities such as warehouses, processing units and aggregation centres to be developed on spare railway land. It also states that underutilised goods sheds can now be converted into GCTs, expanding freight-handling capacity with minimal fresh investment. The reform will enable the migration of existing private freight terminals and sidings into the GCT regime.
A long-term contract upto 50 years will be provided under the new policy and dispute resolution will be simplified with greater delegation of power to Divisional Railway Managers (DRMs).
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