Indian Railways revenue FY 2001-2025

The Indian Railways is a public agency under the administration of the Ministry of Railways, India. It is the operator of India’s national railway system. The railway network across the country was around 68 thousand km of length, the fourth largest in the world in terms of size. Its revenue was around 2.4 trillion Indian rupees in financial year 2023. Of all broad-gauge routes, 94 percent were electrified. 

Railway passenger traffic

That year, the passenger traffic of the railways amounted to 1.3 billion, while around 115 million passengers travelled domestically via air in India. Rail was the preferred method of travel among domestic travelers due to its cheap fares. More than half of this traffic was contributed by suburban travels.

The road ahead

India’s railway network was estimated to become world’s third largest in the next five years. It was already one of the biggest employers in the country. The government planned to upgrade its vast railway network by 2030, with fully electrified railway networks, a large high-speed rail network connecting major cities, and dedicated freight corridors.