Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday, November 7, announced that Indian Railways is expanding its trunk routes, quadrupling seven major rail corridors across the country to permanently resolve congestion and train delays.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

Speaking at a press conference, Vaishnaw highlighted that heavy freight movement, particularly coal transportation, alongside high passenger volume has put significant pressure on the existing lines. He said 36,000 kilometres of additional tracks have been laid over the last 10 years.

Source: Devdiscourse

Which corridors get four lines

The projects focus on quadrupling the major routes linking the Golden Quadrilateral — Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai — as well as the key diagonal corridors: Delhi to Chennai, Mumbai to Kolkata and Delhi to Guwahati. “For instance, we are currently quadrupling seven major corridors: the routes connecting Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai, as well as the diagonal corridors, Delhi to Chennai, Mumbai to Kolkata, and Delhi to Guwahati,” Vaishnaw said.

7Major corridors being quadrupled
1,000+Additional regular trains after four-lining
36,000 kmAdditional track laid in the last 10 years

The minister noted that after the four-lining is completed, over 1,000 additional trains will operate, which will significantly reduce the pressure on waiting lists and reservation availability. “Once this four-lining is complete, we will be able to run over 1,000 additional regular trains,” he said.

The announcement came as the Railways manages peak festival-season movement for Diwali and Chhath, when passenger and freight demand together push the busiest trunk routes to capacity. The ministry presents the quadrupling of the high-density corridors as the permanent fix for the congestion that causes delays on those routes.

What it means for passengers

The seven corridors carry the country's heaviest mix of passenger and freight traffic. Four tracks instead of two on these routes is meant to let more trains run on time — and, once complete, to add over 1,000 regular services and shorten waiting lists.

Sources: The Hindu BusinessLine, November 7, 2026; Devdiscourse report on Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's press conference, November 7, 2026.