A new era is coming for Indian Railways. Under the Mission Speed Project, the Railways is moving rapidly towards increasing the speed of its trains and reducing travel time. The project not only promises fast and comfortable travel for passengers, but will also bring a major change in India’s transport sector.
The main objective of mission speed is to increase the speed of trains on busy routes and reduce travel time. Under this project, Railways have targeted to increase the speed of trains on some major routes to 160-200 kmph. This will not only be beneficial for the passengers, but will also improve the efficiency of freight.
Let us know what is the mission speed, what are its benefits, and how it will change Indian Railways.
Mission Raftaar: Overview and Major Features
A brief observation about mission speed:
| Description | Acquaintance |
| Project name | Mission speed |
| Beginning year | 2016-17 (announced in railway budget) |
| Main objective | Raising trains and reducing travel time |
| Targeted speed | 160-200 kmph |
| Major route | Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Howrah, Howrah-Chennai, Chennai-Mumbai, Delhi-Chennai, Howrah-Mumbai |
| Estimated cost | ₹ 3959 crore (in Western Railway Region) |
| Targeted perfection | By March 2025 |
The purpose and importance of mission speed
The primary objective of mission speed is to improve the efficiency and productivity of Indian Railways. This project tries to achieve the following goals:
- Doubling the average speed of goods trains
- Average speed of superfast, mail and express trains by 25 kmph
- Reduce travel time on busy routes
- Railways improve overall efficiency
The importance of this project can be understood from the fact that despite the nine corridors selected having only 15% of the total rail network, 58% of the goods carry traffic and 52% passenger traffic.
Major corridors under mission speed
Under the mission speed, the following major corridors are being focused on:
- Delhi – Mumbai
- Delhi – Howrah
- Howrah – Chennai
- Chennai – Mumbai
- Delhi – Chennai
- Howrah – Mumbai
Increasing speed on these routes will not only improve passenger services, but will also increase the efficiency of goods transport.
Major works being done under mission speed
Indian Railways is taking several important steps to make the mission speed successful:
- Upgradation of track and signaling systems: Track and signaling systems are being upgraded to support high speed of trains.
- Improvement in electrification: Current wires of 25 kV capacity are being laid.
- Strengthening of bridges: The approach of bridges is being strengthened using Geosel technology.
- Directization of curves: Curves are being straightened on the track using electric machines.
- New electric pole: New parallel alternative poles are being installed to support high speed.
- Use of MEMU and Demu trains: Loco Hold Commuter trains are being replaced by MeMu and Demu trains.
Mission speed benefits
There will be the following benefits on completion of mission speed:
- Reduction in travel time: The journey time between Delhi-Mumbai will decrease from 16 hours to 12 hours.
- Increase in speed of trains: Trains like Vande Bharat, Tejas and Shatabdi Express will be able to run at a speed of 160 kmph.
- Improvement in railway efficiency: Freight and efficiency of passenger services will increase.
- Economic Benefits: Fast transport will promote trade and economy.
- Passenger facility: Passengers will benefit from fast and comfortable travel.
Mission speed progress and challenges
Current progress
Work on many routes is going on fast under mission speed:
- 90% of the work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route has been completed.
- About 50% of the work on the Delhi-Mumbai route has been completed.
- The approach of 126 bridges in the Western Railway area has been completed.
Challenges and solutions
There are some major challenges in front of the mission speed:
- Traffic congestion: The speed of trains in big cities decreases. For this, a dedicated freight corridor is being constructed.
- Old bridges: Some bridges cannot tolerate high speed trains. These bridges are being rebuilt.
- Security issues: Ensuring security with rapid speed is a major challenge. Special attention is being paid to safety measures under Mission Zero Accident.
- Infrastructure upgradation: Large -scale infrastructure is required. Railways is investing big on this.
Future and possibilities of mission speed
The mission speed can prove to be a game-changer for Indian Railways. On its completion:
- Semi-high speed train network will start in India.
- There will be a huge increase in the efficiency of passenger and freight transport.
- The income of the railway will increase, which can be used for further development.
- A new era will begin in India’s transport sector.
future plans
Railway mission is planning to increase speed even after speed:
- Development of high-speed rail corridor
- Plan to increase speed on more routes
- Making trains faster using new techniques
conclusion
The mission speed is an important step towards modernization of Indian Railways. This project will not only increase the speed of trains, but will also improve the efficiency of the overall rail network. Although there are many challenges in front of this mission, the railways are committed to removing them.
At the completion of the mission speed, the Indian Railways will enter a new era where a new definition of fast, safe and comfortable journey will be written. This will not only be beneficial for the passengers, but will also give impetus to the economy of the country.
Disclaimer: This article has been written with the aim of providing information about mission speed. However, the progress and deadline of the project may change. For accurate and updated information, please refer to the official website or press release of Indian Railways.
