NEW DELHI, Dec 21: The vision of fully electrified dedicated freight corridors with exclusive high-capacity tracks, aimed at significantly boosting freight movement efficiency, could face setbacks if operational bottlenecks, such as crew availability, are not addressed promptly, a parliamentary committee has warned.
The committee’s comments came after the Ministry of Railways acknowledged that “the biggest challenge faced by the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) in running trains is the availability of crew.”
In a submission to the committee, the Ministry provided details regarding the number of employees in various categories involved in train operations on Indian Railways as of June 1, 2025. According to the Ministry, out of a sanctioned strength of 1,42,814 loco pilots, the actual strength stands at 1,07,928.
Similarly, for goods train managers (guards), out of 22,082 sanctioned posts, only 12,345 are currently filled. The total sanctioned strength for all categories, including station masters and station superintendents, is 2,06,495, but the actual number of working employees is 1,59,219.
“The committee emphasises that the shortage of crew must be resolved urgently to minimise delays, improve throughout, and ensure uninterrupted freight movement across the DFC network,” the report stated.
The committee further urged Indian Railways to take effective measures to ensure the availability of adequate crew required for the smooth operation of trains on the DFC network.
The Standing Committee on Railways, in its Sixth Report on “Increasing Freight-Related Earnings of Indian Railways and Development of Dedicated Freight Corridors,” presented to the Lok Sabha for 2025-26, examined several aspects of freight operations, including challenges and proposed measures for improvement.
Freight services contribute around 65 per cent of Indian Railways’ total earnings, while the remaining 35 per cent comes from passenger services, parcel services, and non-fare revenue streams, the committee noted.
“It is primarily due to freight income that the Railways can keep passenger fares affordable for the general public,” the report added.
It also pointed out that structural constraints within rail logistics, such as the lack of first- and last-mile connectivity, high costs for short-distance freight movement, and terminal and mobility limitations, hinder the potential for increasing freight revenue.
The committee suggested that closely monitoring zone-wise targets, particularly concerning mobility, would strengthen efforts to boost freight revenue across regions.
The committee recommended that the Ministry conduct an annual comprehensive assessment of freight rates, taking into account commodity-wise competitiveness, prevailing market demand, and operational costs.
Based on this assessment, it is suggested to rationalise freight rates to enhance competitiveness with road transport.
On revenue growth initiatives, the committee urged Indian Railways to explore avenues for increasing its non-fare revenue. In particular, it suggested that advertising on rail coaches and wagons should be pursued seriously as a viable revenue-generating measure.
The committee acknowledged the Railways’ ongoing induction of around 30,000 wagons annually, but also noted that increased private sector participation could significantly improve the timely availability of necessary wagons.
“In this regard, the committee urged Indian Railways to actively promote private sector investment in wagons by setting a tangible target for promoting private ownership of wagons,” it added.
Furthermore, the committee highlighted that the average speed of freight trains on the Indian Railway network was 23.8 km/h in 2024-25. The committee appreciated the steps taken to enhance train speeds, such as infrastructure upgrades, modernisation of rolling stock, doubling and multi-tracking of critical sections, and operational streamlining.
It also urged the Ministry to fast-track these initiatives to improve the competitiveness of rail freight and facilitate a modal shift from road to rail.
Regarding the speed of freight trains on the DFC network, which the Railway Ministry reported as 37 km/h in 2024-25, the committee considered it a significant improvement over conventional railway network speeds but felt that there was considerable scope for further enhancement. (PTI)
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