Indian Railways plans to add 3,500 km to its rail network during FY26, extending the system beyond its March 2025 length of 69,439 route km, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26.
“As of March 2025, the rail network has expanded to 69,439 rkm. During FY26, it is targeted to extend the network further by 3,500 km,” the Economic Survey 2025-26 said.
The Survey indicates that rail network expansion continues through a combination of new line construction, gauge conversion and route doubling, aimed at improving connectivity across regions and addressing capacity constraints on high-density routes. These additions form part of the long-term effort to strengthen rail access in both passenger and freight-intensive corridors.
Read also : Indian Railways dedicates WAP-7 locomotive ‘Mukhi’ to mark India’s cheetah conservation milestone
The expansion of route length is taking place alongside a wider programme of rail infrastructure development, including modernisation of signalling, track renewal and capacity augmentation. The Survey places network growth within a broader push to enhance the reliability and reach of rail services across the country.
Alongside network expansion, Indian Railways has also progressed substantially on electrification, which now covers nearly the entire broad-gauge system.
The Economic Survey states that 99.1 per cent of the broad-gauge network had been electrified as of October 2025, bringing the system close to full electrification. The Survey notes that electrification has been carried out across main lines as well as high-density sections, enabling uniform traction across most of the network.
