Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Launches 5 New Reforms Under ‘Reform Express’ Initiative
On 24 March 2026, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw of the Ministry of Railways (MoR), announced five new reforms in New Delhi (Delhi) under the ‘Reform Express’(52 Reforms in 52 Weeks) initiative, raising the total approved reforms in 2026 to nine and focusing on cargo efficiency, construction quality, and passenger convenience.
Overview of Indian Railways 5 New Reforms:
Salt: Stainless Steel Containers (SSC) with top-loading and side-discharge improve efficiency, reduce losses, and enhance rail share (9.2/35 Million Tonnes (MT)).
Automobile: Specialised Wagon Design (SWD) with Schedule of Dimensions (SOD) flexibility enables high-capacity, route-specific wagons, boosting rail share (~24% of ~31 Million Units (MU)).
Construction: Stricter Contractor Eligibility Criteria (CEC), Bid Security (BS), Bid Capacity Assessment (BCA), and reduced Subcontracting Limit (SL) ensure quality, accountability, and timely execution.
Ticketing: Revised Cancellation and Refund Rules (CRR) with 72/24/8-hour slabs, automatic refunds via Ticket Deposit Receipt removal (TDR), and Aadhaar-based One-Time Password (OTP) improve transparency and convenience.
Boarding: Digital Boarding Change (DBC) and Travel Class Upgrade (TCU) allowed up to 30 minutes before departure provide greater flexibility without losing confirmed seats.