Indian Railways is the fourth-largest rail network in the world, with a track length of 115,000 km and around 8,500 railway stations carrying an average of 26 million passengers a day, and over 1.2 billion tonnes of freight in 2017-18.

The progress on projects such as Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFCs), high-speed rail and redevelopment of railway stations is likely to mark a paradigm shift in the country's railways sector.

Imagine railway stations in India resembling airports! No fantasy, this! It's happening and happening at great speed.

It is often pointed out that every rupee invested in ramping up the railway infrastructure benefits the economy six times over. Soon after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government came to power in May 2014, a committee was formed under Professor Bibek Debroy to restructure the Railway Board, the powerful body that oversees all technical and policy matters pertaining to the public-sector transporter. A majority of recommendations made by the senior economist at the New Delhi-based Centre of Policy Research was implemented. Two cross-functional directorates for non-tariff revenue and mobility, reporting directly to the Chairman of the Railway Board, were constituted. Powers were also delegated to general managers and divisional railway managers to expedite decision-making.

As a special purpose vehicle (SPV), the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDCL) is responsible for executing the largest transit-oriented development (TOD) programme globally for 600 railway stations.