Timeline of introduction of Private Trains in India
Clarification Regarding Timeline of Introduction of Private Trains
- The Private Trains project will Start in March 2025.
- The Railways said, the tenders will be finalised by March 2025 and trains will operate from March 2025.
ALSO READ: 150 Private Train List In India
Kindly refer to the story in some of the publications regarding “Timeline of introduction of Private Trains”, where it’s mentioned that “Private Trains project would start in March 2025”.
While a clarification was posted in the media group yesterday i.e. 18th July 2025, the same is being reiterated once again.
It may be noted that Private Trains are slated to run from March 2025 only.
Tenders will be finalised by March 2025 and Trains will operate from March 2025.
In case any misgiving has arisen due to any previous reason, the above mentioned facts may be taken as actual statement of fact.
Here’s a detailed timeline of the introduction of private trains in India, tracing key policy announcements, pilot runs, and project developments:
Contents
- 1 🚆 Timeline: Private Trains in Indian Railways
- 1.1 🔹 2006–2008: Initial Experiment with Private Tourist Trains
- 1.2 🔹 2010–2014: IRCTC Pilots with Catering & Operations
- 1.3 🔹 2019: Launch of India’s First IRCTC-Operated Private Train
- 1.4 🔹 2020: Mega Policy Shift for 151 Private Trains
- 1.5 🔹 2021–2023: Project Delays and Reevaluation
- 1.6 🔹 2025–2025: Private Rake Model Gains Ground
- 1.7 🔹 2025–2025: Private Freight and Cargo Gains Momentum
- 2 🧾 Summary of Key Milestones
- 3 ✅ Current Status (as of 2025)
🚆 Timeline: Private Trains in Indian Railways
🔹 2006–2008: Initial Experiment with Private Tourist Trains
- 2006: Indian Railways partners with private operators under the Luxury Train model.
- Introduction of luxury tourist trains like Palace on Wheels, Golden Chariot, and Deccan Odyssey in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
- These are not regular passenger trains, but marked the first entry of private capital into train operations.
🔹 2010–2014: IRCTC Pilots with Catering & Operations
- 2010: IRCTC introduces the Kashi Vishwanath Express Pantry Service—one of the earliest privatized onboard services.
- 2014: A policy shift under Indian Railways allows IRCTC to independently operate catering services, setting the stage for fuller operational roles later.
🔹 2019: Launch of India’s First IRCTC-Operated Private Train
- October 4, 2019: Flag-off of Tejas Express (Lucknow–New Delhi) by IRCTC.
- First train fully operated by a non-Railway PSU—IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation).
- Features include:
- Dynamic pricing
- Aircraft-like services
- Refunds for delays
- December 2020: Second IRCTC Tejas Express (Ahmedabad–Mumbai) launched.
🔹 2020: Mega Policy Shift for 151 Private Trains
- July 2020: Ministry of Railways announces plan to invite private players to operate 151 modern trains across 109 origin-destination pairs by 2023.
- Total investment proposed: ₹30,000 crore
- Routes to be divided across 12 clusters.
- Key private players who showed interest: Tata, Adani, GMR, L&T, Bombardier, CAF, Alstom.
- Request for Qualification (RFQ) issued to select private bidders.
- Timeline proposed:
- RFQ by late 2020
- Final bids by early 2021
- Rollout by 2023 (delayed)
🔹 2021–2023: Project Delays and Reevaluation
- March 2021: RFQ bidding receives muted response—many companies flag concerns over revenue risks, track access charges, and IR control over infrastructure.
- 2022–2023: Ministry reconsiders the financial model, considering options like:
- Public-private joint operation
- Use of private rakes on Railways-operated trains
- Relaxation of conditions like guaranteed ridership
🔹 2025–2025: Private Rake Model Gains Ground
- Railways begin promoting a “private rake” model, where private companies supply and maintain coaches, while Indian Railways operates the trains.
- Example: Godrej Agrovet, Adani, and others lease parcel/commodity rakes under the Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo initiative.
🔹 2025–2025: Private Freight and Cargo Gains Momentum
- Indian Railways prioritizes freight corridors, Gati Shakti Terminals, and freight train leasing to private players.
- Passenger train privatization is slowed down, but IRCTC continues to operate select private services:
- Tejas Express
- Bharat Gaurav Tourist Trains under private lease
🧾 Summary of Key Milestones
| Year | Event / Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Private luxury trains (Palace on Wheels model) introduced |
| 2025 | IRCTC starts onboard services under catering privatization |
| 2025 | First private train (Tejas Express) launched by IRCTC |
| 2025 | Ministry announces 151 private trains tender |
| 2025 | Bidding phase sees limited interest |
| 2025 | Policy shift toward private rake leasing |
| 2025–25 | Private cargo/freight rakes thrive; passenger privatization paused |
✅ Current Status (as of 2025)
- Fully private passenger trains (other than IRCTC Tejas & tourist specials) not yet operational.
- Government is reassessing the model to balance profitability, public affordability, and infrastructure control.
- Focus has shifted to:
- Private participation in rake supply
- Freight & cargo privatization
- Tourist train leasing (Bharat Gaurav)
Would you like a visual timeline infographic or updates on specific private-sector railway proposals (e.g., Tata, Adani, IRCTC)?