Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said 90 officials from different zones and departments have been accommodated in the railway ministry over the years.

If the railway ministry has its way, thousands of diesel-guzzling locomotives could be a thing of the past in the country. In a move to expedite the complete electrification of rail network, Indian railways has advanced the deadline by two years to 2020.

The circular has been issued by the Delhi division of Indian Railways to its entire operational staff, including drivers, guards, TTE and even station managers. Anyone found violating the orders shall be dealt with strictly, it said.

Normally these officers travel in their special saloon for official purposes but with the new mechanism in place, they will have to move in a typical aam aadmi-style in regular trains.

This technology, experts say, will not only achieve faster acceleration of up to 160 km per hour, but also put in place advance protective measures like electro-pneumatic braking system to improve passenger safety.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart will together lay the foundation of the project during the latter's visit to India in September, said Mohd Jamshed, member traffic, Railway Board.

Burdened with an operational loss of Rs 33,000 crore, Railways has decided against announcing new trains and rail lines. Doling out sops in the rail budget has been a major tool to gain political gains particularly in pollbound states.

In the wake of merger of railway budget with the general budget, the rail ministry had urged the finance ministry to bear its operational losses but the request was turned down by the latter.

Indian Railways is all set to make aadhaar card mandatory to avail any kind of concession in the train fare. From April next year, it will be applicable for senior citizen concession and gradually all categories will be brought into the ambit.

The vibrant blue color of other trains will be replaced by ad-wrappings, which the ministry of railway has planned in a bid to mop up revenue for the cash-strapped transporter.

The majority of respondents to the drive have called for doing away with concessions to railway employees on train journeys particularly after a significant hike in their salary and perks as recommended by the 7th Pay Commission.

On the lines of civil aviation sector, railways is keen to bring in private companies to build and operate private rail in India just as like private airlines.

Railways have decided to procure a radarbased device that will alert the drivers of any physical obstruction on railway tracks ahead and thus avert accidents.

Sources say Indian Railways is all set to link passenger ticketing services with the database scheme in what is being seen as a bid to slash expenses on subsidy and other concessions.

Railways has devised a business model wherein private agencies will be roped in for installing LED screens and the railways will share revenue with the company.

Lauded as the biggest reform in the railways, the new contract system has expedited the execution of projects apart from clearing the backlog of pending ventures.

Excitement ran high as the train hit top speed of 160 km per hour and completed its maiden journey in 99 minutes, a minute less than the scheduled 100. It upped its performance on the return journey taking 98 minutes to reach Delhi.

As Indian Railways usher in to the age of high speed trains, it is all set to upgrade its standards at par with air travel. And the most notable feature of it will be well groomed train hostesses and stewards.

Two flyovers at Dhaula Kuan along with four other flyover projects have been put on fast track to decongest Delhi's arterial roads. With the Centre sanctioning Rs 3,250 crore, work on these projects will start in a couple of months.

While over 10 lakh passengers are expected to shift to Delhi Metro from January 1, there is little that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation can do to cater to the rush.