Indian Railways reported a strong performance for May 2026, carrying over 61 crore passengers and loading 145 million tonnes of freight. Along with these numbers, the Ministry of Railways introduced several changes under the Reform Express initiative to improve travel and cargo movement. These updates focus on passenger convenience, better infrastructure, and stricter booking rules.
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What are the new Reform Express rules for passengers?
Passengers can now upgrade their travel class or change their boarding station digitally up to 30 minutes before the train departs. To stop fake bookings, the railways removed nearly 3 crore fake IRCTC accounts and introduced Aadhaar-based OTP verification. There are also new revised rules for ticket cancellations to make the process more transparent.
How is the cargo and infrastructure system changing?
For salt transportation, the railways introduced stainless steel containers with hydraulic side-discharge to stop corrosion. Automobile transport will now use flexible wagon designs based on specific routes. To improve construction quality, the government set a fixed bid security of 2% and introduced stricter eligibility rules for contractors to prevent predatory bidding.
What are the other major railway updates for June 2026?
| Update Area | Details |
|---|---|
| Division Change | Waltair Division split into Visakhapatnam and Rayagada divisions |
| Train Priority | Passenger trains will now get higher priority over freight trains |
| Himachal Projects | ₹2,911 crore allocated for expansion and electrification |
| Train Status | 77 trains cancelled in June due to maintenance work |
| Food Prices | Prices increased at Pune, Nagpur, Solapur, Bhusawal, and Mumbai stations |
| Coach Addition | Extra coaches added to Sasaram & Ara to Ranchi Express |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I change my boarding station now?
Yes, under the new Reform Express rules, passengers can digitally change their boarding station up to 30 minutes before the train departs.
Why are some trains cancelled in June 2026?
Around 77 trains are cancelled due to major maintenance and remodeling work intended to upgrade passenger safety and services.