Why rail must reclaim centrestage in India’s urban mobility story

The recent Ahmedabad-London AI 171 crash, which resulted in the death of over 250 people, has drawn extraordinary attention. It was undoubtedly a terrible tragedy that has raised several questions. But part of the reason for the widespread coverage is that international air travellers typically belong to the better-off sections of society, including VIPs and the affluent.

Contrast this with 168,000 lives lost in road accidents in India in just one year – 2022. According to an airline safety study, between 2018 and 2022, the global death risk per flight boarding was one in 13.7 million. In comparison, the World Health Organisation estimated 1.19 million people died in road accidents globally in 2023.  

These statistics speak for themselves. The intention here is not to compare the safety of air and road travel but to underline a simple truth: every life lost in an accident is precious — to families and to the nation in terms of productivity, whether it be a pilot, or truck or bus driver. The focus here is on the relative merits of road and rail travel in India – and the urgent need to shift more passenger and freight movement towards railways, both for intra- and inter-city transport.

Historically, although the railways preceded highways, roads gained prominence globally due to the massive highway networks built in the 20th century, especially in the United States. The American way of life is synonymous with cars speeding down freeways. This trend extended to Europe with its autobahns and high-quality road networks.

In India, after decades of poor road infrastructure, a national highway-building programme began with the Golden Quadrilateral connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. Over the past 25 years, the country has witnessed tremendous growth: from 52,000 km in 2000 to 146,204 km of highways in 2025. With a total road network exceeding six million km, India now has the second largest road network in the world – next only to the US. But in terms of road length per square km of land, India actually has twice the density. A staggering $30 billion was invested in road construction in 2024-2025 alone, making national highways the single largest infrastructure project in the country.

In contrast, China, which is about 2.9 times larger than India, has also built excellent highways but has consciously prioritised high-speed railways as the centre of its transport policy. For instance, while the fastest train from Bengaluru to Chennai (around 350 km) takes over four hours, the journey from Beijing to Shangai -- four times the distance--is covered in the same time.

Encouragingly, Indian Railways has seen significant modernisation in recent years, with new trains, station upgrades, and dedicated freight corridors. The introduction of high-speed trains like Vande Bharat (operating at 180 km/h) and Shatabdi (150 km/h) is a step forward. Still, we are far behind China, whose high-speed trains operate at 350 km/h, and the new CR450 runs at 400 km/h – the fastest in the world. Europe’s high-speed trains reach speeds of 250-320 km/h; in the US, about 240 km/h; and Japan’s iconic Shinkansen runs at 320 km/h. India’s only bullet train project – from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, covering 508 km – was launched in 2017 but is moving at a snail’s pace. Its first section is expected to be completed only by 2028, at a speed of 320 km/h. 

Urban transport witnessed a revolution in 1863 with the Metropolitan Railway, now called the London Underground, which introduced dedicated rail corridors to bypass street-level traffic congestion. Other large cities like Paris, New York, Moscow and Tokyo soon followed. Today, metro rail systems operate in over 200 cities globally, covering a combined length of about 13,500 km (2023), according to the International Association of Public Transport (UITP).

In India, the first metro line was laid in Kolkata, between Esplanade and Bhowanipur (3.4 km). It took over a decade for the next major initiative: the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) in 1985. DMRC’s first line, between Shahdara and Tis Hazari (8.6 km), opened in the capital in 2002. Bengaluru followed in 2011 with the Namma Metro’s initial 6.7 km stretch between MG Road and Bayyappanahalli. But progress has been painfully slow. By 2025, Bengaluru’s metro spans only about 77 km — India’s second longest — compared to Delhi’s 390 km. Nationally, however, India crossed a milestone in May 2025, becoming the world’s third-largest metro network with 1,013 km of track across 23 cities. But still India lags far behind China, which boasts of the world’s largest metro system: over 11,000 km in 47 cities.

India’s urban transport policy must clearly prioritise rail over roads. The advantages are obvious: cleaner transit, faster commutes, and greater safety. Projects like tunnel roads and double-decker flyovers, as proposed in Bengaluru, should be scrapped. Instead, we must accelerate metro expansion. The goal must be to promote public transport while actively discouraging private vehicle use, which is responsible for traffic congestion, pollution and parking chaos—making urban life increasingly unliveable.

While states may take varied approaches, the central government--having specifically endorsed public transport in its urban transport policy – must now mandate its implementation. This is essential to improving the quality of life in cities.

Globally, public transport has seen a steady rise in ridership over the past two decades. Hong Kong boasts the world’s best public transport system, with 90% travelling by Mass Rapid System and bus. In Tokyo, 57% use public transport. In contrast, a 2022 study revealed that public transport usage in Bengaluru could decline from 50% to 30% by 2031.

It is time India takes bold measures: to build an efficient intercity rail network, expand integrated metro and bus networks in large cities and disincentivise the use of private vehicles.

(The writer is a former chief secretary, Government of Karnataka)