Indian Transport System under Stress

The Indian Transport system has been under Stress Test for a while. When rising demand meets shrinking capacity, the system tends to malfunction. Read here to learn more about the issues faced by the Indian transport system.

In 2025, India’s transport system faced an unmistakable stress test. Overcrowded trains during festive seasons, mass flight cancellations triggered by crew shortages, and mounting road congestion in major cities exposed a system struggling to balance surging demand with constrained supply.

These disruptions were not isolated operational failures; they were symptoms of deeper structural weaknesses in India’s transport system.

India’s economy is expanding, mobility needs are rising, and urbanisation is accelerating, yet public investment in transport infrastructure has lagged behind demand.

The result is a fragile system shaped by neoliberal policy choices, underinvestment in public services, uneven privatisation, and weak regulatory capacity.

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Indian Transport System under stress

India’s transport infrastructure is under severe strain, particularly in urban centres. Cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata routinely experience gridlocked roads, long travel times, and inadequate last-mile connectivity.

• Public transport systems, where they exist, are often overcrowded, poorly integrated, and insufficient to meet peak demand.
• Railways, the backbone of long-distance and mass mobility, face similar constraints.
• Urban and suburban rail networks suffer from limited train frequencies, outdated signalling systems, and insufficient rolling stock.
• During peak and festive seasons, overcrowding becomes a safety hazard rather than a mere inconvenience.
• Much of India’s rail and road infrastructure was designed decades ago, and incremental upgrades have failed to keep pace with population growth and changing mobility patterns.

Neoliberal Constraints and the Investment Gap

India’s transport system crisis cannot be understood without examining the broader economic framework.

• Neoliberal fiscal constraints have limited the state’s ability to expand public investment, even as demand has risen sharply.
• While private-sector participation was expected to improve efficiency and service quality, outcomes have been mixed.
• Public transport services remain affordable but chronically underfunded, leading to overcrowding, delays, and breakdowns.
• At the same time, deregulation and privatisation in sectors such as aviation have produced market concentration.
• Dominant players like IndiGo command a disproportionate share of capacity, limiting competition and leaving passengers vulnerable to disruptions when operational shocks occur.
• The result is a dual failure: public systems lack capacity and resilience, while private systems prioritise profitability over redundancy and consumer welfare. Neither model, in its current form, adequately protects passengers.

Safety and Security Concerns in the Indian Transport System

India’s transport system is also marked by serious safety challenges.

• The country records one of the highest numbers of road accident fatalities globally, with pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheeler users particularly vulnerable due to poor road design and weak enforcement of safety norms.
• Railway safety has improved in recent years, yet accidents and derailments continue to occur, often linked to ageing infrastructure and signalling failures.
• In aviation, the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad in 2025, which claimed over 200 lives, renewed public anxiety about systemic safety gaps, regulatory oversight, and operational discipline across transport modes.

Environmental and Climate Vulnerabilities

• Transport system accounts for around 14% of India’s energy-related CO₂ emissions, making it a major contributor to air pollution and climate change.
• Despite policy push for electric vehicles, the transition to sustainable mobility remains slow and uneven, particularly in freight and intercity travel.
• Climate risks compound these challenges. Floods, cyclones, landslides, and heatwaves increasingly disrupt roads, railways, and airports.
• Yet much of India’s transport infrastructure remains climate-blind, lacking resilience to extreme weather events that are now becoming the norm.

Weak Data-Driven Governance

• Although digitisation has improved ticketing and tracking, India’s transport planning still suffers from limited use of real-time data and predictive analytics.
• Smart traffic systems, GPS-enabled buses, and integrated mobility platforms remain fragmented and largely confined to pilot projects.
• Without robust data-driven decision-making, authorities struggle to manage congestion, optimise routes, or anticipate demand spikes. This reactive approach worsens delays and reduces system efficiency.

Logistics Inefficiencies and Governance Failures

• India’s logistics and freight movement face persistent inefficiencies, from outdated warehousing and congested corridors to customs delays and fragmented multimodal integration.
• These weaknesses raise logistics costs, reduce export competitiveness, and increase carbon emissions.
• Governance challenges further undermine execution. Corruption, opaque tendering processes, and weak accountability often lead to project delays, cost overruns, and suboptimal outcomes, eroding public trust in large infrastructure initiatives.

Social Equity and Accessibility Gaps

• Low fares in public transport ensure affordability but do not guarantee access.
• Overcrowding, poor service reliability, and unsafe environments disproportionately affect women, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and informal workers.
• In many cities, public transport remains physically inaccessible, with limited ramps, tactile paths, or low-floor vehicles.
• Safety concerns, especially for women, reduce mobility and economic participation, reinforcing social inequalities.

Why a resilient Transport system Matters

A resilient transport system is not merely a convenience; it is foundational to India’s development.

• Transport networks enable the movement of people and goods across vast distances, reduce logistics costs, and support India’s ambition to become a global manufacturing and export hub.
• Efficient connectivity strengthens national integration by linking remote, border, and tribal regions with economic centres.
• It underpins agriculture, MSMEs, tourism, trade, and industry, while also enhancing access to healthcare, education, and employment.
• During disasters and crises, transport infrastructure becomes a lifeline, ensuring supply-chain continuity and emergency response.

Government Initiatives for the transport system

National Connectivity & Infrastructure Integration

1. PM Gati Shakti – National Master Plan: Integrates planning across 16 ministries (roads, railways, ports, aviation, logistics). Focuses on seamless, multimodal connectivity and last-mile linkages.
2. National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP): Long-term financing blueprint for infrastructure, including transport. Aims to unlock investment in roads, ports, airports, metros, and logistics corridors.

Road Transport & Highways

3. Bharatmala Pariyojana: Umbrella programme for national highways, economic corridors, expressways, border connectivity, and coastal roads. Includes ring roads, bypasses, and inter-corridor links.
4. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): Rural Road connectivity to unserved habitations. Enhances mobility, access to markets, education, and health.
5. National Road Safety Policy (NRSP): Framework to reduce road accidents and enhance safety. Advocates engineering improvements, enforcement, emergency care, and awareness.

Urban Transport & Mobility

6. Metro Rail Policy 2017: Policy framework to guide metro expansion, financing, and PPP participation. Promotes Transit-Oriented Development (TOD).
7. Smart Cities Mission: Enhances urban mobility through Non-Motorised Transport (NMT), traffic management, and integrated public transport.
8. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation & Urban Transformation (AMRUT): Strengthens urban infrastructure, including bus terminals, pedestrian pathways, and cycling tracks.
9. Urban Transport Policy (NUTP 2006 / Revised UTP): Integrated approach to sustainable urban mobility planning. Promotes public transport, non-motorised mobility, and technology-based solutions.
10. Streets for People Challenge: Encourages cities to redesign streets for pedestrians and cyclists. Focus on public space and NMT infrastructure.

Clean & Sustainable Mobility

11. FAME India Scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of EVs): Phase I & Phase II to support EV adoption, charging infrastructure, and fleet electrification (buses, autos, two-wheelers).
12. PM e-Bus Sewa: Provides e-buses on a pay-per-use model to enhance electric public transport.
13. National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP): Long-term vision to promote sustainable mobility through EV technology, affordability, and infrastructure.
14. National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC): Includes transport-related missions encouraging low-carbon mobility and energy efficiency.
15. Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Policy 2022: Framework for smart traffic management, real-time data systems, predictive analytics, and digital enforcement.

Railways

16. Amrit Bharat Station Scheme: Modernisation and redevelopment of railway stations with passenger amenities, accessibility, and commercial utilisation.
17. Vande Bharat Express: Indigenous semi-high-speed trains connecting major cities. Focus on reduced travel time, comfort, and state-of-the-art coaches.
18. Kavach (Train Collision Avoidance System): An Indigenous Automatic Train Protection system to prevent collisions and enhance safety.
19. Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC): Multi-billion-dollar freight-oriented rail corridors (Eastern & Western DFCs) to decongest passenger networks and improve logistics.

Aviation

20. UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) Scheme: Regional air connectivity scheme to make flying affordable for tier-2/3 cities. Offers viability gap funding, airport upgrades, and low-cost operations.
21. Airport Authority of India (AAI) Expansion: Development of new airports, upgrades of existing terminals, and runway expansions.
22. Kisan Vikas Airports: Encourages conversion of unused airstrips into functional regional airports.

Waterways & Maritime

23. Sagarmala Programme: Modernises ports, develops hinterland connectivity, coastal shipping, and port-led industrialisation.
24. Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP): Enhances navigation on the Ganga River between Varanasi and Haldia. Improves riverine transport and multimodal logistics connectivity.
25. SagarMala Seaplane Services: Promotes amphibious aircraft connectivity in coastal and island regions.

Logistics & Freight

26. Logistics Efficiency Enhancement Programme (LEEP): Aims to reduce logistics costs and improve efficiency via multimodal infrastructure and technology.
27. National Logistics Policy (NLP): Sectoral harmonisation for reduced logistics costs through infrastructure, regulation, and technology.
28. Multimodal Logistics Parks (MMLPs): Infrastructure nodes combining rail, road, warehouses, cold storage, and freight handling with IT-enabled services.
29. Operation Greens & Cold Chain Support: Focus on agro-logistics, cold storage, and supply chain infrastructure to reduce waste.

Road Safety & Enforcement

30. Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019: Stricter penalties, improved licensing, digital enforcement, and safety compliance norms.
31. National Road Safety Trust: Supports research, crash analysis, and improved road infrastructure planning.

Accessibility & Social Inclusion

32. Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016: Mandates accessible mobility in all public transport systems (ramps, tactile paths, audio announcements, low-floor buses).
33. Nirbhaya Fund Initiatives: Women’s safety in transport (CCTV, safety infrastructure, panic buttons, helplines).

Transport Digitalisation & Governance

34. Digi Yatra Initiative: Seamless, contactless air travel check-in using facial recognition and digital IDs.
35. e-Challan, Vahan & Sarathi: Digital traffic enforcement, vehicle registration, and driver licensing platforms for improved compliance.
36. Indian Railways’ Wi-Fi & e-Ticketing: Digital services for passenger convenience, data-driven planning, and real-time operations.

Long-Term Policy Frameworks

37. National Transport Policy (Draft Stage): Comprehensive policy envisioned to integrate sectors, prioritise sustainability, equity, safety, and modal shifts.
38. National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) (Updated Framework): Emphasises integrated, inclusive, climate-friendly urban mobility planning.

Way Forward

• Restore Public Investment: India must prioritise public transport modernisation under frameworks like Gati Shakti and NIP. The N.K. Singh Committee (2016) recommended a more flexible FRBM framework, allowing targeted fiscal relaxation for infrastructure investment. Such flexibility is essential to expand capacity without compromising fiscal stability.
• Build Safer Systems: Adopting the Safe System Approach, which assumes human error and designs infrastructure accordingly, can reduce fatalities. Rapid rollout of Kavach 5.0 on high-density rail routes, mandatory urban safety audits, and strict enforcement of road safety norms are critical.
• Promote Sustainable Mobility: Accelerating the shift to EV-based public transport, expanding non-motorised transport through pedestrianisation and cycling initiatives, and building climate-resilient infrastructure under the NAPCC are essential for long-term sustainability.
• Embrace Data-Driven Governance: Strengthening ITS implementation, integrating real-time mobility data, and using predictive analytics can improve efficiency, reduce congestion, and enhance passenger experience.
• Ensure Equity and Accessibility: Universal design standards under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, along with women’s safety measures supported by the Nirbhaya Fund, must become non-negotiable elements of transport planning.

Conclusion

India’s transport system disruptions in 2025 revealed a sector stretched thin by rising demand, constrained capacity, and policy blind spots. Addressing these challenges requires more than piecemeal reforms.

It demands renewed public investment, stronger regulation, safer and greener infrastructure, and governance that prioritises equity and resilience.

A robust transport system is not just about moving people faster; it is about enabling inclusive growth, safeguarding lives, and sustaining India’s economic and social future.

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