New Delhi: A major step toward technology-driven governance and innovation-led transformation, Union Minister for Railways, on Thursday announced two key reforms under Indian Railways’ flagship “52 Reforms in 52 Weeks” programme — the introduction of the RailTech Policy and the full digitisation of the Railway Claims Tribunal (RCT).
The newly unveiled RailTech Policy seeks to systematically embed advanced technologies into railway operations by engaging startups, innovators, industry stakeholders and academic institutions. A dedicated RailTech Portal will function as a unified digital interface for submitting, evaluating and implementing innovative proposals through a simplified, end-to-end online process.
Vaishnaw said the reform seeks to replace rigid vendor-selection norms with a flexible, innovation-driven framework that promotes pilot testing and large-scale adoption of emerging technologies. Drawing inspiration from initiatives such as iDEX in defence and innovation models in the electronics and telecom sectors, the policy substantially boosts financial support by tripling scale-up grants and doubling assistance for prototype development.
Under the new mechanism, Indian Railways may fund up to 50 per cent of development costs for viable proposals, with successful solutions scaled through long-term procurement. Priority areas include AI-based safety systems, drone-based rail monitoring, predictive track and electrical maintenance technologies, smart parcel load devices, solar-powered coaches, and digital pension and dispute resolution platforms.
The minister emphasised that advanced surveillance, predictive maintenance tools and administrative digitisation would strengthen safety and efficiency. He added that if successful, the RailTech initiative could become a template for innovation frameworks in other sectors.
Minister also announced the complete digitisation and AI-enabled transformation of the Railway Claims Tribunal through the e-RCT system, aimed at ensuring end-to-end online filing, processing and adjudication of claims in a faster and more transparent manner.
Currently functioning through 23 benches across 21 cities with its Principal Bench in Delhi, the RCT requires physical filing and jurisdiction-based procedures. Under the new system, claimants will be able to file cases online from anywhere, with the entire process digitised. All benches are expected to be brought under the digital framework within 12 months, and the model may later be extended to other tribunals such as the Central Administrative Tribunal.
The e-RCT platform will bring all 23 benches of the Railway Claims Tribunal onto a unified digital system, enabling paperless operations, online exchange of documents, digital pronouncement of orders, and hybrid hearings in accordance with Supreme Court guidelines. The system will function through three core modules — E-Filing for 24×7 online submission and acknowledgements, a Case Information System for automated registration and real-time tracking, and a Document Management System for secure digital storage with disaster recovery features. It will also support virtual hearings, digital evidence submission and automated alerts to reduce delays.
According to Indian Railways, the initiative is expected to accelerate case disposal, cut costs, improve transparency and enable better monitoring of pendency trends through centralised data.
Notably, earlier, Union Minister had announced reforms including continuous cleaning of general coaches and expansion of Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals to over 500 hubs. With the RailTech Policy and e-RCT rollout, Indian Railways has further strengthened its push for technology-driven and digitally enabled governance.
