Indian Railway routes are likely to be auctioned by the government to run the private passenger rakes.

The Indian Ministry of Railways issued a request for qualifications for private firms to operate 151 additional passenger trains.

The Indian Ministry of Railways issued a request for qualifications for private firms to operate 151 additional passenger trains.The Ministry of Indian Railways published a press release on July 1, 2020, which stated that private companies are allowed to operate trains on 109 origin-destination routes. It was accomplished by bringing in 151 modern train rakes, for which the Ministry issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ). This is the first private investment project for passenger train operations on the Indian Railways network. The Lucknow-Delhi Tejas Express was first introduced in 2019 by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).

According to a press release made by the ministry, the move is expected to cost approximately ₹300 billion ($3.98 billion). By 2023, private railway operations are scheduled to begin throughout the nation. The operation's concession duration will be 35 years.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted on July 8, 2020, that 151 commercial train services will be running across 109 lines. According to Goyal, this change will not privatize the railways but will increase seating capacity and offer customers a better travel experience.

The Economic Times reported that private companies will have the final word in determining the fare on a specific route. The report compiled a list of 100 routes across India for the launch of 150 private trains. The Ministry has divided the 100 routes among ten to twelve clusters.