Indian Railways has approved a major overhaul of its container train licensing framework, allowing private Container Train Operators (CTOs) to operate across the country’s entire rail network under a single All India licence. The reform replaces the existing system of route-based licence categories and separate fees, giving operators access to all routes across the Indian Railways network under one permission. The changes have been approved through modifications to the Model Concession Agreement (MCA), which governs permissions for container train operations. They will take effect following publication through a Gazette Notification. Single licence replaces route-based system Under the revised framework, the existing route-wise categorisation of container train licences will be discontinued. Subject to approval by the Ministry of Railways, CTOs will instead receive a single All India licence enabling them to operate container trains across all routes on the national rail network. The government said the change is intended to simplify the regulatory framework and improve the ease of doing business for private rail freight operators. The wider network access could also give operators greater flexibility when developing services connecting ports, inland terminals and industrial centres across India. Uniform ₹25 crore registration fee Indian Railways will introduce a uniform, non-refundable registration fee of ₹25 crore (₹250 million), equivalent to approximately €2.3 million, for the new nationwide licence. This replaces the previous system under which registration fees varied depending on the route category for which an operator sought permission. The revised framework also removes extension fees. A CTO’s permission may be extended for another 20 years after the original concession expires, subject to satisfactory performance and approval by the competent authority. No extension fee will be charged for that extension or any future extensions granted to the