NEW DELHI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The state-owned Indian Railways has announced an increase of 20,000 jobs in the department, officials said Thursday.

The available vacancies have been increased up to 110,000 from previously 90,000, according to Indian Railways.

"110,000 jobs in Railways for youth: One of the world's biggest recruitment drive gets even bigger," writes Piyush Goyal, India's railway minister on twitter.

Ministry officials said more than 20 million applicants have applied for different posts in railways in response to the jobs announcement.

Officials said online tests will be held for jobs in the railway police, locomotive drivers and technicians.

Last month the railway ministry sacked 13,000 of its 1.3 million employees.

Providing jobs to unemployed youth in India is a major challenge for government.

India's sprawling railways is the world's third largest network, ferrying around 23 million people each day.

Indian government in 2015 announced an investment of over 137 billion U.S. dollars over a period of five years to boost railways and modernize it on new lines.