Railways

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed a bill to amend Railway laws with the government insisting that it will not lead to the national carrier's privatisation. Responding to a debate on the Railway Amendment bill, Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw said in the Lower House that a fake narrative was set afloat that the amendment would privatise railways. "Their (opposition) fake narrative on Constitution has failed... now this will also fall flat," he asserted. The Bill was passed by a voice vote after debate which could not be held earlier due to frequent disruptions of House proceedings during the last week. "A few members have said the Bill will lead to privatisation of railways, an attempt has been made to set a fake narrative. I want to appeal to them with all sincerity not to do this, their one fake narrative about the Constitution has already failed," Vaishnaw said. The Railways (Amendment) Bill 2024 which seeks to enhance the functioning and independence of the Railway Board was

Key projects, including the PLI scheme for train parts, Gati Shakti inclusion, redevelopment of railway stations, and the multitracking project, are opening unparalleled possibilities for the sector

Data from the core sector up to October reveals a 5.3 per cent increase in electricity generation so far this year

Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said the Railways would run about 13,000 trains, including 3,000 special ones, for the convenience of devotees during the Maha Kumbh. The Union minister, who reached Prayagraj by train from Varanasi to review the Railways' preparations for the mega event, expects about 1.5 to 2 crore passengers to reach the city by train during the mela. The Maha Kumbh will commence on January 13 on the occasion of Paush Purnima and conclude on February 26 on Mahashivratri. After inspecting several stations under the Northeast Railway, Northern Railway and the North Central Railway in Prayagraj, the minister told reporters, "I also inspected the new bridge built over the Ganga, which will soon be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A new bridge has been built over the Ganga here after 100 years." "I personally inspected five stations. The holding areas at these stations, where the devotees will be able to sit till their trains arrive, are very good.

Opposition fears privatisation

The Delhi to Srinagar Vande Bharat sleeper train is set to begin operations in January 2025: Check project updates, stops, ticket prices, and more here

Railways revenues from passenger services during the festive months of September and October in 2024 was Rs 12,159.35 crore, the government informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday. TMC MP Mala Roy raised queries regarding the earnings of Railways through ticket sale and cancellation during festive months. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that from September 1 to October 31, 2024, passenger revenue of the Indian Railways is Rs 12,159.35 crore. Amount credited on account of cancellation of tickets by passengers is not maintained separately, Vaishnaw said. The minister also gave zone-wise data of number of passengers travelled during the period from September 1 to November 10, 2024, according to which, total 143.71 crore people took train journey between the said period and the highest number of travel among all zones was from the Central Railway Zone, ie, 31.63 crore. Further, to cater to the demand during festive season, Indian Railways notified 7,983 trips of

The infrastructure of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited has become more than 25 years old, requiring major renewal of capital assets to ensure safety of traffic, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday. Vaishnaw said the infrastructure replacement requires major capital expenditure and the five shareholders of KRCL - Ministry of Railways, Government of Maharashtra, Government of Karnataka, Government of Goa and Government of Kerala - have been approached by the Ministry of Railways to contribute for capital expenditure or to relinquish their share in favour of the ministry. The minister replied to questions raised by BJP MP Kota Srinivas Poojary, who wanted to know the status of merger of Konkan Railway. There are five shareholders in Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) namely the Ministry of Railways, Government of Maharashtra, Government of Karnataka, Government of Goa and Government of Kerala, Vaishnaw said. The infrastruct

India's first eco-friendly, zero-emission hydrogen-powered train aims to support India's net-zero carbon goals. It will run at a top speed of 110 kmph and reduce noise pollution

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has dismissed media reports claiming delay in starting the manufacturing process for Vande Bharat sleeper trains due to design clearance issues. During a media interaction on Thursday, Vaishnaw said that design was never an issue with the Russian firm roped in to manufacture these train sets. Earlier, a section of media quoting officials from the Russian company Transmashholding (TMH) reported that Indian Railways demanded toilets and a pantry car in the train which necessitated tweaking the trains' design. The reports further said the firm addressed Railway Ministry's concerns with a change in design and sent it to the ministry for clearance, which, however, hasn't responded with its consent. As per the contracts, the firm is supposed to manufacture 1,920 sleeper coaches. However, Vaishnaw said these reports were baseless as the real issues were with regard to the limited manufacturing capabilities of the firm because in Russia, trains have less

Complete Track Circuiting of stations to enhance safety by verification of track occupancy by electrical means has been provided at 6,619 stations up to October 31 this year, he added

G G Tronics India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd, has bagged an order from Chittaranjan Locomotive Works in West Bengal for the supply and installation of KAVACH equipment, the company said. G G Tronics India Pvt Ltd is a developmental vendor and specialises in designing, manufacturing, installing Electronic Safety Embedded Signalling Systems for the Railways. It also provides the Train Collision Avoidance System, also referred to as Automatic Train Protection Systems or 'KAVACH', a company statement here said. "..the company has secured a prestigious KAVACH order from Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, West Bengal. The scope of the order comprises Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of on-board KAVACH equipment as per RDSO (Research Design and Standards Organisation) specifications including maintenance for 11 years," the statement said on Wednesday. The order value is between Rs 500 crore to Rs 600 crore and execution time for this order is

RRBs have announced exam city intimation slip for the Sub-Inspector (Executive) in the Railway Protection Force and Railway Protection Special Force recruitment exam from the official website

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has undertaken several measures to address challenges faced during winter months, including equipment to help navigation through fog and specialised training for its staff. "By combining advanced technology with stringent safety protocols, the NFR is committed towards maintaining high standards of safety, efficiency and passenger service throughout the challenging winter and foggy season," it said in a statement here. A feedback mechanism has also been implemented to track the progress of the safety measures which are in adherence to the Railway Board's directives, it added. To prevent rail and weld failures during low temperatures, thorough examinations and lubrication of rail joints are being conducted alongside de-stressing of LWR/CWR (long welded rails/continuously welded rails) as needed. RF/WF-prone (rail failure/weld failure) locations have been identified for necessary recoupment, the statement said. Cold weather patrolling has been ...

The East Coast Railway (ECoR) plans to install the Kavach, train collision avoidance system, an official said. The Kavach system will be installed between Ranital (Bhadrak) in Odisha and Duvvada (Visakhapatnam) in Andhra Pradesh, a vital section of the Howrah-Chennai main line covering a distance of 595 km. "Tender has been notified for the survey, design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of Kavach equipment, as well as other associated works, with an estimated value of about Rs 280 crore," an official statement said. The installation of Kavach, the indigenous train collision avoidance system, is a top priority set by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to enhance safety on busy and critical rail corridors. "A detailed estimation is underway for installing Kavach in the remaining sections of ECoR. It is also focusing on modern signalling and interlocking systems to minimize human error," it said. Kavach, an indigenously developed automatic train protection (ATP) sys

The Railway Board has asked all its zones to lodge FIR against reel creators if they pose threat to safe rail operations or cause inconvenience to the passengers in the coaches or on the railway premises. The Railway Board's instruction follows recent cases wherein people, mainly youngsters, compromised rail safety by filming stunt videos on railway tracks and in moving trains using their mobile phones. "People have crossed all limits for making reels. They not only risk their own lives, but also jeopardise the safety of hundreds of rail passengers by placing objects or running vehicles on the railway tracks or by performing life-threatening stunts on moving trains," a senior Railway Board official said. "Viral videos have shown people getting killed by approaching trains while taking selfies because they went too close to the track without realising how much area a train can cover at a short time. Many died on the spot after being hit by train," he added. According to Railway Boar

Union minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said Jammu will get a separate railway division as the railway ministry has accepted a proposal in this regard. In a series of posts on X, Singh also said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is personally monitoring the progress of the railway infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi is keen to reinforce the railway facility and railway administrative structure in Jammu, which is soon going to be an important railway junction when the Kashmir valley, for the first time, gets connected with the rest of the country through a rail network, Singh, the minister of state for personnel, said. "Heartening news for #Jammu...Railways to set up exclusive Division Headquarter at Jammu...A delegation of Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, led by its President Sh Arun Gupta, met me with a proposal to set up the Railways Division headquarter at Jammu," he said in a post on the microblogging platform. "The matter was taken up with Railways Minister Sh ...

More than 1,400 male passengers were arrested by RPF in the Eastern Railway zone in October for travelling in train compartments designated for women, an official said on Saturday. Urging male passengers not to travel in ladies' compartments or ladies' special trains, the official said that women passengers may dial 139 to get help from the railway authorities in case of any inconvenience. The Railway Protection Force in the ER zone registered more than 1,200 cases and arrested over 1,400 male passengers for travelling in train compartments designated for women only, he said. Among them, 262 passengers were arrested in Howrah division, 574 in Sealdah, 176 in Malda and 392 offenders in Asansol, the official said in a statement. The penal measures will be initiated against offenders, including both fines and imprisonment, for boarding train compartments designated for women only.

Amid the festive rush, Indian Railways is making every effort to ensure safe travel for the passengers and avoid any untoward incidents, the Railway Ministry said on Wednesday. "Transporting people across India during Diwali and Chhath is a challenging task, but after successfully managing similar operations during Navratri and Durga Puja, Indian Railways is now fully prepared to help the commuters reach their native places for the ongoing Diwali and the upcoming Chhath celebrations," the ministry said in a press statement. It also urged the passengers that if they come across any suspicious substances on railway premises, they should inform it to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) using the designated helpline 139 and the RailMadad portal. "As Diwali approaches, bringing light, joy and a surge in travel across the country, the RPF has implemented strengthened safety measures to ensure secure and seamless train journeys for millions of passengers," the statement said. "To ensure sa

Days after a stampede at the Bandra Terminus here, the Western Railway has said a penalty will be imposed if the luggage of passengers exceeds the permissible limit for their respective travel class and urged people not to overcrowd stations. Each passenger is permitted to carry a certain amount of luggage without charge, but items such as scooters and bicycles, as well as consignments exceeding dimensions of 100 cm x 100 cm x 70 cm do not qualify for the free allowance, the WR said in a release on Tuesday. "Western Railway urges all passengers to avoid overcrowding at stations and to enter premises only as necessary, in accordance with train schedules, while adhering to the established luggage limits," the release stated. The step has taken to reduce congestion on platforms and facilitate smoother movement for passengers within the station premises, it said. The Western Railway has appealed to all passengers to follow the rules pertaining to carrying the maximum limit of free ...