Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasised the need for three times more efforts on safety, maintenance, quality, and training to modernise infrastructure and provide a world-class experience to commuters. While conferring the 69th Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar to 101 railway officials and 22 shields to best performing zones in different categories on Saturday at the Bharat Mandapam here, Vaishnaw announced a significant focus on maintenance, innovation, industry collaborations, enhanced inspection systems, and improved training for officers and technicians, incorporating feedback from grassroots levels. Chairman & CEO of Railway Board, Satish Kumar, Members of the Railway Board, and General Managers of various Railway Zones and Production Units attended he event. According to a press statement from the Railway Board, Vaishnaw highlighted the transformative progress achieved by the Railways over the past decade. He emphasised the rapid construction pace, completing projects ...
The Ministry of Railways on Wednesday dismissed as "baseless" claims that passengers would be allowed to travel free of cost during the Maha Kumbh Mela, and said no such provision exists. "It has come to the attention of Indian Railways that certain media outlets are circulating reports claiming that passengers will be allowed to travel free of cost during the Maha Kumbh Mela," it said in a statement. "Indian Railways categorically denies these reports, as they are entirely baseless and misleading," the statement said. "Travelling without a valid ticket is strictly prohibited under the rules and regulations of Indian Railways and constitutes a punishable offense. There are no provisions for free travel during Maha Kumbh Mela or any other occasion," the ministry added. It added that the Indian Railways was committed to ensuring seamless travel for passengers during the Maha Kumbh. "Adequate arrangements are being made, including the establishment of special holding areas, additiona
Indian Railways, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh State Bridge Corporation, has undertaken a project to elevate railway tracks to remove level crossings before next year's Maha Kumbh, officials said on Sunday. The initiative is set to ease traffic congestion, save travel time, and provide significant relief to city residents, they added. Celebrated in a cycle of 12 years, the Maha Kumbh will be held in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26. Rail under bridges (RUBs) and rail over bridges (ROBs) are ready on almost all the level crossings in Prayagraj where movement will start fully before the mega event, officials said. Alongside the spiritual festivities, the Maha Kumbh has accelerated industrial growth and commercial development across the region. A major highlight of this transformation is the removal of level crossings, made possible through the collaborative efforts of Indian Railways and the State Bridge Corporation. Amit Malviya, senior public relations officer, .
A day after Uddhav Thackeray slammed the BJP over a demolition notice issued by the Railways to a temple outside Mumbai's Dadar station, ruling party leaders claimed on Saturday that they have got it stayed. BJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha said the Dadar Hanuman temple will be protected. Lodha visited the shrine near Platform No. 12 at Dadar East, adjacent to the Central Railway station. He interacted with the temple trustees and joined the aarti'. MLA Kalidas Kolambkar and members of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad were also present at the temple. Lodha said he had spoken with Union Railway Minister Ashwnin Vaishnaw and an order has been issued to halt the demolition. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Thackeray on Friday claimed that Railways had issued a fatwa' (edict) to bring down the 80-year-old Hanuman temple built by porters. Taking a dig at the BJP's ek hai to safe hai slogan, he said even temples are not safe in the saffron party's regime. After his temple visit, Lodha, wh
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
Minister assures opp that bill won't cause privatisation, calls it "fake narrative"
During the discussion in the parliament, Congress MP Manoj Kumar raised concerns about the proposed Bill, stating that its passage could undermine the autonomy of Indian Railways
Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) have announced the RRB ALP answer keys 2024. Candidates can download the provisional key alongside question papers and responses from the RRB's official website
As of March 31, 2024, 99,809 women employees were working in the Indian Railways, including 2,037 loco pilots, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Wednesday. Vaishnaw was responding to questions raised by BJP MP Doctor Manna Lal Rawat who wanted to know the details regarding women employees in the Indian Railways and those who are in train operation. Rawat also asked about the number of women working as loco pilots in train operation and the percentage of women loco pilots as compared to men. Vaishnaw in response said, Direct recruitment to various posts in the Indian Railways is done as per the laid down procedure. Irrespective of gender, all the candidates fulfilling the prescribed eligibility criteria are eligible for the recruitment. As on 31.03.2024, 99,809 women employees are working in Indian Railways which includes 2,037 loco pilots, the Railway Minister added.
A total subsidy of Rs 56,993 crore is given every year by the Indian Railways to all categories of passengers, with a 46 per cent rebate on every ticket, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday. Replying to multiple questions in the Lok Sabha on restoring discounts given to various categories of train passengers, he said if the price of a ticket is Rs 100, then the railways charges just Rs 54 for it -- a discount of 46 per cent. "A total of Rs 56,993 crore subsidy is given every year by the Indian Railways to all classes of passengers," Vaishnaw said during the Question Hour. Replying to another question on rapid train service, he said the railways has already started such a service -- Namo Bharat Rapid Rail -- between Bhuj and Ahmedabad and the satisfaction level of passengers is extremely high due to its superior service. Officials said Namo Bharat Rapid Rail has improved intercity connectivity by covering the 359-kilometre distance between Bhuj and Ahmedabad in 5 hou
Apart from special trains, the Indian Railways earmarked Rs 933 crore for developing and upgrading different infrastructure and facilities for passengers during Kumbh Mela 2025
Recently Congress MP Kuldeep Indora raised the question of whether there is a lack of cleanliness of bedding provided by the railways to its passengers
Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday inspected a track slab manufacturing factory for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project near Surat in Gujarat. Vaishnaw said all the equipment at the factory in Kim was initially brought from Japan before their manufacturing was started in India, which will be beneficial for upcoming construction projects. "This factory at Kim is the largest in India and one of the largest track slab factories in the world. The workers have a very high skill level here. Those engaged in validation, test and check also have a very high skill level, and they have maintained very good standards," Vaishnaw told mediapersons after the visit. He said the experience in manufacturing equipment in India after initially bringing them from Japan will benefit future construction projects. The track slab manufacturing factory, set up near Surat to support India's first bullet train project, is designed to produce high-capacity ballast-less track slabs using ...
Apprising the Lower House about the Indian Railways' endeavour to provide safe and potable drinking water facilities at all stations
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
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
As many as 136 Vande Bharat train services were operational with enhanced safety features and modern passenger amenities as on November 21, the government has informed the Lok Sabha. In a written reply on Wednesday, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said these safety features and modern passenger amenities were automatic train protection system KAVACH, faster acceleration, fully-sealed gangway, automatic plug doors, better ride comfort, mini pantry with provision of hot case, bottle cooler, deep freezer and hot water boiler, among many others. The minister was responding to questions raised by nine MPs from various political parties who wanted to know the rationale behind launching the Vande Bharat Express, their occupancy, amenities, passenger feedback and services in Maharashtra as well as on the New Delhi-Kathgodam route. Vaishnaw said, "Presently, 22 Vande Bharat services, on originating or terminating basis, are catering to the needs of stations located in the state of ...
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
Indian Railways is advancing the electrification of Broad Gauge railway lines at a mission-driven pace, achieving approximately 97 per cent electrification of its total Broad Gauge network, Union Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw stated in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.Vaishnaw noted that around 45,200 route kilometres of the Broad Gauge network have been electrified since 2014-15. He highlighted a significant increase in the pace of electrification, from approximately 1.42 km per day during 2004-14 to about 19.7 km per day in 2023-24.He further emphasised that electric traction is not only more environmentally friendly but also approximately 70 per cent more economical compared to diesel traction.The Union Minister stressed the importance of a reliable power supply for electric train operations. The system incorporates multiple safeguards, including connections to the national grid through state and
Railway properties worth Rs 313 crore were damaged due to several train accidents in the past five years, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. "Total cost of damages to railway property such as rolling stock/tracks etc, in consequential train accidents during the past five years (from April 2019 to March 2024) have been assessed as Rs 313 crore," Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply. The minister was responding to questions on the total financial loss incurred by the government due to train accidents raised by five MPs -- S Venkatesan, K Subbarayan, PC Gaddigoudar, Selvaraj V and Balwant Baswant Wankhade -- from different political parties. Responding to questions regarding the number of victims who had availed of insurance through e-tickets, Vaishnaw said 22 claims were registered under the Optional Travel Insurance Scheme during the period from November 1, 2019, to October 31, 2024. "No death claims were registered during the period from ...