Railway Ministry

No provision of free travel for Maha Kumbh Mela: Railways ministry

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

Railways Amendment Bill passed; won't lead to privatisation, says Vaishnaw

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

Vande Bharat sleeper trains to undergo field trials soon: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The first prototype of the Vande Bharat sleeper trainset has been manufactured and will undergo field trials soon, the government informed Parliament on Friday. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw added that the timeline for the rollout of the train is subject to a successful completion of the trials. According to the minister, the Vande Bharat sleeper trains, planned for long and medium-distance journeys, are equipped with modern features and passenger amenities. Vaishnaw highlighted some of the distinguished features and amenities of these trains, such as the automatic train protection system Kavach, latest fire-safety standards compliance, crashworthy and jerk-free semi-permanent couplers and anti-climbers, a regenerative braking system for energy efficiency, higher average speed with quick deceleration and acceleration, among others. Talking about medium-distance Vande Bharat train services, Vaishnaw said as on December 2, 136

India will continue to grow at 6-8% for next 5 years: Ashwini Vaishnaw

India will continue to grow at 6-8 per cent for the next five years due to the transformative changes ushered in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the face of global turmoil and geopolitical tensions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday. Addressing the NDTV Indian Of The Year Awards function, Vaishnaw said India's growth story was based on four pillars of massive public investments, focus on manufacturing and innovation, inclusive growth and simplification of laws. Vaishnaw said the world saw India as a ray of hope in times of global turmoil, two wars, disruption of supply chains and the hit taken by the world economy due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The minister credited Modi's "considered thought process" and "clearly laid out plans" for India's sustained economic growth. "We can say with a very high degree of confidence that India will continue to grow at 6-8 per cent real growth, 10-14 per cent nominal growth and a very moderate inflation for the

The Railways Amendment Bill 2024 seeks to simplify legal framework

Opposition fears privatisation

Railways gives Rs 56,993 cr subsidy on tickets every year: Ashwini Vaishnaw

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

CPI submits breach of privilege motion in RS against Ashwini Vaishnaw

CPI floor leader in Rajya Sabha P Sandosh Kumar on Monday submitted a breach of privilege motion against Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, accusing him of misleading the House by providing figures contradictory to the ministry's own data submitted earlier to the House. According to a statement issued by the CPI, the ministry, in response to a question raised by CPI MP P P Suneer on safety of railway workers, provided the number of 65 deaths and 569 injuries from 2014-15 to 2023-24, a period of 10 years. However, in an earlier reply in Rajya Sabha on December 8, 2023, the ministry said that 361 railway workers died due to train accidents during maintenance work on rail tracks in the last five years (from 2019-20 to 27.11.2023), the statement said. The CPI said the ministry's reply on Monday sharply contradict the figures provided by it earlier in the Rajya Sabha. The party said in a sub-question of the raised question, Suneer had asked for the zone-wise details of the number of dea

Nirmala Sitharaman to move bill to amend banking laws in Lok Sabha tomorrow

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to move the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the lower house of Parliament on Monday.As per the schedule issued by the secretariat, Sitharaman is expected to move the Bill further to amend the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, the State Bank of India Act, 1955, the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 and the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1980, be taken into consideration and passing tomorrow in Lok Sabha.Union Railways Minister Ashqini Vaishnaw is also expected to move a bill further to amend the Railways Act, 1989, for consideration and passing, the schedule read.Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal is expected to introduce the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, in Lok Sabha on Monday.The Bill will seek to amend the law relating to regulation of coastal shipping, promote coasting trade and ...

Railway collected Rs 12k cr from passenger services during festivals: Govt

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

Rail freight grows 1.5% in October to 131 million tonnes, shows data

In contrast, the railways had achieved a cargo growth of 8.5 per cent in October 2023

Ashwini Vaishnaw visits New Delhi station to review passenger amenities

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the New Delhi railway station on Friday evening to review passenger amenities and travel arrangements during the ongoing festive rush. After speaking to some of the passengers waiting on the platforms for their trains, Vaishnaw expressed satisfaction over the crowd management by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and rail officials. Some of the passengers also said that they did not face any difficulty in reaching the platforms due to proper crowd management. Speaking to mediapersons, Vaishnaw praised the initiatives taken by the railway officials for a smooth travel experience. He also praised the passengers for their cooperation in maintaining order at the station. According to Vaishnaw, the Indian Railways operated 4,500 special trains during Diwali and Chhath festivals last year and the number of such special trains has been increased to 7,435 this year. "Till October 31, 51 lakh people travelled on these special trains to reach their

Indian Railways goes back to 60-day advance ticket booking window

Reversed 2015 order of 120-day advance booking for operational efficiency, say officials

Railways to cut advance booking period from 120 days to 60: New rules here

The Indian Railways clarified that the bookings made under the current 120-day ARP before October 31 will remain valid

Govt laying process of development beyond election cycles: Vaishnaw

The government is laying the process of development which is 'beyond the cycle of elections' for India to be able to grow six to seven times the current level to become a developed nation by 2047, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday. Addressing a symposium by the Indian Foundation for Quality Management (IFQM), the Minister for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, said one of the key elements of the government's goal of a developed nation is having "a very inclusive and harmonious society". For India to become a developed nation by 2047, the target for measurable parameters is "USD 18,000 per capita income and USD 30 trillion nominal GDP", he said. "Today, we are just shy of USD 4 trillion nominal (GDP), just shy of about USD 3,000 nominal per capita. It means we have a path where we need to grow about '6x' '7x' in the next 25 years," Vaishnaw asserted. Sharing the government's approach to meet the target, the minister said, "It needs a very ...

Railway accidents have reduced to just 40 per year: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Addressing concerns about railway accidents, Vaishnaw mentioned significant advancements in safety measures, including the completion of Kavach 4.2

FM reviews Railway Ministry's capex plan, asks to expedite 'Kavach' system

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday reviewed the capex plan of the Railways Ministry and asked officials to focus on safety and convenience of commuters. Sitharaman also told the officials to expedite the implementation of Kavach system (India's indigenous Automatic Train Protection (ATP) system) in a phased manner and meet the allocated capex target in the stipulated timeframe. MoR officials informed the Minister that Kavach-related works are currently in progress in over 3000RKm (route km) on the Delhi-Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai sections. "Underlining the focus of the government on providing 'ease of living' for citizens, Sitharaman urged the officials of the Ministry of Railways to focus on capacity augmentation, safety and commuter convenience, including doubling and electrification of existing railway tracks and also laying of new railway lines across the country as per the capex outlay provisioned in the Union Budget," a finance ministry statement said. Sitharaman als

Bhuj-Ahmedabad Vande Metro has been renamed to Namo Bharat Rapid Rail

The Railway Ministry has renamed the Bhuj-Ahmedabad Vande Metro to Namo Bharat Rapid Rail hours before its inaugural run on Monday, according to a spokesperson. The service will be flagged off from the Bhuj railway station at 4:15 pm virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be present in Ahmedabad, he said. The Rapid Rail, which aims to enhance intercity connectivity, will cover 359 km distance from Bhuj to Ahmedabad in 5:45 hours. In between, the train will stop at nine stations. For the public, the regular service will start on September 17 from Ahmedabad. The total journey will cost Rs 455. "The ministry has decided to rename Vande Metro to Namo Bharat Rapid Rail," the Railway spokesperson said. According to the Railway Ministry, while the other metros cover only short distances, Namo Bharat trains will connect the heart of Ahmedabad with its peripheral cities. Featuring 12 coaches with seating for 1,150 passengers, the Rapid Rail offers a host of innovative features

PM Modi to visit Jharkhand today to flag off 6 new Vande Bharat trains

The six new Vande Bharat trains that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off on Sunday for different locations, offer faster connectivity, safe journey and a range of passenger amenities, the Railway Ministry has said. These new trains would also bolster the rapidly growing fleet of this modern innovation from 54 train sets to 60 with 120 trips daily covering over 280 districts across 24 states and union territories, the ministry said in the statement issued on Saturday. Prime Minister Modi will travel to Jharkhand today and flag off six Vande Bharat trains at Tatanagar Junction Railway Station around 10 am, according to a release by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). "The Vande Bharat Portfolio is ever-expanding with new train services being added for enhanced connectivity," the statement read. "Indigenously designed under the 'Make in India' initiative, it offers cutting-edge features delivering luxury and efficiency to millions of passengers, it added. The six new routes tha

RRB NTPC 2024 notification out for 11,558 posts, registration to begin soon

The Railway Recruitment Board has released the official notification for the RRB NTPC Recruitment 2024. The recruitment drive aims to fill 11,558 vacancies

Indigenous Kavach will be implemented in mission mode in country: Vaishnaw

Modern technology like Kavach that was developed in the country will now be implemented in a mission mode, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said. The minister stated this in his welcome address before the flagging-off of three Vande Bharat trains by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Vaishnaw that India has elected the leadership of PM Modi for the third time that is decisive, visionary and forward-looking and its impact is visible in every aspect of life including in Railways. "It always lacked technology and investment and nothing changed for decades," Vaishnaw said alleging that a technical organisation like the Railways was politicised. "PM Narendra Modi brought extensive changes to it. Investment in Railways was ten times enhanced. He encouraged us to adopt new technologies. And above all he changed our mindset," Vaishnaw said. The minister referred to various initiatives like the electrification of tracks, the introduction of Vande Bharat trains, the trial of Van