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After Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first Vande Bharat Sleeper train from West Bengal's Malda on Saturday, the Railway Ministry said that its commercial operations for common passengers will begin soon. "This train is not available for booking for common passengers at present. But efforts are being made in the booking system to include it," a senior railway official said. The date from which the train will be available for general passengers has not yet been decided, he said. Many people who arrived at Assam's Kamakhya railway station to attend the virtual launch of the Vande Bharat Sleeper version by the Prime Minister, who was in Malda to physically flag off one train set, said the Railways should start the train's commercial run as soon as possible so that its benefits can be availed by needy travellers. On January 8, 2026, the ministry released a circular notifying the train's timetable and stoppages. According to the circular, one train set (Train No 27576) will
Indian Railways has achieved a significant milestone in its journey towards self-reliant rail technology with the successful completion of the final high-speed trial of the indigenously designed Vande Bharat sleeper train, ministry officials said on Wednesday. "The trial, conducted under the supervision of the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), took place on the Kota-Nagda section, where the train achieved a maximum speed of 180 kmph," it added, without specifying a new date for its launch. The Vande Bharat sleeper train has missed several launch deadlines in the past. In mid-November, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that this train would be launched in December 2025. Vaishnaw shared a video of the safety trial on his social media handle X on December 30, showcasing a water-glass stability demonstration, in which glasses filled with water remained steady without spillage even at high speed. "Vande Bharat Sleeper tested today by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, ran at 1
The East Coast Railway (ECoR) loaded a total of 68.19 million tonne of freight from April to June 2025, compared to 62.2 million tonne during the same period last year, a growth of 9.69 per cent, an official said. In the month of June this year, freight loading reached 23.15 million tonne, an increase of 7.72 per cent compare to over 21.49 million tonne loaded in June 2024. The daily average freight loading by East Coast Railway currently stands at 0.75 million tonne, keeping the zone on track to achieve its annual target for the fiscal year 202526, the official said. This consistent growth is attributed to efficient planning, improved operational management, and proactive coordination with freight customers across sectors like coal, iron ore, cement, and fertilizers, the official added.
The railway ministry will fill 60 per cent posts of train controllers through the direct recruitment process conducted by the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB). According to the reforms announced by the ministry on June 25, 60 per cent vacancies in the control department will be filled with graduate-level candidates recruited directly by the RRB. "How this examination will be conducted and what it will be called are some of the issues yet to be decided by the competent authority," Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board, said. Officials associated with the control department said till 2017, direct recruitment used to happen in the department through the Railway Traffic Apprentice Exams conducted by the RRB. "However, the examination was discontinued in 2017 after which direct recruitment in the control department was stopped and all posts used to be filled through the feeder cadre, such as guards, station masters and train clerks," a railway official