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In an unprecedented move that railway experts say amounts to "surrendering to protesters", the Railway Board on Friday has cancelled over 250 trains connecting New Delhi and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations with destinations across the country ahead of a protest planned by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) on October 10, demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The cancellations cover passenger trains scheduled to depart from their originating stations after 2 pm on October 9, as well as those scheduled to arrive at New Delhi or Hazrat Nizamuddin railway stations between 4 am and 2 pm on October 10. Trains scheduled to depart from these two stations for their respective destinations, along with local trains, have also been cancelled, taking the total number of cancellations to over 250. The move has drawn sharp criticism over the inconvenience caused to thousands of passengers. A section of railway experts, passenger bodies and recognised federations have criticis
Diversified public sector enterprise Balmer Lawrie & Co Ltd is expanding its domestic logistics operations, including rail logistics and third-party logistics, while aligning its travel businesses with the growth in domestic tourism as geopolitical tensions and tariff protectionism disrupt global supply chains. Addressing the company's 109th Annual General Meeting here on Monday, its Chairman Adhip Nath Palchaudhuri said the company was adapting its operations to an increasingly volatile global environment, where geopolitical developments and national security considerations were increasingly influencing global trade. The company is expanding its supply chain touchpoints with greater emphasis on domestic logistics operations, including its new rail logistics and third-party logistics businesses, he said. Balmer Lawrie's logistics business already provides integrated supply chain solutions through its network of container freight stations, warehouses and specialised cold-chain ...
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) found that the Railway Ministry had framed several norms for passenger amenities at stations; however, zones failed to comply, leading to widespread discrepancies in services, including the presence of E. coli bacteria in drinking water from water coolers and unhygienic conditions in washrooms, among others. "Bacteriological analysis of drinking water was not carried out at 59 stations over six zones," the CAG said in its report -- Passenger amenities and sanitation at non-suburban railway stations in Indian Railways -- tabled in Parliament on August 12. "Water sample from water cooler was positive for E-coli at two stations (Coimbatore and Palakkad Junctions) in SR (Southern Railway), one station (Hyderabad) in SCR (South Central Railway), four stations (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bhiwandi Road, Kalyan and Lonavala) in CR (Central Railway) and one station (Madhupur) in ER (Eastern Railway)," it added after studying ...
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has flagged delays in achieving the intended outcomes of enhancing operational safety in the Railways, noting that 20,304 safety-related railway works remained unfinished during the financial year 2024-25. The government's financial watchdog, which tabled its report in Parliament on Wednesday, provided an analytical review of the finances and accounts of the Indian Railways based on the audited accounts for the year ended March 2025. A press note highlighting the major findings of the audit said, "Over 20,304 safety-related works remain unfinished, indicating delays in achieving intended safety outcomes." Flagging another concerning area related to the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), a dedicated fund created for safety-related works, it said that the Indian Railways was supposed to contribute a large amount of its own resources to the RRSK but contributed much less than planned. "Railways contributed only a small fraction of the ..
Jindal Stainless said it has supplied 40 per cent of the total stainless steel requirement for India's first hydrogen-powered train, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. With this, India has joined a select group of countries with operational hydrogen-powered trains and marks an important step towards the adoption of clean and sustainable mobility in the railway sector. In a statement on Friday, the company said it has supplied about 40 per cent of the total stainless steel requirement for India's first hydrogen-powered train. "The premium austenitic stainless steel grade X5CrNi1810, exclusively supplied by Jindal Stainless' Jajpur and Hisar plants, has been used in the fabrication of the hydrogen train," the country's largest stainless steel player said. Jindal Stainless Managing Director Abhyuday Jindal said the future of mobility will be defined by advanced materials that make these technologies more efficient, durable and sustainable. The company said stainle