Indian Railway News

Indian Railways' punctuality falls from 90% to 73.62%: Parliament panel

Parliamentary committee raised concerns over the Railways' method of measuring delays, stating that a 15-minute buffer allowance dilutes the accuracy of performance assessment

Railways get record Budget support for projects across states: Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said record allocations have been made for his ministry in the Budget to complete pending projects and undertake new works in all states for people's benefit. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday announced budgetary support of Rs 2.78 lakh crore and a total capital expenditure of Rs 2.93 lakh crore for the Railways. She also proposed seven high-speed corridors connecting major cities and a new EastWest Dedicated Freight Corridor between Dankuni in West Bengal and Surat in Gujarat. Providing reporters with a state-wise breakup of expenses earmarked for railway projects from the total capital expenditure outlay, Vaishnaw noted that Uttar Pradesh will receive Rs 20,012 crore, Rajasthan Rs 10,228 crore, Madhya Pradesh Rs 15,188 crore, Chhattisgarh Rs 7,470 crore, and Maharashtra Rs 24,000 crore. He also mentioned allocation figures for several other states and ongoing projects to state that these amounts are several times higher than

RRB Group D application process 2026 postponed; check revised schedule

The RRB Group D application process, earlier scheduled to begin Jan 21, will now start on Jan 31. Candidates can register now for the RRB Group D post on the official website at www.rrbapply.gov.in

Railway cooperative societies asked to align bye-laws with amended Act

Cooperative Election Authority (CEA) on Monday called on railway employee cooperative societies to align their bylaws with amended legislation, as the regulator works to strengthen democratic governance in the sector. The meeting brought together representatives from 16 multi-state cooperative societies of railway employees, with more than 40 office bearers attending, the authority said in a statement. The discussions centered on aligning society bylaws with the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023, establishing representative general bodies, and ensuring timely election proposals are submitted at least six months before boards complete their tenures. CEA Chairperson Devendra Kumar Singh said the body has conducted 220 elections since its establishment, with 70 currently underway nationwide. The authority was created following 2023 amendments to oversee electoral rolls and conduct elections in multi-state cooperative societies. India has approximately 18 ...

Guwahati-Howrah Vande Bharat Sleeper commercial services to start soon

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 awards €62 million loco maintenance contract to Alstom

French rolling stock maker Alstom has secured a €62 million Indian Railways contract to maintain WAG-12B electric locomotives at the Sabarmati depot till 2031

Vande Bharat sleeper clears final high-speed trial at 180 kmph: Railways

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

Railway fare hike kicks in today: Here's how passengers are affected

Indian Railways has implemented a fresh fare hike from today, raising ticket prices by up to two paise per kilometre on select trains while sparing suburban services and season ticket holders

Train tickets to get costlier from December 26. Check revised fares

Railways says fare hike applies to longer journeys, suburban and short-distance travel spared

Train travel and excess luggage: Do passengers face airport-style charges?

Passengers can carry limited baggage free, but excess weight attracts charges under the railway rules

How Indian Railways plans to earn more from things usually thrown away

The Niti Aayog in July this year commissioned a study to analyse existing NFR sources, identify new areas of revenue generation, and propose actionable strategies for maximising NFR

Diwali special Vande Bharat Express: Check schedule, routes & more

Indian Railways has launched the Vande Bharat Festival Special Express for Diwali. The special trains will run on the New Delhi-Patna-New Delhi route, covering 1,000 km in 13.5 hours.

Railways spent ₹1.42 trn on capex in first six months of current fiscal

The ministry utilised 57% of its ₹2.52-trillion annual capital outlay in six months, led by spending on capacity augmentation, safety, and rolling stock

Indian Railways freight volume rises 4% in September, coal demand steady

Indian Railways' freight volume reached 127.5 MT in September 2025, with overall growth led by fertiliser, iron ore, and steel products, even as coal demand remained subdued

Cabinet approves ₹1,865.68 cr productivity-linked bonus for railway staff

The Cabinet approved a ₹1,865.68 crore productivity-linked bonus for 1.09 million railway employees, with a maximum of ₹17,951 per person, ahead of the festive season

India's first hydrogen train clears load tests, set for rollout soon

Earlier this year, the Railway Minister stated that the hydrogen fuel-run train engine developed by Indian Railways has the maximum horsepower in the world

East Coast Railway sees 9.69% growth in freight loading in Q1FY26

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.

Railways to resume direct recruitment for train control posts after 8 years

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

Railways to build 100 MEMUs and 50 Namo Bharat trains for short trips

Railways to produce 100 MEMU and 50 Namo Bharat trains, launch cargo terminal in Manesar, and pilot advance charting to improve short-haul travel and logistics efficiency

Railway stocks rally: RVNL, IRFC, BEML gain up to 11%; Here's why

The surge was led by names like Titagarh Rail, RVNL, IRFC, and BEML. Titagarh Rail Systems emerged as the top gainer, jumping 10.72 per cent to close at ₹895.85, followed by RVNL, which climbed 10.45