Indian Railway News

Railways to hire tech-enabled teams to clean long-distance trains: Vaishnaw

The Railway Ministry on Saturday launched a reform aimed at enhancing cleanliness in long-distance trains by deploying tech-enabled professional teams. Introducing the reform, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told mediapersons that all coaches, including general class, will be cleaned as and when required. This will be done by establishing clear responsibility and accountability for deployed service providers and engaging professional, self-disciplined and proactive teams that exceed customer expectations. Under the existing Clean Train Station scheme, trains are cleaned at designated stations along their routes. Under the new reform, the cleaning will be carried out throughout the journey at hourly intervals or as required by trained staff deployed onboard, Vaishnaw added. He stated that monitoring, feedback and performance management will be conducted on a real-time basis with the help of technology. The services will include cleaning of all coaches, toilets and basins; garbage

Jindal Stainless partners with Railways to make stainless steel salt containers

Jindal Stainless has partnered with the Indian Railways to manufacture stainless steel salt containers in the country. The integration of stainless steel into salt transport logistics marks remarkable milestone indicating growing consumption of corrosion free value-added steel in the Railways industry, Jindal Stainless said. In a statement, the company said it has partnered with Indian Railways to develop India's first corrosion-resistant stainless steel salt container. A prototype successfully underwent loading and unloading trials at Bhimasar, Gandhidham, Gujarat on February 10, 2026. The 20-foot salt container has been fabricated entirely in 304 grade stainless steel. Commenting on the partnership, company's Managing Director Abhyuday Jindal said salt transportation is highly vulnerable to corrosion, particularly in coastal environments, leads to frequent repairs, premature asset failure, and significant resource wastage. "With India's container market growing steadily, driven

Railways seeks Centre's nod for MP project that may fell over 120,000 trees

The Indian Railways has sought final approval from the Centre to begin gauge conversion of the Mhow-Khandwa line in Madhya Pradesh that could lead to felling of over 1.2 lakh trees, officials have said. Once approval is granted by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the trees could be cleared for the broad gauge line across dense forests in two districts, they said on Thursday. Officials said the 156-km broad-gauge line will replace the 118-km narrow-gauge track laid during the pre-independence princely state era. The gauge conversion work is ongoing and is expected to be completed within the next two years. In a statement, Mukesh Kumar, public relations officer of Western Railway's Ratlam division, said the remaining gauge conversion work for the roughly 90-km Mhow (Dr Ambedkar Nagar)-Omkareshwar Road section requires final clearance from the central ministry. "Construction will take place on about 454 hectares of forest land between Mhow and ...

RailTel secures ₹455 crore Kavach project from West Central Railway

RailTel has a project valued at ₹454.95 crore for Survey, Design, Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of Trackside Kavach Systems across key routes of the Jabalpur Division of WCR

Railways begins viability assessment for 7 new bullet train corridors

Railway Board has asked NHSRCL to update DPRs with current costs for seven proposed high-speed rail corridors, as India looks to accelerate bullet train expansion beyond Mumbai-Ahmedabad

Triumphs and tragedies: The extraordinary journey of India's first railway

On August 15, 1854, a five-coach train pulled by a British-made locomotive left Howrah at 8:30 am for Hooghly without any fanfare -- signalling an engineering triumph and the beginning of eastern India's first railway. However, this historic milestone achieved by the then-East Indian Railway (EIR), whose massive network would eventually reach Delhi by the 1860s, was preceded by a series of unfortunate events that delayed its arrival on the country's landscape and in people's consciousness. A new book on the birth and evolution of the EIR and the East India Railway Company that established it, based on multiple 19th-century-era accounts drawn from a range of archives, has endeavoured to offer an "unbiased narrative" of this railway and the men who built it, brick by brick and steel by steel. "Before the inaugural run, the EIR had already stirred public curiosity in Bengal with its first locomotive-only trial on June 29, 1854, from Howrah to Pandooah, followed by an experimental run o

Rlys' financial health improved in last 10 yrs, surplus revenue: Vaishnaw

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said the financial health of the railways department has improved a lot in the last 10 years and it now has a small revenue surplus after meeting all costs. Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said 5.04 lakh jobs were generated during the 2014-24 period while another 1.5 lakh employment is being provided in the third term of the government. Vaishnaw said there have been concerted efforts in the last 10 years to increase freight traffic, enhance passenger revenue, besides controlling cost. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there has been a lot of improvement in the financial health of the Indian Railways in the last 10 years," he said while replying to a question by senior BJP member Laxmikant Bajpayee. Elaborating further, Vaishnaw said the railways staff cost stands around Rs 1.18 lakh crore for about 12 lakh employees while 18 lakh pensioners cost Rs 65,000 ..

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