Page 10 - Indian Railways

Railways may waive off clerkage charge on waitlisted ticket refund

With millions of tickets cancelled every year, the charge forms a large sum for the railways

Railways to release the reservation chart 8 hours before departure

To reduce uncertainty for waitlisted passengers, Indian Railways will now prepare charts 8 hours ahead of train departure with phased rollout starting this week

Centre committed to invest in Bengal's railway infrastructure: Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said the Centre is committed to investing in the railway sector in West Bengal and has significantly increased allocations as part of its broader push to boost connectivity, cargo movement and support micro and small enterprises in the state. Speaking at the inauguration of the Udyami Sammelan Mela 2025 at the National Library in Kolkata, Vaishnaw said the railway budget for Bengal has seen a sharp rise from around Rs 3,000 crore under the previous regime to around Rs 14,000 crore now. The minister outlined upcoming projects, including the development of the New Jalpaiguri-Kolkata Rail Corridor to world-class standards, a statement said. "A master plan has been prepared for new railway lines, Gati Shakti cargo terminals, and the upgradation of the chicken neck corridor to a four-line network," he said, adding that the Sivok-Siliguri-New Mal Junction section will also be linked to the main corridor. Vaishnaw, the railway minister, said tha

Experts call 25% cap on railway waiting list 'uneconomical, impractical'

The Railway's decision to limit the passenger waiting list to 25 per cent of the capacity of each class has been flagged by reservation supervisors, ticket booking clerks and some senior commercial officers as uneconomical for the railways and inconvenient for travellers. The ministry, however, has justified the decision, saying less than one-fourth of the total number of waiting passengers get confirmed berths on an average and the 25 per cent cap has been placed in view of that. "The decision was made after meticulously studying the waiting list confirmation pattern," said Dilip Kumar the Executive Director of Information and Publicity, Railway Board. He highlighted that earlier, there was an allegation that the Railways allowed a lot of passengers to book berths in the waiting category which led to crowding in trains. "It was also alleged that the Railways earned money on ticket cancellation." Refuting the charge, Kumar stressed the Railways was more concerned about passenger ..

Rail network to reach Naxal-hit Bastar, location survey in concluding stage

A railway line in Naxal-affected Bastar in Chhattisgarh is on the verge of becoming a reality after the final location survey was conducted for the proposed 160-km railway track connecting the remote region in Chhattisgarh with Telangana. This ambitious project will bring the Naxal-affected districts of Sukma, Dantewada and Bijapur into the railway network for the first time, officials said on Friday. The final location survey for the proposed 160 km-long railway line from Kothagudem (Telangana) to Kirandul (Chhattisgarh) has entered its concluding stage. The Indian Railways is conducting the survey using cutting-edge LiDAR technology, and the entire process is being closely monitored by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, given its immense significance for both national security and regional development, officials said. With strong support from the Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai-led state government, the survey work has gained momentum once again. The project aims to open new path

Train controllers say railway reforms leave crucial issues unaddressed

Days after the Ministry of Railways introduced crucial reforms to enhance the working conditions of the train control department and bring it at par with the world class standard, a section of controllers have expressed disappointment for "leaving several important issues unaddressed". On June 25, the ministry announced a slew of reforms for train control department, prominent among them are filling up of 60 per cent post through direct recruitment and 40 per cent from other railway departments through departmental promotional examinations. Besides, the ministry also introduced three-year fixed tenure, better selection criteria, regular performance analysis and several other welfare measures for controllers. However, a section among them felt dissatisfied. "The ministry hasn't given any thought on issues like enhancement of stress allowance and night duty allowance which were very much among important agendas," Servjeet Singh, general secretary of Indian Railway Employees Federatio

Indian Railways likely to hike train fares across classes from July 1

All non-AC coaches on Mail and Express trains are likely to see a hike of 1 paisa per kilometre for passengers

DFCC eyes 40% growth in cargo with same number of trains: MD Praveen Kumar

The Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) between Punjab and Bihar was completed in October 2023 and the Western DFC between Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai will be completed by the end of this year

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

Fire in Daund-Pune shuttle train after passenger throws cigarette; held

A minor fire broke out in the lavatory of the moving Daund-Pune shuttle train on Monday morning after a passenger allegedly threw a lighted cigarette in a dustbin there, causing panic among passengers, police said. The blaze was quickly doused and no one was injured in the incident which occurred near Yavat in Pune district at around 8 am, an official from Daund railway police station said. A 55-year-old person, who prima-facie seemed to be mentally unstable, was detained in connection with the incident and handed over to police, a railway spokesperson said. The train was held up at Yavat station for about 20 minutes due to the incident, as per railway officials. The shuttle train service operates daily between Daund town and Pune city, covering a distance of nearly 75 km and passing through seven stations in between. As per preliminary information, a passenger from Madhya Pradesh allegedly threw a 'bidi' (hand-rolled thin cigarette) into a dustbin of the Daund-Pune DEMU (Diesel .

HBL Engineering bags ₹132.95 cr railway contract for Kavach safety system

The South Central Railway contract includes deploying Kavach across 446 km, covering 48 stations and 10 locomotives, and marks a major step in boosting railway safety

Explained: Tatkal ticket booking new rules: What it means for you | Indian railways | IRCTC

From July 2025, Indian Railways is rolling out major changes to the way Tatkal tickets are booked. The goal is to curb misuse, prevent fraud, and ensure that real passengers—not touts—get a fair shot.

EMU coach derails near Shivaji Bridge in Delhi, no injuries reported

A passenger train from Hazrat Nizamuddin to Ghaziabad derailed near Delhi's Shivaji Bridge. No injuries were reported. Restoration work was completed and services resumed after brief disruption

Mumbai tragedy: Railways may expand local train services to 4,500 a day

Mulling phaseout of old coaches as retrofitting technically tough, says top official

In Bhopal, a ₹18 cr railway bridge with 90-degree turn sparks safety row

Locals fear a sharp turn on a nearly completed Bhopal bridge may cause accidents; officials say a paucity of land and a nearby metro station left them with no alternative

Cabinet clears Rs 6,405-cr rail projects to ease freight congestion

Projects to improve rail links in Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and increase freight capacity by 49 mtpa across coal, steel, cement and petroleum corridors

Aadhaar verification to be mandatory for IRCTC Tatkal bookings from July 1

From July 1, Aadhaar will be compulsory for all online Tatkal bookings on IRCTC, with OTP authentication required from July 15 to ensure transparency and limit misuse

Cabinet clears ₹6,405 cr railway doubling projects in three states

New multitracking lines covering 318 km in Jharkhand, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh to improve mobility, cut logistics cost and support sustainable rail operations

Tatkal tickets to be available only for Aadhaar-verified users from July 1

The Railways Ministry said allowing only Aadhaar-authenticated users for Tatkal train tickets will help ensure the Tatkal scheme's benefits reach genuine, common users

Railways begin trial to confirm waitlisted tickets 24 hrs before departure

A trial was launched in which the confirmed status of waiting list passengers was announced 24 hours before a train's departure, instead of the current practice of notifying passengers just 4 hours before, the Railway Ministry said on Wednesday. Ministry officials assured that the pilot project would become part of the policy only after receiving a positive response from the passengers. "We have started this pilot project in the Bikaner Division, where charts are being prepared 24 hours before the train departure. The current practice is doing so before 4 hours," Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board, said. He noted that this trial was being done keeping in mind the concerns of passengers who remain uncertain about their journey due to a waiting ticket. "Now, if they know 24 hours before that their tickets are confirmed, they can plan their travel better," he added. However, once a ticket is confirmed, passengers will lose a substantial chunk of