Railways

Waqf committee meetings become site of contesting claims from govt bodies

The Joint Committee of Parliament meetings on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill have turned out to be a battleground for contesting claims, as several government bodies have accused Waqf boards in the country of laying ownership on properties belonging to them and drawn sharp counterclaims. Opposition members in the committee have claimed that a large number of Waqf properties have been in fact in "unauthorised" possession of government bodies, including the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi, one of the more vocal and articulate opposition voices in the meetings, submitted a list of 172 Waqf properties in Delhi alone, which, he said, were in the unauthorised possession of the ASI, sources said. His submission to the committee's chairperson and BJP member Jagdambika Pal came following the country's premier archaeology body's assertion that over 120 of its protected monuments are claimed by different Waqf boards. The ASI also accused them of unauthorised ...

Trackman's quick action prevents major train disaster on Konkan Railway

In a remarkable display of alertness and bravery, trackman Mahadeva averted a major train accident on the Konkan Railway line between Kumta and Honnavar. According to railway officials, the incident occurred at around 4.50 am on Friday when Mahadeva, on routine duty, noticed an incomplete welding of the track joint in the area. At the time, the Thiruvananthapuram-Delhi Rajdhani Express was approaching this route. Sensing imminent danger, Mahadeva quickly contacted the Kumta station to stop the train. However, the express had already left the station and was speeding toward the hazardous section. Undeterred, Mahadeva made a frantic attempt to contact the loco pilot directly, but communication could not be established. With just minutes to act, he made a split-second decision. He sprinted along the tracks, covering half a kilometre in just five minutes. In the nick of time, he flagged down the train and brought it to a halt, avoiding a potential disaster, the officials said. Once th

Vaishnaw holds discussions on cooperation in railways, IT during Japan tour

Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw discussed further enhancing cooperation with Japan in the field of railways, innovation in the digital landscape and focusing on futuristic technological advancements during his visit to Tokyo. Vaishnaw, who holds the portfolios of railways, information and broadcasting, and information technology and electronics, held productive discussions with Tetsuo Saito, Japan's minister of land, infrastructure, transport and tourism on enhancing India-Japan cooperation. Vaishnaw said he discussed enhancing railway cooperation, promoting economic growth and deepening cultural ties with Saito. The meeting with Saito took place on Thursday. "Met with Mr. Tadashi Maeda, MD & Chairman of Japan Bank for International Cooperation, to discuss progress under the India-Japan strategic partnership. Exchanged views on key areas of cooperation and future opportunities," he posted on X on Friday. Vaishnaw also met Taro Kono, the minister for digital transformation of ...

Officers eligible for DRM should be below 52 years of age: Railway Board

The Railway Board has approved fresh guidelines for the posting of divisional railway managers for its 68 rail divisions, according to which officers being considered for short-listing as DRMs should be less than 52 years of age among other eligibility criteria. The guidelines, released on September 3, 2024, have introduced some new eligibility criteria, including that the officers should have minimum 15 years in Railways/Railway PSUs. However, it does not offer any age relaxation which has disappointed a section of senior railway officials and experts. "Officers being considered for short-listing as DRMs should be less than 52 years of age as on 1st January of the vacancy year for which the short list is being made," the guideline said, merely reiterating the previous position. "I believe restricting the posting of DRM with age is not a right decision. A relaxation was expected but it didn't happen," a senior railway official earlier posted as DRM said. He added, "It will demotiv

Performance of regulatory bodies, railway subsidies under PAC scanner

Amid a political storm over allegations of conflict of interest against SEBI chairperson Madhabi Buch, the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee has decided to review the performance of regulatory bodies established by Acts of Parliament. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Congress leader and Lok Sabha member K C Venugopal, decided to include suo-moto subjects -- performance review of regulatory bodies established by Acts of Parliament, reforms in banking and insurance sector, review of implementation of centrally sponsored welfare schemes -- as part of its agenda that includes a total of 161 subjects. Buch is facing allegations of conflict of interest over the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) investigation into the Hindenburg Research claims against the Adani Group. The Congress has questioned payments made to Buch made by ICICI Bank, her former employer, after she became a whole time member of SEBI, and sought an independent probe into the matter. The

China to revitalise ageing railway linking resource rich Zambia, Tanzania

The single-track TAZARA railway was built between 1970 and 1975 through an interest-free loan from China, offering a cargo transport route

Rahul Gandhi interacts with rail trackmen, highlights their problems

Noting that trackmen are the most neglected employees of the Indian Railways, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi highlighted their problems on Tuesday, while stressing that safe rail travel of crores of people is possible only due to their hard work. Gandhi made the remarks in a post on X, along with a video of his recent interaction with trackmen at the Delhi Cantonment railway station. "There is 'neither promotion nor emotion' in the system for the trackman brothers who keep the railways dynamic and safe. Trackmen are the most neglected employees in the Indian Railways. I got an opportunity to meet them and understand their problems and challenges," the Congress leader said in his post in Hindi on the microblogging platform. Trackmen walk eight to 10 kilometres every day carrying 35 kg of equipment, with their job starting on the tracks and retiring from the tracks itself, he added. "Trackmen are not even allowed to sit for the departmental exam, which other ...

Won't stop until Indian Railways ensure comfortable travel for all: PM Modi

Further speaking, PM Modi said that Vande Bharat is the new face of the modern Indian Railways

PM Modi inaugurates three new Vande Bharat trains via video conference

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off on Saturday three new Vande Bharat trains connecting Meerut with Lucknow, Madurai with Bengaluru and Chennai with Nagercoil. Addressing the flag-off ceremony via video conference, Modi said faster growth of southern states is key to achieving the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047. The prime minister also said that an increased budgetary allocation to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has strengthened rail transport in southern states. The Meerut city-Lucknow Vande Bharat will help passengers save around one hour in comparison to the current fastest train between the two cities. Similarly, the Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Vande Bharat and the Madurai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat trains will cover the journey saving more than two hours and around 1.30 hours respectively.

Snag hits local train services on Mumbai's Harbour line in morning rush hrs

Local train services on the Harbour line of the Central Railway in Mumbai were disrupted on Saturday morning due to a snag in overhead equipment between Mankhurd and Vashi railway stations, causing inconvenience to commuters in the rush hours, officials said. The services on the route remained completely suspended for at least two hours after the overhead equipment on the Down (Vashi-bound) line broke around 7.30 am and was fixed by 9.30 am, a Central Railway spokesperson said. As a result, trains are running late by more than half an hour after the resumption of services, commuters said. Vashi is a railway station in Navi Mumbai, while Mankhurd is in Mumbai. A railway bridge built on a creek between these two stations links Mumbai with its satellite city Navi Mumbai. "We regret to inform you that there is disruption in services due to a broken Overhead Equipment (OHE) between Mankhurd and Vashi on the Harbour Line," Rajnish Goyal, divisional railway manager of Central Railway's ..

Railway ministry approves final location survey of Nashik-Dahanu new line

The railway ministry has sanctioned the final location survey for the Nashik-Dahanu new line via Trimbakeshwar and Vangaon, an official said on Friday. The 100-kilometre line will connect Nashik and Dahanu in Palghar districts and will reduce the travel time considerably between the two important places, a Central Railway spokesperson said. "Currently, to reach Dahanu from Nashik, trains travel via Kalyan-Bhiwandi-Vasai on the south side or Dhule-Nandurbar-Surat via the north side. The new link is expected to reduce travel time and distance between the two cities. It will boost tourism and provide rail transportation to devotees desirous of visiting Trimbakeshwar temple for darshan of one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and to Panchavati (where Lord Ram stayed during the exile) in Nashik," a Central Railway release stated. The new line will also provide connectivity from Deccan plateau to Vadhvan port in Dahanu, the foundation stone of which was laid during the day by Prime Minister Narendra

Cabinet nod to Rs 6,456 cr multi-tracking project, two new lines across IR

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved three railway projects with a total estimated cost of Rs 6,456 crore, a statement from the Ministry of Railways said. According to the ministry, the approved projects will improve logistical efficiency by connecting the unconnected areas, increase the existing line capacity and enhance the transportation networks, resulting in streamlined supply chains and accelerated economic growth. The new line proposals will provide direct connectivity and improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for the Indian Railways. The multi-tracking proposal will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across the Indian Railways, the ministry said. The projects are in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji's vision of a New India which will make people of the region 'Atmanirbhar' by way of ...

Canadian rail decision to stay on jobs win for companies: Union leader

CN has said the company would have preferred a negotiated agreement but was satisfied that the labour stoppage is over

Canada railroads ordered to resume work, Union to comply but plans lawsuit

The Canadian arbitrator appointed to resolve a messy railroad labour dispute to protect the North American economy has ordered employees at the country's two major railroads back to work so both can resume operating. The Teamsters union representing workers said Saturday that it will comply with the order and send its members back on the job, but it will also move forward with a legal challenge. This decision by the CIRB sets a dangerous precedent. It signals to Corporate Canada that large companies need only stop their operations for a few hours, inflict short-term economic pain, and the federal government will step in to break a union, said Paul Boucher, President of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, which represents more than 9,000 engineers, conductors and dispatchers. The rights of Canadian workers have been significantly diminished today, Boucher added. The order should allow Canadian National trains to continue rolling and help Canadian Pacific Kansas City Ltd. railroad

Canada moves to end rail shutdown, CN, CPKC prepare to resume services

Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), which is independent, will now consult the companies and unions before issuing an order

Canadian freight rail halt likely to roil North American supply chains

Canadian National Railway Co and Canadian Pacific Kansas City have said their rail networks south of border will continue to operate, but industry groups fear work stop would have far-reaching effects

Canada tells rail companies, union to work harder to avert stoppage

CN Rail and CPKC have already stopped accepting shipments of hazardous goods and have begun phased shutdowns

Canada-wide freight rail stoppage looms as 2 firms issue lockout notices

Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) plan to lock out workers from the early hours of Thursday

New rail lines to put mineral transportation from C'garh on fast track

The Korba-Ambikapur rail line will connect two major cities known for having rich coal reserves

5% of all Railway revenue from flexi, tatkal, others in last 5 yrs: Ashwini

Railways earned approximately 5 per cent of its total revenue from flexi fare, tatkal and premium tatkal tickets from 2018-19 to 2022-23, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday. Vaishnaw gave the information responding CPI (M) MP John Brittas, who wanted the details of revenue earned by Railways on account of flexi fare, tatkal, premium tatkal and cancellation of tickets during last five years till March 3, 2024 and for the first quarter of 2024-25. Brittas also asked, "Whether the whole amount paid by a person for booking an unconfirmed ticket will be refunded in case of automatic cancellation of ticket by Railways itself owing to unavailability of berths." "Revenue earned by Railways on account of flexi fare, tatkal and premium tatkal during 2018-19 to 2022-23 is approximately 5% of total revenue earned from passenger services. Moreover, amount credited on account of cancellation of tickets by passengers is not maintained separately,