Railways

Indian Railways approves ₹1,364 crore for Kavach, signalling upgrade

Projects include Kavach rollout on locomotives, fibre network expansion, and electronic interlocking systems to strengthen safety and communication infrastructure

Indian Railways clocks record ₹6,735 crore scrap revenue in FY26

National transporter surpasses scrap disposal target by over 12 per cent, with multiple zones exceeding benchmarks amid push to monetise redundant assets

Railways registers strong FY26 growth with record freight, passenger gains

Indian Railways has recorded a year of strong and well-rounded progress in FY 2025-26, achieving significant milestones across freight operations, passenger services, infrastructure development, safety systems, digital initiatives with advancing self-reliance in technology and manufacturing. These accomplishments underscore its critical role in supporting economic activity, enhancing connectivity, and ensuring efficient mobility across the country.Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, took to X to underscore the transformative progress of Indian Railways in FY 2025-26. He highlighted record freight and passenger performance, the introduction and expansion of Vande Bharat services, including the new Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, historic improvements in safety through reduced accidents and enhanced systems, and strengthened station and terminal infrastructure, all of which have enriched ...

North Western Railway to run special trains until July 15 amid summer rush

Authorities said these steps have been taken to ensure smoother travel and reduce inconvenience for passengers during the peak summer travel period

ECoR tops freight loading as Railways earnings cross ₹1.7 trillion

East Coast Railway leads freight loading with record volumes in FY26 as Indian Railways earnings cross Rs 1.7 trillion, though revenue growth remains uneven across zones

Avantel bags ₹459.9 crore RTIS contract from Zetwerk for Indian Railways

Technology solutions provider Avantel on Wednesday said it has secured a contract worth Rs 459.9 crore to supply and maintain Real-Time Train Information System (RTIS) devices for the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS). The contract was awarded by Bengaluru-based Zetwerk, an infrastructure and technology partner to the Indian Railways. It covers the supply and annual maintenance (AMC) of RTIS devices. "Avantel Limited, a provider of technology solutions for the defence and communication sectors, has received a rate contract valued at Rs 459.9 crore (excluding taxes) from Zetwerk, Bengaluru, for the supply and Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) of Real-Time Train Information System (RTIS) devices for the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), Indian Railways," the company said in a statement. RTIS is an Indian Railways project developed in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It utilises satellite technology to automatically track train

Maruti Suzuki India to scale up rail-based dispatch to 35% by FY31

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd on Wednesday said it plans to scale up rail-based vehicle dispatches to 35 per cent by FY31, up from the current 26 per cent. The company's Manesar in-plant railway siding has reached 1 lakh vehicle dispatches since the start of operations in June 2025, the company said in a statement. It has resulted in an estimated avoidance of 16,800 metric tonnes CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), it added. "In CY 2025, the company set a record by dispatching over 5.85 lakh vehicles through railways. Interestingly, in the past decade, our share of rail mode in outbound logistics has grown exponentially, from 5 per cent in 2016 to 26 per cent in 2025," Maruti Suzuki India Managing Director & CEO, Hisashi Takeuchi said, Further, he said, "We aim to scale up rail-based vehicle dispatches from the current 26 per cent to 35 per cent by FY 2030-31, in line with our commitment to build efficient and sustainable logistics and contribute to India's net-zero ambition." The ...

RVNL, Ircon shares jump up to 5% on merger buzz; analyst says 'buy on dips'

RVNL and Ircon shares rose up to 5% on merger reports under NMP 2.0. Analyst sees long-term benefits and advises investors to hold and buy on dips.

No refund on train ticket cancellations up to 8 hours before departure

There will be no refund for cancellation of train tickets up to eight hours before departure, instead of the existing norm of four hours, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while announcing reforms in the sector on Tuesday. The new refund rule will take effect between April 1 and 15 this year. Other refund slabs have also been revised: a cancellation between 24 and eight hours will incur a 50 per cent deduction from the ticket cost. This is currently 12 to four hours. Similarly, the Railways will deduct 25 per cent of the ticket cost for cancellation between 72 and 24 hours before departure. A full refund -- except a flat cancellation charge per passenger -- will be given for cancellations made more than 72 hours before the train's departure. Under the existing policy, cancellations made between 48 and 12 hours incur a 25 per cent deduction of the ticket cost, while a full refund will be given for cancellations made more than 48 hours in advance. Vaishnaw said the refund rule

Railways to fund 50% of tech development as new Rail Tech portal launches

The minister said the portal will attract solutions for safety, maintenance and administrative challenges, with the railways funding up to 50% of development costs after feasibility checks

Union Cabinet approves ₹9,072 crore railway projects across four states

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday approved three Railway ministry projects with a total cost of approximately 9,072 crore. The three projects include the doubling of the Gondia-Jabalpur section and the laying of the third and fourth lines between Punarakh-Kiul and Gamharia-Chandil sections. The government said that these projects covering eight districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand will increase the existing network of the Indian Railways by about 307 km. "The proposed multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to approximately 5,407 villages which have a population of about 98 lakhs," an official statement said. It added, "The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion." The Railway ministry

Govt planning new Rail Tech policy to cut dependence on foreign suppliers

Under the plan, the Railway board is expected to offer partial funding, technical help, and access to testing centres

Funding woes of Metros: Expansion continues, PPP model needs recalibration

Metros are among the most capital-intensive urban assets. Construction costs around ₹250 crore per kilometre and take five years or more. Revenue stabilisation often takes another decade

Final stretch of 82-km Namo Bharat corridor likely to open on February 22

The remaining stretches of the 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Namo Bharat corridor, connecting Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi with Modipuram in Meerut, are expected to be inaugurated on February 22 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an official said requesting anonymity. Alongside the Namo Bharat inauguration, the 23-km Meerut Metro with 13 stations will also be launched, the source said. The remaining sections, a 5-km stretch in Delhi between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar, and a 21-km stretch from Meerut South to Modipuram, are now complete and slated for inauguration in February 22. The 82-km Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor includes several prominent stations such as Sarai Kale Khan, Anand Vihar, Ghaziabad, Guldhar, Muradnagar, Modinagar South, Modinagar North and Meerut South, among others, which together form the backbone of the regional rapid transit system connecting key residential, commercial and industrial clusters along the alignment. The NCRTC said that a 55-km stretch of th

Cabinet approves three multi-tracking railway projects worth ₹18,509 cr

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved three projects of the Railway Ministry entailing a cost of approximately Rs 18,509 crore. These projects include the construction of third and fourth lines between Kasara-Manmad, Delhi-Ambala, and Ballari-Hosapete. "The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways," the government said in a statement on Saturday. "These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion. The projects are in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a New India, which will make people in the region 'Atmanirbhar' through comprehensive development that enhances employment and self-employment opportunities," it added. According to the statement, the projects are planned under the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan, with a focus on enhancing multi-modal ...

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 ...

Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train spends nearly ₹87,000 cr so far: Vaishnaw

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tells Lok Sabha that Rs 86,939 crore has been spent so far on the 508-km Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail corridor

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

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

Bengaluru - Mumbai premium train service will start soon: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that a premium train service from Bengaluru to Mumbai will start soon. He said Karnataka has received a record Rs 7,748 crore in this year's railway budget -- nine times the allocation during the Congress-led UPA government, and the total railway investment in the state is Rs 52,950 crore. "Massive investment will cover track creation, station redevelopment, safety, announcements, Bengaluru suburban and many new projects in Karnataka," he told reporters here. Addressing a press conference here, the minister said that, "very soon, we'll be starting a premium train service from Bengaluru to Mumbai. Tejasvi ji (Bengaluru South MP) had come for that, and many other requests had also come. Many sections are getting doubled, so very soon we'll have many more services." On the Vande Bharat train from Bengaluru to Mangaluru, he said, "Now, the testing, certifications are going on for electrification. As soon as those processes are complete