Page 2 - Railways

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 ..

1 in 4 superfast trains runs below threshold speed, says House panel

A parliamentary panel has flagged that about 25 per cent of superfast trains run below the prescribed speed threshold but continue to levy higher fares, urging a review of speed and punctuality benchm

Oberoi Realty tops bid for Railway land in Mumbai's Bandra for ₹5,400 cr

Mumbai-based Oberoi Realty has emerged as the highest bidder for an 11-acre Railway land parcel in Bandra East for ₹5,400 crore, securing development rights on a 99-year lease

Outcome Budget data raises questions on returns from government capex

The Outcome Budget or OOMF is meant to link government spending to measurable results, but near-identical targets across years highlight gaps in assessing returns on public investment

Budget 2026: Indian Railways to see record capex of ₹2.92 trillion in FY27

Union Budget 2026-27 raises Indian Railways' capital outlay to a record Rs 2.99 lakh crore, outlining new high-speed rail corridors, a fresh east-west freight corridor

Budget 2026 proposes seven high-speed rail corridors linking growth cities

Budget 2026 outlines seven high-speed rail corridors linking cities such as Mumbai-Pune and Delhi-Varanasi, aiming to cut travel time, reduce carbon emissions and support balanced regional development

Centrally funded infrastructure projects see 18.3% cost jump in December

Revised estimates of 1,392 ongoing projects climbed to ₹35.1 trillion as overruns persisted, though the pace of cost escalation eased sequentially from November

RRB Group D Admit Card 2026 out for Feb 2 exam; here's how to download

The RRB Group D Admit Card 2026 for the Feb 2 exam has been made available by the Railway Recruitment Board. On the regional RRBs' official websites, candidates can get their hall tickets

East Coast Railway earned ₹23,000 crore in freight charges in 294 days

The East Coast Railway (ECoR) has achieved Rs 23,000 crore freight earnings in 294 days during the current financial year, an official statement said. According to a statement issued by ECoR, it reached this landmark in 294 days during the current financial year 202526, on January 19, which is 27 days earlier than the previous financial year 202425, when the same was achieved in 321 days. "This remarkable performance reflects the sustained growth trajectory and operational efficiency of the zone," a senior officer said. Till December 2025, the ECoR's total originating earnings increased from Rs 21,543 crore in 202425 to Rs 23,959 crore in 202526, registering an overall growth of 11.21 per cent. During the period, the passenger earnings rose from Rs 1,764.32 crore in 202425 to Rs 1,835.91 crore in 202526, while earnings from goods (freight) witnessed a significant jump from Rs 19,482.63 crore to Rs 21,749.38 crore, underlining the zone's strong freight base. This apart, sundry earn

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

9 Amrit Bharat Express trains to be flagged off soon: Check route, fare

Amrit Bharat Express trains were introduced in December 2023; so far, 30 such services are already running across the country and nine more trains will be added within a week

Railways spends nearly 80% of gross budgetary support for FY26

FY26 targets likely to be fully achieved, says the transporter

India's first bullet train to start operations on August 15, 2027: Vaishnaw

Vaishnaw said the successful launch of the Vande Bharat Express has inspired a new sense of confidence across the country for high speed travel.

Railways to offer 3% discount on unreserved tickets booked via RailOne app

The Railway Ministry will offer 3 per cent discount on purchase of unreserved tickets via RailOne app and payment through any digital mode from January 14 to July 14 in 2026. At present, it gives 3 per cent cashback for booking unreserved tickets through R-wallet payment on RailOne app. "In order to proliferate digital booking, it has been been decided to provide the discount of 3 per cent while booking unreserved tickets through all digital payment modes on RailOne app," read a letter from the ministry on December 30, 2026, addressed to the Centre For Railway Information System (CRIS) for making necessary changes in the software system. "The proposal of 3 per cent discount shall be in force during the period 14.01.2026 to 14.07.2026. CRIS shall furnish the feedback of this proposal in May for further examination," it added. The letter clarified that the existing 3 per cent cashback for bookings through R-wallet on RailOne app will continue. "In the existing system, 3 per cent ...

Northeast Frontier Railways added 11 trains in 2025, connected Mizoram

The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) in 2025 has introduced 11 new trains, including the first ones connecting Mizoram, a statement said on Tuesday. The new services have improved passenger convenience and enhanced rail connectivity across the Northeast and adjoining areas, it said. Mizoram was put on the country's rail map in September, with the Sairang-Anand Vihar Rajdhani Express commencing weekly services. The Guwahati-Sairang Express was introduced as a daily service, and the Kolkata-Sairang Express started operating on a tri-weekly basis. The Guwahati-North Lakhimpur Jan Shatabdi Express was introduced on a bi-weekly basis, and the New Bongaigaon-Guwahati Passenger on a daily basis. The Tinsukia-Naharlagun Express was introduced as a tri-weekly service. Among the other trains introduced were Sealdah-Jalpaiguri Road Weekly Express, Danapur-Jogbani Vande Bharat Express operating six days a week, Erode-Jogbani Amrit Bharat Express on a weekly basis, and the daily Siliguri-Katih

From Chenab bridge to Mizoram link: Railways scaled tough terrain in 2025

Indian Railways expanded into some of its toughest terrains in 2025, with landmark projects such as the country's first vertical-lift in Pamban, Tamil Nadu and the world's highest rail bridge on the Chenab river, providing an all-weather rail link to Kashmir. This year also saw rail connectivity reach Mizoram through the commissioning of the Birabi-Sairang line, completing the long-pending links to remote and strategically significant regions in the Northeast. These projects marked a major push towards integrating difficult geographies with the national rail network. In 2025, the Ministry of Railways launched 42 projects in the country, collectively valued at more than Rs 25,000 crore. The railways also operated a record number of special trains, and rapidly expanded Vande Bharat services with 15 new trains introduced during the year. A total of 164 Vande Bharat Express trains now run in the country, the railway ministry said in its year-end review. According to the Ministry of ...

Raipur among 48 cities to double train operating capacity over five years

The works for doubling the originating capacity by 2030 would include augmenting the current terminals with additional platforms, stabling lines, pit lines, and adequate shunting facilities

Southern Railway to double train capacity in major cities by 2030: Vaishnaw

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said the Southern Railway will double train capacity in Chennai and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Ernakulam in Kerala by 2030 to meet the growing demand. He announced comprehensive upgrades for coaching terminals in Southern Railway hubs, including Chennai, Coimbatore and Ernakulam (Kochi) to facilitate this. "We are expanding coaching terminals, enhancing sectional and operational capacities in various cities to meet rising passenger demand and reduce congestion. This move will upgrade our railway network and improve nationwide connectivity," a press release issued by Southern Railway quoted the minister as saying. The strategy addresses rapid travel growth through additional platforms, stabling lines, new terminals, maintenance facilities and multi-tracking, it said. Chennai and Coimbatore were among the 48 major cities identified for this time-bound capacity doubling, it added. According to the release, Chennai Egmore station ...

Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail sees ₹85,801 crore spend so far: Ministry

The rail ministry said the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project has achieved 55.63 per cent physical progress and 69.62 per cent financial progress as of November 30, 2025