Page 4 - Railways

Sona BLW Q2 results: Net profit up 19% at ₹170 crore on EV, rail biz growth

Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd on Monday reported an 18.73 per cent increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 170.47 crore in the September quarter, riding on electric vehicle traction motor and railway business in India. The company, which had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 143.58 crore in the same quarter last fiscal, said its proposed joint venture in China with Jinnaite Machinery Co Ltd (JNT), announced in July this year, has been put in abeyance. Consolidated revenue from operations in the second quarter stood at Rs 1,138.29 crore as compared to Rs 922.19 crore in the year-ago period, Sona BLW Precision Forgings Ltd said in a regulatory filing. Total expenses in the second quarter were higher at Rs 931.24 crore against Rs 743.33 crore a year ago, the company said. Sona BLW Precision Forgings MD & Group CEO Vivek Vikram Singh said, "We achieved our highest-ever quarterly revenue, EBITDA, and net profit in Q2 FY26. Our revenue grew by 24 per cent year-on-year, ...

Railways using tech, DFCs to ease movement amid Chhath rush: Vaishnaw

Sincere effort to ease movement within constraints, says minister

Elaborate arrangements at Bihar stations to handle Chhath rush: Railways

Elaborate arrangements have been made in all stations in the Hajipur-headquartered East Central Railway (ECR) zone in view of the heavy rush of passengers during Chhath Puja, a senior official said. ECR General Manager Chhatrasal Singh on Wednesday said the priority of the railways is to facilitate the smooth arrival and departure of travellers, and ensure their safety by preventing any untoward incidents. "The number of Chhath special trains has been increased from 7,500 to 12,000 this year. A large number of people are expected to visit Bihar in the coming days to celebrate Chhath. The preparations for their arrival are already complete. However, the real challenge will arise when they return to their workplaces after the festival," he said. "The window for the return is narrow, but for that too, preparations are in the last stage," he added. Singh said the construction of holding areas at all major terminals will be completed by Thursday night, following which the ECR will condu

Railways mulling annuity model to boost investment and infra development

The railway ministry is exploring a HAM-like model to boost private participation and speed up infrastructure expansion across the sector

North Eastern Railway notifies 145 special puja trains for Chhath festival

Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) for North Eastern Railway, Pankaj Kumar Singh, said that special trains are being run in record numbers

Action launched against those spreading fake clips on railways: Govt

Strict action has been initiated against those people who circulate fake videos targeting railways on social media, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Sunday after reviewing crowd management measures at Anand Vihar railway station in Delhi. While speaking to mediapersons, he also appealed to people not to circulate fake videos as this creates confusion among passengers. Vaishnaw conducted a surprise inspection of Anand Vihar station to ensure passenger safety and convenience during the festive season. "The minister inspected the holding area at the station and also directly interacted with passengers. During the interaction, he took feedback from passengers regarding the cleanliness of the station premises and the facilities being provided," a press note from the railway ministry said. According to the press note, the railways have made comprehensive arrangements to ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience despite the huge rush. "Passenger convenience and safety

Fire breaks out in Amritsar-Saharsa Garib Rath in Punjab, one injured

A fire broke out in a coach of the Amritsar-Saharsa Garib Rath Express near Sirhind railway station here on Saturday morning, officials said. There was no casualty in the incident, they said. The fire broke out around 7:30 AM when the train (number 12204) was coming from Amritsar. A police official said smoke was noticed in one of the AC coaches of the train and passengers were safely evacuated. Fire tenders were immediately called in to put out the fire, the official said. The officials said that soon after the fire was noticed, the railway authorities shifted the passengers of the affected coach to other coaches. The train will leave for its destination shortly, they said.

Northern Railway stops sale of platform tickets from Oct 15 to 28

The Northern Railway has stopped the sale of platform tickets at five stations from Oct 15 to Oct 28, 2025, in view of heavy rush due to the upcoming festivals of Diwali and Chhat. These stations are New Delhi, Old Delhi, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Anand Vihar and Ghaziabad. Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Northern Railway, said that the decision has been taken to prevent overcrowding at stations, keeping in mind the increase in passengers. "However, persons accompanying senior citizens, Divyangjans, illiterate, lady passengers may approach enquiry office for a platform ticket," he added.

Upcoming railway line will help Central India's economy: Chhattisgarh CM

Chhattisgarh government officials estimate the railway line will save 46 million litres of diesel annually and reduce logistics cost by around Rs 514 crore

Capex utilisation by Indian Railways hit record levels in September at 56%

Some of the key sectors where the capex was utilised included safety work, capacity augmentation, customer amenities, and rolling stock

Govt approves four railway projects worth ₹24,634 cr under PM Gati Shakti

The four projects covering 18 districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Chhattisgarh will increase the Indian Railways network by about 894 km

Airtel Business secures multi-year deal for Indian Railways security

Airtel Business, the enterprise arm of Bharti Airtel, on Monday announced it has bagged a multi-year contract from Indian Railway Security Operations Centre (IRSOC) to deliver security services. Airtel will design, build, implement and operate a greenfield, multi-layered cybersecurity protection ecosystem that will serve as a defence barrier to safeguard the Indian Railways' IT backbone, while ensuring uninterrupted, secure and seamless digital operation, according to a release. With centralised security controls, Airtel Business will build multi-layer protection to secure the expansive database of the railways. "Airtel Business wins multi-year contract for the Indian Railway Security Operations Centre (IRSOC)," the release said, but did not divulge the financial details of the order. Ensuring a resilient and compliant secure backend, Airtel Business will also safeguard the end-to-end digital operations of the country's railway services, which include 1,60,000 employees distributed

India-Bhutan to build ₹4,033 cr cross-border rail links: Foreign Secretary

The two nations agreed to establish two cross-border rail links between Banarhat and Samtse and Kokrajhar and Gelephu, marking the first set of rail connectivity projects with Bhutan

Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train to be fully operational by 2029: Vaishnaw

The 50-km stretch of India's first bullet train project between Surat and Bilimora in Gujarat will open in 2027, and by 2029, the entire section between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will be operational, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said here on Saturday. After becoming operational, the bullet train will cover the distance between Mumbai and Ahmedabad in just two hours and seven minutes, he said, stressing that India's first bullet train project is progressing very well. Vaishnaw visited the under-construction Surat bullet train station and inspected track installation works and its first turnout installation. "Overall progress of the first bullet train project is very good. The first 50-km section of the project between Surat and Bilimora will be open by 2027. We are preparing for that. By 2028, the entire Thane-Ahmedabad section will be commissioned, and by 2029, the entire Mumbai-Ahmedabad section will open," he told reporters. Vaishnaw stated that the speed potential of the main li

PM Modi to launch railway projects, BSNL 4G stack in Odisha on Sep 27

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Odisha on September 27 during which he will flag off an Amrit Bharat Express, unveil railway projects worth Rs 1,700 crore and BSNL's 'Swadeshi' 4G stack. From Jharsuguda, he will also announce the expansion of eight IITs, grant super-specialty status to MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur and VIMSAR hospital in Sambalpur, launch a national skill development programme and provide aid to 50,000 beneficiaries under the Antyodaya scheme. This will be the Prime Minister's sixth visit to Odisha in 15 months since the BJP came to power in the state in June, 2024. Initially, the place for his public meeting was fixed at Berhampur in Ganjam district, but it was later changed to Jharsuguda due to a forecast of heavy rain in southern Odisha on Saturday. However, according to the mid-day bulletin issued by the IMD on Friday, Jharsuguda, the place where Modi will address a public meeting, is among the nine districts where ...

Ashwini Vaishnaw to inaugurate 16th International Railway Expo: CII

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will inaugurate the 16th International Railway Equipment Exhibition, to be held from October 15 to 17 at Bharat Mandapam here, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said on Thursday. Launched in 1990, the International Railway Equipment Exhibition (IREE) is the CII's premier flagship exhibition that is being organised in partnership with the Ministry of Railways. "This year's edition is poised to be the most spectacular yet, with over 450 exhibitors from 15-plus countries showcasing state-of-the-art technologies, solutions and services for the rail and metro sector," a press statement from the CII said. "IREE has grown into a landmark event that reflects the continuing collaboration between CII and the Ministry of Railways. Over the decades, it has consistently showcased India's engineering strength and its ambitions to become a global leader in rail technology," it added. According to the CII, the 2025 edition of the IRRE further strengthens

Vande Bharat sleeper launch after 2nd train arrives by Oct 15: Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday said the Vande Bharat Sleeper trains will be launched once the second train is ready for regular service. One train is ready for launch at Shakur Basti Coaching Depot in Delhi after undergoing necessary trials and testing, according to officials. Briefing the media, Vaishnaw said that the second train is being manufactured and will possibly be ready by October 15, 2025. "Both the trains will be launched together," he said. The minister emphasised that the second train is important to maintain the continuity of regular services. "That's why we are waiting for a second rake. Once we get it, we will decide any route and start operations," Vaishnaw added. Speculation is rife that the trains will be launched between New Delhi and Patna as Bihar is going to polls by the end of the year. Vaishnaw, along with Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, briefed the media on the status of the existing and upcoming railway projects in ..

Wagon buying chugs along at slow pace: Target falls short by 40% in FY26

As of July, the Ministry of Railways has managed to procure around 6,703 wagons from the private and public sector undertakings, 5,300 short of its four-month target of 12,000 wagons.

Maharashtra govt releases ₹150 crore for Ahilyanagar-Parli rail project

The Maharashtra government on Monday released a fund of Rs 150 crore to expedite work on the ambitious 'Ahilyanagar-Beed-Parli Vaijnath' broad-gauge railway line project, taking the total allocation so far to Rs 2,091 crore. "This is a special gesture ahead of the Marathwada Liberation Day on September 17," said Deputy Chief Minister and Beed district guardian minister Ajit Pawar. The total cost of the project, viewed as a game changer for Beed district's development, is Rs 4,085 crore, of which 50 per cent is the state's share. Train services on the route will be inaugurated on September 17, fulfilling a long-pending demand of lakhs of residents. The 261-km railway line is estimated to cost Rs 4,805 crore, with the state's share pegged at Rs 2,402 crore. The fresh Rs 150 crore will go to the railways as the government's share for the 2025-26 fiscal. After assuming the charge as Beed guardian minister, Pawar has prioritised infrastructure projects, including airport, road and rail

India plans $3.4 billion rail project near border with China for security

The logistics upgrade is expected to improve civilian access and reduce response times during emergencies, including natural disasters or military mobilizations