Trains

Cable theft in Spain delays thousands of high-speed rail passengers

Thousands of rail passengers in Spain were hit with delays after the cable used in the signalling system of the high-speed line between Madrid and Seville was stolen at four locations, Spanish rail authorities said Monday. The theft, which happened late Sunday, affected dozens of trains travelling between Madrid and Andaluca, just as many people were returning home to the capital after a holiday weekend. On Monday, Spain's state-owned rail operator Renfe told passengers with trains departing Madrid's Atocha station before 8 am to not arrive early to avoid crowding. The cable theft took place at four points on the high-speed line in Toledo in central Spain, Spain's railway infrastructure company ADIF said on X. The incident came a week after a massive power outage in Spain and Portugal ground high-speed train traffic to a halt, stranding thousands of train passengers.

Namo Bharat reaches Modipuram as NCRTC begins trial runs on Meerut stretch

The NCRTC on Thursday commenced trial runs of the Namo Bharat train on the final stretch of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor, reaching Modipuram, the last station in this section, according to a statement. During the trial, the train was operated between Shatabdi Nagar and Modipuram, marking the first time the Namo Bharat train traversed the underground section of Meerut, a key step in connecting the city's central areas with Delhi through high-speed rail, it stated. Trial operations had been limited to the two sections flanking the currently operational segment between New Ashok Nagar and Sarai Kale Khan on one end and Meerut South and Shatabdi Nagar on the other, it said. With this run, for the first time, Namo Bharat trains are now running across the entire Delhi-Meerut corridor, it added. The initial phase of testing is being carried out in manual mode to assess the compatibility of the train with civil structures and the NCRTC will evaluate the integration of various ...

More trains, cheaper flights: Govt rushes to evacuate tourists from valley

Despite the chaos, regular services continue to run on schedule. Officials confirmed that additional stranded passengers are being accommodated on outgoing trains from Srinagar

Money on the Move: ATM installed on Panchavati Express on trial basis

The Central Railway (CR) has installed an automated teller machine (ATM) onboard the Mumbai-Manmad Panchavati Express on an experimental basis, officials said. The ATM, provided by a private bank, has been installed in an air-conditioned chair car coach of the daily express service and will be made available to passengers shortly, they said. "The ATM has been installed on board the Panchavati Express on experimental basis," CR's chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said on Tuesday. According to the railway officials, the ATM has been put up in a cubicle at the rear end of the coach, a space earlier used as a makeshift pantry. A shutter door has been provided to ensure the safety and accessibility while the train is in motion, they said. The necessary coach modification was undertaken at the Manmad Railway Workshop, the official said. The Panchavati Express, operating daily between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai and Manmad Junction in neighbouring Nashik ...

2 drivers killed, 4 injured as two goods trains collide in Jharkhand

Two persons were killed and four others injured in a collision between two goods trains in Jharkhand's Sahebganj district in the early hours of Tuesday, police said. The collision between the two trains, operated by power major NTPC, happened around 3 am near Bhognadih in Barhait police station area, they said. The tracks on which the accident happened are also owned by NTPC and mainly used for transporting coal to its power plants. "The drivers of both the goods trains were killed in the head-on collision," Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Sahebganj Kishore Tirkey told PTI. Eastern Railway spokesperson Kausik Mitra said, "The goods trains and the track both belong to the NTPC. It has nothing to do with the Indian Railways." The line on which the accident happened connects NTPC's Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station in Bihar's Bhagalpur district to the Farakka Power Plant in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.

Accident at bullet train site near Ahmedabad; several trains cancelled

A segmental launching gantry used for construction at a bullet train project site near Ahmedabad accidentally skid from its position and affected the adjoining railway line, disrupting the movement of several trains, officials said on Monday. No casualty was reported in the incident, which took place around 11 pm on Sunday at Vatva near here, nor did it cause any damage to the erected structure, the National High Speed Rail Corporation (NHSRCL) said. The incident, however, affected rail traffic, leading to at least 25 trains being cancelled, while 15 others were partially cancelled, five rescheduled and six were diverted, an official from the Ahmedabad railway division said. Efforts were on to clear the railway line so as to facilitate the movement of trains on the affected line, railway officials said. A NHSRCL official said efforts were underway for restoration with the help of heavy duty road cranes. Several trains were either fully or partially terminated, and some rescheduled

Railway's 2-day block for CSMT platform extension to affect several trains

Central Railway on Thursday announced a two-day special mega block from Friday night to carry out extension of a platforms at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to accommodate 24-coach trains. Many suburban and long distance will be affected by this work, an official said. "The special block is planned for pre and post non-interlocking works and will be carried out in two phases of 5 hours and 10 hours from Friday night onwards. The first phase will start from Friday night at 11.30 pm and end on Saturday at 4.30 am. The 10-hour phase will be from 11:15pm on Saturday to 9:15am on Sunday," said CR chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila. The special block is necessary to extend platforms 12 and 13 to accommodate 24-coach trains, enhancing capacity and improving passenger convenience, he added. The work involves extending island platform 12 and 13 to 690 metres from 510 metres and will see the shifting of 31 overhead cables, connecting of 34 signal systems, and laying 500

Railways operates 14,000 trains to facilitate pilgrims for Maha Kumbh Mela

In total, an estimated 12 to 15 crore devotees travelled by train over the course of one and a half months

Maha Kumbh: Vaishnaw reviews crowd management, ensures train services

Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw reviewed crowd management situation at eight railway stations of Prayagraj in the war room at the Rail Bhavan on Wednesday. Vaishnaw instructed the officials to ensure that trains are made available for pilgrims in all directions, according to a press statement released by the ministry. "He also mentioned that the Prayagraj division has been directed to run extra trains as needed to ease passenger congestion while ensuring passenger comfort in the holding areas," the statement said. It added that by 6 pm on February 12, 2025, 225 trains were operated for the convenience of passengers, with over 12.46 lakh passengers having travelled. On Tuesday, 343 trains were operated, carrying more than 14.69 lakh passengers, the press note said. The ministry maintained that information related to trains is continuously being provided by the Indian Railways through various channels, including special bulletins, the Mahakumbh area holding zones, railway stations

Mumbai suburban network to get new trains to reduce overcrowding: Vaishnaw

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said the Mumbai suburban railway would soon get new-design trains fitted with better features for passenger comfort and reducing overcrowding. Railway projects of Rs 16,400 crore are in various stages of completion for Mumbai on the Central Railway and the Western Railway, Vaishnaw said on Monday while addressing a press conference via a video link from New Delhi. He also said the current time gap between two moving local trains is 180 seconds which will be brought down to 150 seconds and subsequently to 120 seconds to reduce over-crowding and operate more services. "A plan for new design trains on the Mumbai suburban network will be announced soon," the minister said. The new design trains would have better features and acceleration, and most importantly more oxygen content inside the trains considering the crowd, he said, hinting at an improved ventilation system for coaches and improved suspension for passengers' comfort. The minister furth

Trains cancelled across Bangladesh as railway staff goes on strike

Trains were cancelled across Bangladesh on Tuesday as railway staff went on strike for higher pensions and other benefits, affecting tens of thousands of passengers and freight transport. Saidur Rahman, acting president of the Bangladesh Railway Running Staff and Workers Union, said the strike was called after a meeting with the interim government headed by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus failed to reach a deal late Monday. Rahman said the strike would continue indefinitely if the government does not accept their demands. The state-run railway system carries some 65 million passengers per year in a densely populated nation of 170 million people. It employs about 25,000 people and operates a network of over 36,000 kilometers (22,000 miles). The main Kamlapur Railway Station in the capital, Dhaka, was mobbed by hundreds of disappointed passengers who were not aware of the strike. Many waited for hours before going home. As the country's railway adviser visited, passengers shoute

50 Amrit Bharat trains to be built at ICF within 2 years: Ashwini Vaishnaw

The Ministry of Railways has added 12 major improvements on the Amrit Bharat Version 2.0 trains and 50 such trains will be manufactured at ICF over the next two years, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said here on Friday. Vaishnaw, who inspected the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) along with its General Manager U Subba Rao, said the state government should place service to people above politics and the Centre and his Ministry is committed to take measures for the welfare of the people. "Very happy to see the Amrit Bharat Version 2.0 (being manufactured here). As you can recall, the Amrit Bharat Version 1.0 was launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi last January 2024 and based on the experience in the last one year, many improvements have been made in the Amrit Bharat Version 2.0," Vaishnaw told reporters at the ICF here. Sharing some of the salient features that have been improved in the Amrit Bharat trains, he said, "12 major improvements have been done in the entire train. ...

PM Modi inaugurates Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat RRTS line worth Rs 4,600 crore

The Prime Minster also took a ride on Namo Bharat train from Sahibabad station and interacted with children

Over 5 mn travelled in Namo Bharat trains since launch in Oct 2023: NCRTC

More than five million commuters have travelled in the Namo Bharat trains since the start of operations on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor in October 2023, a statement said on Wednesday. According to the data, the highest number of commuters travelled in Namo Bharat trains from the Ghaziabad and Meerut South stations on the corridor. The 17 km priority section (Sahibabad-Duhai Depot) of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor was inaugurated on October 23 last year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Subsequently, Namo Bharat train services were extended to an additional 17 km section from Duhai to Modi Nagar North on March 6. Thereafter, on August 18, an additional eight km stretch from Modi Nagar North to Meerut South RRTS station was connected to the operational section, it said. Once Meerut was connected, the commuters' enthusiasm to travel on the Namo Bharat trains along the RRTS corridor surged, the statement said. On 19 August, a record 34,000 commuters travelled in

Safety initiatives lead to 70% fall in train accidents since 2014: Vaishnaw

Complete Track Circuiting of stations to enhance safety by verification of track occupancy by electrical means has been provided at 6,619 stations up to October 31 this year, he added

G G Tronics bags Chittaranjan Locomotive order to supply KAVACH equipment

G G Tronics India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd, has bagged an order from Chittaranjan Locomotive Works in West Bengal for the supply and installation of KAVACH equipment, the company said. G G Tronics India Pvt Ltd is a developmental vendor and specialises in designing, manufacturing, installing Electronic Safety Embedded Signalling Systems for the Railways. It also provides the Train Collision Avoidance System, also referred to as Automatic Train Protection Systems or 'KAVACH', a company statement here said. "..the company has secured a prestigious KAVACH order from Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, West Bengal. The scope of the order comprises Supply, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of on-board KAVACH equipment as per RDSO (Research Design and Standards Organisation) specifications including maintenance for 11 years," the statement said on Wednesday. The order value is between Rs 500 crore to Rs 600 crore and execution time for this order is

Train derails in Telangana's Peddapalli; 39 trains cancelled, 61 diverted

A goods train derailed in Peddapalli district of Telangana, leading to cancellation of 39 passenger trains, officials of South Central Railway (SCR) said on Wednesday. Twelve wagons of the good strain carrying steel coils and iron rods derailed between Raghavapuram and Ramagundam on Tuesday night, SCR Chief Public Relations Officer A Sridhar told PTI. No one was injured in the incident, he said. The train was proceeding from Ballari in Karnataka towards Ghaziabad. It's a triple line section and all the three lines got obstructed with damage to tracks, the official said. Restoration works are underway and a temporary approach road was also being laid for deploying large cranes to the site, he said. The SCR official said one line is expected to be given fit for traffic (for resuming train movement) by this evening and train movement on the remaining two lines is likely to start by tomorrow (Thursday). Owing to derailment of the goods train, 39 passenger trains were cancelled, seven

Biting the bullet: Will India's Bullet Train project become a reality soon?

A major cause of concern for the project is rising costs and the commissioning date. From Rs 1.10 trillion in 2017, the cost has been revised up to Rs 1.65 trillion, up 50 per cent

Access to capacity: Public transport in urban India has miles to go

It has been pointed out that metro train networks are expensive and not ideal unless commuting distances are long

Indian railways announces 164 special trains, adding 7k festive journeys

"To ensure that passengers do not face any inconvenience at the railway stations, teams of officers have been deployed round the clock. Besides this, Railway Police Force, commercial and other