The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved seven multi-tracking projects of Indian Railways at an estimated cost of around Rs 32,500 crore, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The proposed projects, which will be fully funded by the Centre, will help increase the existing line capacity, smoothen train operations, reduce congestion and facilitate ease of travelling and transportation. The projects covering 35 districts in nine states -- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal -- will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by 2,339 km and provide employment of an estimated 7.06 crore man-days to the people of the states.
As Indian Railways looks to avert the crisis like last summer, preparations are under way to stock up coal at thermal power plants. Much like February and March, thermal coal movement in April was 5 per cent higher than the previous year, data from the Ministry of Railways shows. While India prepares for a hot summer this year, 48.23 million tonnes (mt) of coal for thermal power plants was ferried by Indian Railways in April. The national transporter also moved about 500,000 tonnes--18.4 per cent-- more imported coal for power plants this April than it had done last year.
Former Railway Minister Lalu Prasad on Wednesday said the railway budget will make it clear if the performance of the PSU during his tenure was better than what it is at present.
The railways heritage lines that are part of the UNESCO-accorded sites list include Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and Kalka Shimla Railway.
Cyber cafes will be opened at 50 railway stations during the current financial year by RailTel, a company under the Railway Ministry, which has made considerable progress in creating nationwide state-of-the-art telecom infrastructure.
There were total 23,507 complaints registered by common rail users against the Railways in 2006-07, which is seven per cent more than the previous year.
According to the guidelines approved by the government, 100 per cent FDI can be utilised in facilities like cleaning up trains and installation of bio-toilets in passenger coaches and setting up of mechanised laundry services.
Although the CPI-M has emphasised that the railway panel's post is its top choice, Congress floor managers have already conveyed to the comrades that 'it will be difficult' to fulfil their dreams. The CPI-M is likely to get the chairman's seat in the Standing Committee on coal and steel or energy.
It suffered losses mainly due to passenger ticket refunds and disruptions in freight services besides damage to railway tracks, a senior railways ministry official said. While Delhi-Mumbai trunk route was the worst affected, Northern Railway and Western Railway suffered maximum losses due to the Gujjar agitation on Scheduled Tribe status, Railway statistics over the past 20 days indicate.
Auxiliary warning system, cab-signalling device, centralised traffic control system are some of the state-of-the-art measures that are being considered to enhance safety measures in India
India conducted nationwide civil defence mock drills simulating multiple hostile scenarios like air raids, fire emergencies, and rescue operations across several states and union territories. The drills, dubbed 'Operation Abhyaas,' aimed to enhance emergency preparedness in light of recent terror attacks. The exercises involved coordinated efforts by various agencies, including civil defence personnel, police, fire and emergency services, and the military. Mock drills were conducted at various locations, including railway stations, malls, and high-rise buildings, showcasing the response capabilities of authorities in different emergency scenarios. The drills highlighted the importance of public awareness and cooperation in dealing with real-time emergencies.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched this public friendly facility on Thursday at a programme in Kolkata.
'Imagine what will happen when a train running at 128 kmph moves onto a track that is meant to have only a speed less than 30 kmph!' 'Naturally, it will derail, and the coaches will go for a tailspin.'
The gross traffic receipts of the railways are estimated at Rs 90,626 crore (Rs 906.26 billion) in 2009-10, against 84,233 crore (Rs 842.33 billion) garnered in the last financial year.
Faced with revenue shortfall, Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to refrain from announcing many populist measures in the interim budget on February 12.
Nearly a 100 members participated in the debate which began Thursday afternoon and concluded at 11.58 pm.
The new Vande Bharat Express train is specially designed to operate seamlessly in Jammu & Kashmir's challenging winter conditions for the upcoming Katra-Srinagar rail route.
The railways ministry has a capex target of Rs 1 lakh crore for the financial year.
Roads, railways, and coal together are likely to account for 70 per cent of the government's takings from the upcoming second edition of the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), set to run from FY26 to FY30. In comparison, these three sectors are estimated to have contributed 66 per cent in the first edition of the NMP - FY22 to FY25.
The decision, if materialises, could be yet another setback for IRCTC, thanks to the new catering policy unveiled recently which stripped the Railway public sector unit of its catering responsibility that formed its core business.
The next Rail Budget to be presented early next year could contain a proposal for raising fares to pass on the burden of rising power cost to passengers.
Other measures include installation of close circuit televisions inside the stations for round-the-clock vigil.
'The rail network all across the state of Punjab is presently totally clear for uninterrupted movement of goods trains,' a home department statement said in Chandigarh. However, hours after the Punjab government's statement, the Railways accused it of 'misguiding' people over the extent of blockade of rail tracks in the state by the protesting farmers.
The Railways have developed new freight wagons which can transport cars efficiently and is planning to run them in routes with a good business potential.
The service would enable one to know the passenger name record status, current train running positions, accommodation and availability and fare enquiry. The SMS service would come at a premium and would be charged at Rs 3 per message.
Amid concerns over increasing number of train accidents, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has sought a detailed safety plan from the railways.
Facing huge financial crunch, the Railways has invited suggestions from the general public to increase its revenue and reduce expenditure ahead of the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament.
IRG will provide four CFL bulbs to each house in railway residential colonies free of cost and earn carbon credits by registering itself with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change under Clean Development Mechanism project.
A passenger on Guwahati-bound Rajdhani train found that the vegetarian dish he ordered contained pieces of bones.
The Railways launched the Google's free Wi-Fi service at Vijayawada, Kachiguda and Raipur stations.
Cracking the whip, Railways have imposed heavy fines totalling Rs 11.5 lakh on nine caterers including Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation for serving "bad quality" food in trains.
As per convention, Railways releases the new time table -- Trains at a glance -- every year on July one across the country. Sources said this year the Railway Time Table Committee, comprising senior officials from various zones, will sit after the Railway Budget is tabled in Parliament.
The letter from West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to Chairman of Railway board V K Yadav dated May 22, stated that the state has been severely impacted by Super Cyclone Amphan on May 20-21 which caused extensive damage to the infrastructure.
Going strong on its green run, the railways have decided to replace the electrical multiple units (EMUs) it uses to operate 2,415 trains in Central Railway and Western Railway zones with those running on three-phase Insulated Gate Bi-polar Transistor (IGBT) technology.
The railways has initiated a high-level probe into the train crash in Odisha to be headed by the commissioner of railway safety, South Eastern Circle.
The railways has taken steps for swift monetary compensation to the victims of terror attacks in Mumbai's suburban trains in July 2006, railway ministry officials said.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry has circulated a draft Cabinet note for inter-ministerial consultations.
Faced with increasing incidents of misuse of tickets, Railways have made it mandatory for all passengers travelling in AC classes to carry an identity proof with them.
Passengers, who do not have the app installed on their mobile phones, might be asked to do so after their arrival at the station.
