New Delhi, December 6: The Northern Railway has decided to enhance passenger convenience by adding 116 coaches to 37 premium trains following disruptions in the flight services of aviation company Indigo. The decision was taken on Friday to accommodate the passengers affected by the aviation issues and to manage the increased demand for travel.

A press release issued by the Ministry of Railways indicated that the Southern Railway has carried out the highest number of augmentations, increasing the capacity of 18 trains. As per agency report, Northern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay stated that in view of the growing needs of passengers, one Third AC coach each has been added to the 12425/26 Jammu Rajdhani Express and the 12424/23 Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express.

The official further informed that similarly, one AC Chair Car coach each has been augmented in the 12045/46 Chandigarh Shatabdi Express and the 12030/29 Amritsar Shatabdi Express. Officials clarified that these changes will be applicable from the upcoming services of these trains and will continue to remain in effect as long as the problem persists.

According to sources, due to the sudden surge in passenger demand, the Railways is also working on increasing the number of all types of AC coaches in several premium trains running between New Delhi and Patna, Mumbai and New Delhi, as well as Ahmedabad and New Delhi.

Vadodara, April 21 – Over the past decade, Indian Railways has implemented several groundbreaking initiatives aimed at improving the safety, comfort, and work-life balance of its loco pilots. The Ministry of Railways has made structural and technological upgrades with a strong focus on the welfare and morale of its running staff.

Prior to 2014, most loco cabs and crew rest areas, known as running rooms, lacked air conditioning and basic comfort facilities. As per agency report, by 2024, all 558 running rooms across the country have been fully air-conditioned and upgraded with RO water systems, yoga and meditation rooms, reading lounges, subsidized meal services, and improved sleeping arrangements. Additionally, 7,075 loco cabs have been fitted with air conditioning and ergonomic seating, significantly reducing fatigue during operations.

To further improve working conditions, toilets have been introduced as a standard feature in new locomotives, and retrofitting is underway in older engines. As of now, 1,170 locomotives are equipped with onboard toilet facilities. New running rooms are being constructed on high-density routes to ensure more balanced duty hours for train drivers.

In terms of safety, Indian Railways has prioritized the deployment of advanced systems including ‘Kavach’ (Automatic Train Protection), fog safety devices, driver alert systems, vigilance control devices, and simulator-based training modules. Over 21,000 fog safety devices have been installed to ensure safe train operations even under poor weather conditions.

Post-COVID-19, Indian Railways successfully conducted two large-scale computer-based recruitment examinations involving over 23.7 million candidates, resulting in the appointment of 130,000 personnel, including 51,856 loco pilots. A new annual recruitment calendar has also been implemented, making the selection process faster and more transparent.

The average duty time of loco pilots has been streamlined to 52 hours over a 14-day period. Mental and emotional well-being is being addressed through counseling sessions and family-focused programs.

The Western Railway zone has set benchmarks by fully upgrading all its running rooms with air-conditioning, FSSAI-certified subsidized canteens, separate kitchens for vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, yoga and meditation halls, shoe polish stations, CCTV surveillance, exclusive rooms for female staff, and libraries for entertainment. Notably, the Bandra Terminus Running Room has received accolades for its outstanding management.

These initiatives underline Indian Railways’ commitment to creating a safe, supportive, and efficient working environment for its employees. By improving the quality of life for loco pilots and other railway personnel, the organization is not only enhancing staff welfare but also reinforcing the overall efficiency and reliability of the national railway system.

Train traffic was restored more than 24 hours after a segmental launching gantry, used for the construction of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, accidentally slipped from its position near Ahmedabad. Railway officials confirmed on Tuesday that the affected railway line is now operational again.

The incident occurred around 11 PM on Sunday at the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) construction site in the Geratpur-Vatva section. According to a statement issued by Western Railway, the mishap disrupted the nearby railway line and led to the breakage of overhead electric equipment (OHE), causing a temporary suspension of train services.

As per agency report, a senior official from the Ahmedabad division of Western Railway informed that the first train passed through the affected track at 5:36 AM on Tuesday after the gantry was successfully removed.

Though there were no casualties, the disruption forced the complete cancellation of 38 trains. Additionally, seven trains, including the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express, Ahmedabad-Mumbai Shatabdi Express, and Ekta Nagar-Ahmedabad Heritage Special, were partially cancelled due to the incident.

The NHSRCL reported that the gantry removal operation was completed at 11:58 PM on Monday. The entire procedure was carried out with careful planning to ensure the safety of the structure and to prevent further damage to the adjacent railway line.

Railway authorities stated that the damaged track and overhead equipment were fully restored by 4:45 AM on Tuesday. The first freight train passed through at 5:36 AM, followed by the first passenger train at 6:06 AM.

Western Railway confirmed that no passengers or railway staff were injured in the incident. Senior officials, including the General Manager of Western Railway, visited the site to supervise the restoration efforts and ensure the swift resumption of train services.

During the disruption, passengers of affected trains were provided with tea, snacks, and drinking water at various stations through the support of local charitable organizations and NGOs. A dedicated helpline was also set up to assist travelers.

New Delhi, March 18 – Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday that India has emerged as a significant exporter of railway coaches, with locomotives manufactured at Bihar’s Madhepura rail factory set to be shipped globally. As per agency report, Vaishnaw, while responding to discussions on the budgetary demands of the Ministry of Railways for the fiscal year 2025-26, highlighted India's growing presence in the global rail manufacturing sector.

He stated that India is now a leading railway exporter, with metro coaches produced domestically being exported to Australia. Additionally, various train components, including bogies and equipment, are being supplied to countries such as Saudi Arabia and France.

Following Vaishnaw’s response, the Lok Sabha rejected opposition members' proposed budget cuts and passed the ministry’s grant demands through a voice vote.

The minister emphasized that locomotives manufactured at the Madhepura rail factory in Bihar will soon be exported worldwide. Similarly, train wheels produced in Tamil Nadu will be supplied to international markets, further strengthening India’s position in global railway manufacturing.

Vaishnaw called this achievement a testament to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, underscoring the government's commitment to boosting domestic manufacturing and exports. He also noted that Indian Railways is on track to achieve its "Railway Scope-1 Net Zero" target this year, marking a significant milestone in sustainable railway operations.

New Delhi (India), August 14: Delhi-based tech giant Transline Technologies Limited has bagged a major contract for IP-based Video Surveillance Systems to be incorporated into 1633 railway stations under the purview of Indian Railways. This project will cover states including Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh.

They will be required to tailor IP-based video surveillance systems in the railway station according to each station’s requirements. Transline Technologies Limited will deploy the entire system, which includes a CCTV system, panic buttons, network and connectivity to VMS and server system, which includes FRS and video analytics.

Over 16,000 cameras will be installed, which will provide a great length of safety for the passengers of Indian Railways. This forward-thinking step of the Indian Railways may go a long way on the Prime Minister’s vision of a Digital India.

When asked, Mr. Arun Gupta, the managing director of Transline Technologies Limited, said, “We are very grateful for the opportunity presented to us by the Indian Railways allowing us to be able to take part in in the visions of the Indian Government to create a safe, and secure environment. We hope that this will create a safe presence for the passengers of Indian Railways and help the passengers feel safe while travelling.”

Mr. Arun Gupta also said, “Our team is very excited and highly motivated to take on challenges like this and I am more than sure that we will be able to find a way for the job to be done with excellence, as Transline Technologies Limited has delivered from time to time.”

This project of the Indian Railways, no doubt, will be a milestone in paving the way for the future in terms of modernity and digitization. A Surveillance network passing through the railway stations of 11 states across India is one-of-a-kind and is surely needed in today’s time.

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New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) In a bid to optimise utilisation of accommodation in trains, the Union Railways Ministry on Saturday announced the introduction of a discounted fare scheme in AC sitting trains.

"With a view to optimise utilisation of accommodation in trains, the Ministry of Railways has decided to delegate powers to Zonal Railways to introduce discounted fare scheme in trains with AC sitting accommodation, subject to terms and conditions," a statement from the government said.

The statement said that the discounted fare scheme will be applicable in AC Chair Car and Executive classes of all trains having AC sitting accommodation, including the Anubhuti and Vistadome coaches.

It also said that the element of discount shall be upto maximum 25 per cent on the basic fare, whereas other charges like reservation charge, super fast surcharge, GST, etc., as applicable,  will be levied separately.

"The discount may be provided in any or all the classes on the basis of occupancy."

The Ministry said that the train having classes with occupancy less than 50 per cent -- either end to end or in some specified legs or sections depending upon the sections where discount is to be provided -- during the last 30 days shall be taken into consideration.

"The fares of competitive mode of transport shall be the criteria while deciding quantum of discount."

The discount can be given for the first and or last leg of the journey and or intermediate sections and or end-to-end journey provided the occupancy is less than 50 per cent in that leg or section or end-to-end.

It also said that in case of those trains where flexi fare scheme is applicable in a particular class and the occupancy is poor, flexi fare scheme may be withdrawn initially as a measure to increase the occupancy.

"In case this does not result in improved occupancy, only then discount scheme may be made applicable in those trains or classes," the Railwayd Ministry said.

"The discount shall be implemented with immediate effect. However, no refund of fare shall be admissible for already booked passengers."

This scheme will not be applicable on special trains introduced as holiday or festival specials.

Tatkal quota will not be earmarked in such trains for the decided period in case the discount is provided on end to end basis.

The provision of this scheme shall be applicable upto a period of a year, the Ministry added.

Hyderabad, July 7 (IANS) A major tragedy was averted when fire broke out in Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express in Telangana's Yadadri Bhongir district on Friday.

No casualties were reported.

The train was stopped between Pagidipalli and Bommayapalli by the loco pilot after he was alerted when smoke was noticed in one of the coaches.

There was panic among passengers but all of them deboarded the train before fire spread to adjoining coaches.

Four of the coaches were completely gutted while two others were partially damaged.

The railway staff delinked the affected coaches to prevent the fire from spreading to other coaches.

Railway officials said all passengers were safe. Fire engines rushed to the spot from various places in the district to douse the fire.

Railway employees disconnected the overhead power supply.

One of the passengers said the fire started from S4 coach.

"There was panic and we all ran out for safety," said a passenger who was travelling in S5. Senior officials of South Central Railway (SCR) rushed to the spot and were making alternate arrangements for the travel of passengers.

A special train left from Secunderabad to bring the stranded passengers. SCR General Manager Arun Kumar Jain also left for the spot.

New Delhi, June 4 (IANS) Indian Railways on Sunday said that indigenously-developed automatic train protection system "Kavach," which was not installed on the route where the accident in Odisha's Balasore occurred on Friday evening, could not have prevented it.

In the tragic train accident, two passenger trains and a goods train collided, resulting in loss of at least 275 lives and leaving approximately 1,000 injured.

In response to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's query about the absence of Kavach, Railway Board's Member, Operations and Business Development Jaya Varma Sinha, reiterated Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's statement that the crash was unrelated to Kavach.

According to her, Kavach would not have prevented such an accident as there are certain incidents that no technology in the world can avert, citing the example of boulders suddenly falling in front of vehicles to illustrate her point.

Sinha said that the system is designed to detect instances where a locomotive pilot jumps a signal, known as Signal Passed at Danger (SPAD), which is one of the primary causes of train collisions. When the system identifies another train on the same track within a predetermined distance, it promptly alerts the locomotive pilot, takes control of the brakes, and automatically brings the train to a halt.

"Currently, restoration work is in progress at the incident site, and it is anticipated that two railway lines will be operational by 8 p.m. today. However, trains are expected to operate at reduced speeds initially. An inquiry is underway, with investigations being conducted from various perspectives. While the initial assessment suggests that the issue could be related to signalling, no conclusive authentication can be provided at this time," Sinha added.

Balasore, June 4 (IANS) Under fire from the opposition over the horrific Odisha train tragedy, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said that the Railway Board has recommended for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the accident.

Speaking to media here, Vaishnaw said, "Keeping in mind the circumstances and situation and administration information that we have got, so for further inquiry and investigation, the Railway Board is recommending for a CBI probe."

Railway Minister Vaishnaw has come under fire from Congress, as it has demanded his resignation, citing several reports and audits that highlighted the lapses on part of Railways.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and several others have hit out at the government and demanded to fix accountability for the train tragedy that took place in Odisha's Balasore on Friday evening.

In one of the horrific tragedies at least 275 people died while over 800 were injured when 21 coaches of two -- Coromandel Express and SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express -- and a goods train collided and derailed on Friday evening near Bahanaga Bazar Railway station in Odisha's Balasore.

New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) At least 233 people have died and over 900 injured in a tragic rail accident involving Coromandel Express and the SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express on Friday night, in one of the worst train accidents in India in last decade. Multiple agencies are still trying to rescue the passengers from the mangled train coaches.

Here is a list of some major train accidents that has taken place in last 15 years.

1. 2010, Jnaneswari Express: At least 148 passengers of the Mumbai-bound express train died after a few coaches got derailed between Khemashuli and Sardhia stations of South Eastern Railway after midnight May 28, 2010, and toppled on the adjacent tracks. A goods train coming from the opposite direction within a few minutes ploughed through the coaches. More than 200 passengers were injured.

It was alleged that Maoists had damaged the tracks which led to the tragedy in West Bengal.

2. 2010, Uttar Banga Express and Vananchal Express: On July 19, 2010 the Uttar Banga Express and the Vananchal Express rammed into each other in West Bengal's Sainthia leaving about 63 dead and injuring over 165 people.

3. 2011, Chhapra-Mathura Express: On July 7, 2011, Chhapra-Mathura Express collided with a bus near Etah district in Uttar Pradesh.

In the accident, 69 people died and many were severely injured. The accident took place at around 1:55 a.m. at an unmanned level crossing. The train was running at high speed and the bus was dragged for about half a kilometre.

4. 2012, Hubli-Banglore Hampi Express: On May 23, 2012, the Hubli-Bangalore Hampi Express collided with a goods train near Andhra Pradesh. Following the mishap, four coaches derailed, and one of them caught fire, killing about 25 passengers and charring several others. 43 people were left injured in the accident.

5. 2012, Tamil Nadu Express: On July 30, 2012, a coach of Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express caught fire near Nellore, leaving more than 30 people dead.

6. 2014, Gorakhdham Express: On May 26, 2014, the Sant Kabir Nagar area of Uttar Pradesh, the Gorakhdham Express headed towards Gorakhpur collided with a halted goods train near Khalilabad station, leaving 25 dead and more than 50 injured.

7. 2015, Janata Express accident: A major accident took place in the Janata Express travelling from Dehradun to Varanasi on March 20, 2015. Over 30 people were killed and around 150 others injured when the engine and two adjoining coaches of the train derailed near Bachrawan Railway Station in Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

8. 2016, Patna-Indore Express: 19321 Indore-Patna Express derailed near Pukhrayan, Kanpur, on November 20, 2016, killing at least 150 people and injuring more than 150 others.

9. 2017 Kalinga-Utkal Express accident: On August 19, 2017, the Kalinga Utkal Express running between Haridwar and Puri met with an accident near Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. 14 coaches of the train derailed killing 21 passengers while 97 were left injured.

10. 2017, Kaifiyat Express: On August 23, 2017 nine train coaches of the Delhi-bound Kaifiyat Express derailed near Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh, causing at least 70 injuries. None of the passengers died in this train accident.

11. 2022, Bikaner-Guwahati Express: On January 13, 2022, at least 12 coaches of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express derailed in West Bengal's Alipurdar, in which 9 people died and 36 were injured.

Even one of Indian Railways premium train Rajdhani Express met one of its worst fate in 2002.

The 2301 Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed near Rafiganj station between Gaya and Dehri-on-Sone stations in Bihar at 10.40 p.m. killing over 140 people after 14 coaches of the plunged into the Dhawa river on the night of September 10, 2002.

The Railways has been focusing on the safety of train passengers in last few years and has upgraded the railway tracks and also installed a device named 'kavach' to save trains from head on collision. The Railways also removed all the unmanned level crossings on its broad guage network.

However, Friday's accident involving the Coromandel Express and the SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express trains has put the spotlight once again on track safety despite several efforts by the Indian Railways.

Mumbai, May 31 (IANS) The popular and reliable 'Punjab Mail' -- the fastest train to zip across the subcontinent from Bombay (now, Mumbai) to Peshawar (now in Pakistan), completed 111 years on Wednesday and will step into its 112th year of operations on Thursday, Central Railway officials said here.

Sixteen years 'senior' to the more glamorous Frontier Mail (now, Golden Temple Mail) plying almost on a similar route via the Western Railway, the Punjab Mail was originally known as 'Punjab Limited' and steamed out in a cloud of smoke from the erstwhile Ballar Pier Mole station in south Mumbai for its long journey to Peshawar in the north.

CR officials say that though the exact origins of the Punjab Limited are unclear, based on a Cost Estimate Paper of 1911 and a passenger complaint of October 12, 1912 about its few minutes 'late arrival' at Delhi station, it has been concluded that the train made her maiden run on June 1, 1912.

The train was a hit, and convenient for the British officers and their spouses coming for their first postings in colonial India and the mail shipped through the P&O steamers to Bombay from Southampton Port (the same where the ill-fated but the world's most famous ship 'Titanic' had set sail on April 10, 1912 and sank after five days) after a 13-day long voyage.

The British officers held combined tickets for the ship voyage to Bombay and the inland journey by trains to their posting or final destination, and hence after disembarking would just hop onto one of the trains bound for Delhi, Calcutta or Madras.

For the northern destinations it was mostly the Punjab Mail running on fixed days from Bombay to Peshawar via the GIP route, traversing the 2,496 km distance in 47 hours.

In those days, the train was quite short and modest with just six cars -- three for passengers with a total capacity of 96 and another three for mail and postal goods, but it ranked as the fastest train of British India -- which introduced the railways in India 170 years ago, on April 16, 1853.

The Punjab Mail would cover places like Itarsi, Agra, Delhi, Lahore and terminate at the Peshawar Cantonment, unloading both its human and material cargo or mail at various points en route.

After the Victoria Terminus - now the UNESCO World Heritage site, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus - was built in 1888 and fully operational, the Punjab Mail started originating-terminating there from 1914 and also became a daily service.

In view of the growing demands, by mid-1930s, Third Class cars were introduced and it gobbled up the 1,541-km long journey from Bombay to Delhi in 29 hours and 30 minutes, which it was further reduced to 27 hours and 10 minutes, it had 55 stops on the journey and the first air-conditioned car was introduced in 1945 on Punjab Mail.

During the bloody Partition riots, Punjab Mail, along with other mainline trains running beyond Delhi, were terminated at the national capital, and after the Partition of 1947, the train terminated at Firozpur Cantonment near the new India-Pakistan border.

In 1968, the Punjab Mail was diselized upto Jhansi and then till New Delhi, and in 1976 till Firozpur, but in between in 1972, its running time was again increased to 29 hours ostensibly due to extra halts.

In the late 1970s-early 1980s, the train got dual current locomotives to run on electric traction from Bombay to Bhusaval, with the changeover from DC to AC traction at Igatpuri in Nashik.

Presently, the Punjab Mail takes 32 hours and 35 minutes to run 1,930 km from Mumbai to Firozpur Cantonment with 52 stops, fully hauled by electric engines, and a restaurant car now replaced by a pantry car.

Probably for the first time in its long history, the train services were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown from March 22, 2020, but reintroduced gradually in the series of special train services after the 'un-lockdown' started from June 2020, and normal operations were started only from November 15, 2021.

Today, in its latest 111-year-old existence, the Punjab Mail has one Air Conditioned First Class cum AC-2 Tier, Two AC-2 Tier, Six AC-3 Tier, 6 Sleeper Class, 5 Second Class General coaches, one Pantry Car and one generator van, and zooms through Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab states.

The train was immortalised in a Bollywood film, "Punjab Mail" (1939), with scenes shot in "Jab We Met" (2007), among many others in different languages.

In response to the increased travel demand during the summer season, the government has introduced a new summer special superfast train, operating between Valsad and Jammu Tawi. The AC trains, with special fare structures, are designed to ease travel and provide a comfortable journey.

The train number 09097, Valsad Jammu Tawi Special Superfast AC train, will operate weekly from May 22nd to June 26th, 2023. Departing from Valsad at 00.30 hrs every Monday, the train will reach Jammu Tawi at 8.35 hrs on Tuesday, traveling via Ratlam Junction.

The return service, train number 09098, Jammu Tawi Udhna Special Superfast AC train, will leave Jammu Tawi at 23.20 hrs every Tuesday from May 23rd to June 27th. This train will reach Udhna on Thursday at 5.20 pm, via Ratlam Junction.

The Valsad Jammu Tawi Special Superfast AC train will stop at key stations including Navsari, Surat, Vadodara, Ratlam, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Gangapur City, Mathura Junction, Delhi Safdarjung, Ambala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar Cantt, and Pathankot. The Jammu Tawi Udhna Special Superfast AC train will make stops at Pathankot, Jalandhar Cantt, Ludhiana, Ambala, Delhi Safdarjung, Mathura Junction, Gangapur City, Sawai Madhopur, Kota, Ratlam, Vadodara, and Surat.

The new superfast AC trains will feature 11 Third AC Economy coaches and 06 AC Chaircar coaches, providing a comfortable travel option for passengers during the summer months.