An MoU has been officially signed between Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and online food aggregator, in Delhi, by which Swiggy will deliver pre-ordered food to Indian railway passengers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate over 2,000 railway infrastructure projects worth more than INR 41,000 crore. This includes the redevelopment of 553 stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, modernizing passenger amenities, and enhancing connectivity. The Gomti Nagar station in Uttar Pradesh, redeveloped at INR 385 crore, will be inaugurated, along with the foundation stones for 1,500 Road Under Bridges (RUBs) and Road Over Bridges (ROBs).
Indian Railways has reported its highest capital expenditure in the first nine months of the financial year, spending Rs 1.96 lakh crores till December 2023. This is 75% of the total capex of the railways during this financial year. The investment is primarily focused on infrastructure projects like new lines, gauge conversion, and passenger amenities.
Now the Railways issues advertisements for recruitment of different posts keeping the need of the organisation in mind instead of following a mandatory recruitment calendar like some other govt institutions. He said they have recently completed the employment process for 1.5 lakh new employees and immediately after concluding that they have started the new process for selection of assistant loco pilots (ALPs).
The MoU facilitates utility modernisation, advanced energy solutions and systems, regional energy and market integration and private sector participation and engagement, training and seminars/workshops focusing on specific technology areas like renewable energy, energy efficiency and other interactions for knowledge sharing.
Train Accidents: The Supreme Court directed the Indian government to outline preventive measures, including the 'Kavach' train protection system, following a catastrophic three-train collision in Odisha's Balasore district that claimed nearly 300 lives. It urged immediate action and sought a detailed plan to bolster railway safety, emphasizing the need for expert evaluation, system enhancements, and the 'Kavach' system's swift implementation to avert future accidents.
Indian Railways is developing a super app that will combine ticketing, train tracking, and other services offered through over a dozen mobile apps. The app will improve user experience by reducing the number of downloads needed for a complete bouquet of railway services. The super app will also include other apps like Rail Madad, UTS, and National Train Enquiry System.
An official statement said these non-AC trains will have 22 coaches with 12 Second Class 3- Tier Sleeper Class, eight General Second Class coaches, and two Guard Compartments. The maximum permissible speed of these trains is 130 kilometres per hour (kmph). Railway Minister Vaishnaw said Prime Minister Modi will ‘most probably flag off this train from Ayodhya.’ “It will be on General run for a up to five months to identify any shortcomings and technical challenges,” he said while noting that these trains will eventually ply to all states of the country.
Indian Railways is soon going to realize the dream of the country's first fast railway test track, work is in progress 24/7. Construction of the country's first railway test track, being built on the lines of America, Australia and Germany, is underway near Navan City Railway Station in Didwana district of Rajasthan.
These sections are Lingamapalli-Vikarabad-Wadi and Vikarabad-Bidar section (265 route km); Manmad-Mudkhed-Dhone-Guntkal section (959 route km) and Bidar-Parbhani section. Vaishnaw also stated that presently Kavach tenders have been awarded for Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah corridors of approximately 3,000 route km and the work is in progress on these routes.
"The goal is to replace ageing rolling stock for which 7,000-8,000 new train sets will be needed. Tenders for the same will be called in the next 4-5 years. This will entail floating train procurement tenders worth around Rs 1 lakh crore which will be honoured over the next 15 years by replacing the older rolling stock," Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.
Through the strategic acquisition, Nippon Paint will gain a strong foothold in the growing industrial coatings portfolio especially in the Indian Railways, the company said.
Medha has contracted GreenH to provide the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of a hydrogen production and refuelling station for this important and groundbreaking project, it added. The project is to supply hydrogen for India's first hydrogen train under the prestigious Indian Railways 'Hydrogen for Heritage' initiative.
Indian Railways plans to operate thirty-five hydrogen trains as part of the "Hydrogen for Heritage" initiative. The first of these hydrogen-fueled trains will run between Jind and Sonipat and will be flagged off next year, marking India's entry into the league of countries that are actively investing in cutting-edge technologies to transform the transport sector.
The ambitious automatic train protection (ATP) system, Kavach, has so far been deployed on 1465 Route km and 139 locomotives (including Electric Multiple Unit rakes) on South Central Railway sections, as per a government release.
"Our requirement is 80,000 wheels. We have started a project under which we can make forged wheels up to 2.30 lakh. We will consume 80,000 here and we will export the remaining wheels," Ashwini Vaishnaw added.
“In 2024, we will install Kavach in 2,500 km route. And from 2025 onward, we will be deploying it in 5,000 km every year till we cover our entire rail network of 68,000 km,” Vaishnaw told ET in an interview. He said large electronics and telecom equipment manufacturers have shown willingness to manufacture Kavach in India, which will boost the overall capacity of the industry.
The Indian Railways is set to enhance cost savings and improve passenger experience on Vande Bharat trains through its Yatri Seva Anubandh initiative. In a pilot project for six pairs of Vande Bharat trains, the initiative offers greater choice in food and beverages, ease of travel, and value-added services.
Railways is expected to surpass the revenue target of INR 1.5 lakh crore, with freight earnings reaching INR 1 lakh crore. Despite falling short of the annual growth target, railway officials remain optimistic about achieving the goal, as economic activity is expected to pick up post-monsoon. Passenger revenue has reached INR 43,101 crore, with an increase in earnings from reserved passengers.
Indian Railways is taking steps to enhance passenger safety by introducing 'anti-injury' fittings in its coaches. The objective is to prevent injuries caused by sharp edges or protrusions within the coaches during unforeseen incidents or sudden braking. The Railway Board has instructed all coach manufacturing units to consider this requirement when procuring equipment for future coaches.
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