Latest news with #RailwayMinistry
India.com
3 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Indian Railways Big Update! Passengers can now get Free ticket upgrade to AC class, Check how to avail this facility
भारत में जल्द बुलेट ट्रेन दौड़ेगी New Delhi: Indian Railways has seen a massive transformation in the last 11 years under the Narendra Modi government. The Railway Ministry has implemented a slew of initiatives to make the traveling experience of the passengers better and convenient. Indian Railways is widely considered the backbone of the Indian economy. It plays a vital role in transporting goods and people across the vast nation, facilitating trade, commerce, and industrial development. Whether it's a long journey or a short one, many people prefer to travel by train. This is because train travel is comfortable, and people from all walks of life can choose a class that suits their needs. However, many people travel by train without being aware of the railway rules. Did you know that if someone books a Sleeper Class ticket, it can be upgraded to an AC class as well? What are the rules for ticket upgrades? Train tickets can be upgraded to a higher class for free if seats are available after the chart is prepared, under IRCTC's auto-upgrade policy. It is important to note that this upgrade generally applies to waitlisted tickets in Sleeper Class and Seating Class. The upgrade is automatic and depends on the availability of seats in the higher class. However, your ticket can be upgraded to a maximum of two higher classes only. Steps to book tickets: To avail the ticket upgrade facility, passengers must select the upgrade option while booking their train tickets on IRCTC. If this option is not selected, the facility will not be available. Here's how to choose the option: Click on the class of your preferred train as per your convenience. Fill in the passenger details such as name, age, gender, berth preference, and other required information. To upgrade your ticket to a higher class, tick the checkbox for auto-upgrade. If the ticket is upgraded to a higher class, there will be no change in the passenger's PNR. Bullet Train Project completion date REVEALED The operations of the much-awaited bullet train will commence soon in the country. According to the latest reports, the work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed bullet train is progressing rapidly with Japan's assistance. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has finally revealed the expected completion date for the project. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the bullet train corridor between Vapi and Sabarmati will be completed by December 2027. The minister further added that the entire project from Maharashtra to the Sabarmati section is expected to be completed by December 2029. The high-speed rail project covering 508 kilometers between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is likely to be completed by December 2029.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Railway Ministry sets up committee to examine General Rules to align with technological advancement
New Delhi, The Railway Ministry has constituted a six-member committee of senior officials to examine the General Rules and make recommendations for their upgradation, given the technological enhancements and new operational needs. Railway Ministry sets up committee to examine General Rules to align with technological advancement These rules ensure safe and efficient train operations by setting guidelines for railway departments to work in harmony and discipline. "Ministry of Railways have decided to constitute a Committee to examine the existing General Rules of Indian Railways to make recommendations for its revision," a Ministry's July 9 order said. The committee is composed of three Principal Executive Directors from Traffic Transportation , Safety and Civil Engineering ; two Executive Directors from Signal and Electrical Engineering -II and the Dean of Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management. The six objectives, outlined for the committee for the review exercise, are incorporating important subsidiary rules from zonal railways, adding or deleting rules based on new operational requirements, aligning the rules with newly-introduced technological aids and advancement, removing outdated rules and regulations, ensuring uniformity among the General Rules and various other practices followed by the zones, among others. "The Committee shall submit its report within 2 months from the date of constitution. The Headquarters of the Committee will be at New Delhi,' the order said. Railway officials said the current exercise aims at reviewing the General Rules and amending them in tune with the adoption of new technology. Besides, there are many practices followed by various zones and divisions which need to be standardised for operational efficiency and safety, they said. According to experts, various railway zones frame their own subsidiary rules based on the General Rules, keeping local conditions in consideration. However, sometimes there is a need to bring uniformity among them, they opined. "For instance, in the Kanchanjunga Express accident that happened on June 17, 2025, the Commission of Railway Safety , which submitted its report to the Railway Board on July 11, 2024, had highlighted different speed restrictions in different railway divisions in case of failure of the automatic signalling system, causing uncertainty and obstacles to safe train operations. The Ministry initiated to bring uniformity among these norms after the CRS' recommendations," an expert said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
North-eastern Railway projects faced losses of over Rs 200 crore from natural disasters in 5 years: Railway Minister Vaishnaw
The Indian Railways has incurred losses worth over Rs 200 crore in the last five years due to the relentless impact of natural disasters such as floods and landslides on the projects in the Northeast. In a written response in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the geological weakness of the Northeast is always accounted for at the stage of design and implementation of Railway projects. These projects are being carried out by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone of the Indian Railways. 'Due to floods, landslides etc. in the last five years, some damage to railway tracks and structures took place in Northeast Frontier Railway which was assessed to be over Rs 200 crore. Geology of the North Eastern Region is such that it is prone to landslides,' said Vaishnaw. He added that for all major Railway projects in the hilly terrain (those in Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland), detailed geo-technical investigations and environmental impact assessments are carried out before going ahead with construction. 'These studies specifically assess slope stability, rock and soil characteristics, vegetation cover and hydrological patterns. Findings of these studies are used to anticipate the risk of landslides that can result from construction activities,' said the minister. According to Railway Ministry data, as of April 1, 2025, 12 railway projects (eight new lines and four doubling), totaling 777 km in length and costing Rs 69,342 crore, have been sanctioned for the region. Out of this, 278 km of length has already been commissioned at an expenditure of Rs 41,676 crore incurred up to March 2025. While the Bairabi-Sairang line, which connects Mizoram's capital Aizawl for the first time, is set to be operational, some of the key ongoing projects in the Northeast are the Dimapur-Kohima New Line (Dhansiri-Zubza) to connect Nagaland's capital Kohima, the Murkongselek-Pasighat new line, the Sivok-Rangpo new line to connect Sikkim to the national network for the first time and the Jiribam-Imphal new line. Dheeraj Mishra is a Principal correspondent with The Indian Express, Business Bureau. He covers India's two key ministries- Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. He frequently uses the Right to Information (RTI) Act for his stories, which have resulted in many impactful reports. ... Read More
NDTV
6 days ago
- NDTV
Indian Railways Tweaks Emergency Quota Rules, Big Relief For Common Passengers
Indian Railways has revised the rules for booking tickets under the Emergency Quota (EQ), making it mandatory for passengers to send their requests earlier than before. This change follows the Railway Ministry's recent decision to prepare reservation charts 8 hours before train departure to improve operational efficiency. Emergency quota seats are reserved for VIPs, railway staff, and passengers with medical emergencies. However, misuse of this facility and last-minute requests often delayed chart preparation, affecting the confirmation of waiting list tickets and causing inconvenience to passengers. Under the new rule, passengers seeking an EQ ticket must now submit their request at least a day in advance. "Emergency quota request for all the trains leaving between 0000 hours and 1400 hours should reach EQ cell up to 1200 hours on the previous day of journey," said a circular issued by the ministry on Tuesday. "Emergency quota request for all the remaining trains leaving between 14.01 hours and 23.59 hours should reach EQ cell up to 1600 hours on the previous day of journey," it added. The ministry has clarified that the requests received on the same day of the scheduled departure of a train will not be entertained. Regarding Sundays or any other public holidays, the ministry has said the requests for the release of accommodation in trains, for which the emergency quota is to be released on Sundays or clubbed holidays after Sundays, should be given during office hours on the previous working day. The circular said the reservation cell of the Railway Board receives a large number of requests from VIPs, railway officers, senior officers and other departments. "All efforts are made to allot the quota judiciously and with common prudence," it said. The ministry has urged all officers to adhere to these timings so that the allotments are given in time and chart preparation is not delayed, which not only results in extreme difficulties to the travelling public but can also lead to a delay in the departure of trains. It has also requested the forwarding authority to ensure the genuineness of the person under reference and also ensure strict compliance to existing guidelines regarding the allotment of the emergency quota. The move is aimed at streamlining the ticketing process, ensuring charts are prepared on time, and improving punctuality. For common passengers, this change means they will know the confirmation status of their waiting list tickets earlier, reducing uncertainty before travel.
News18
6 days ago
- General
- News18
Mumbai Saw Over 60% Of 2,282 Suburban Railway Deaths In 2024: Railway Ministry
Last Updated: Mumbai accounted for 1,408 fatalities, followed by Thane (615), Navi Mumbai (131), and Raigad (128), according to the Railway Ministry's data While the suburban railway network saw 2,282 deaths in 2024, 60% of them were reported in Mumbai, the Railway Ministry informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The causes ranged from trespassing, pole hitting, falling from running trains, falling in platform gaps. Mumbai accounted for 1,408 fatalities, followed by Thane (615), Navi Mumbai (131), and Raigad (128), according to the data. 'As per information received from the Government Railway Police, 2,282 fatalities were reported on Mumbai's Suburban Railway network in 2024 due to various reasons such as trespassing, pole hitting, falling from running trains, falling in platform gap etc," the Ministry said. The Mumbra incident The issue of deaths on local trains resurfaced last month when eight passengers fell off two trains near Mumbra station, resulting in five fatalities. Tiruvallur Lok Sabha MP Sasikanth Senthil had asked the Railway Ministry about the incident. Five major accidents on Mumbai suburban network In a separate reply, the Ministry said that total five consequential train accidents of suburban trains took place in the Mumbai Suburban Network over Central Railway and Western Railway from 2020-21, all on Central Zone and none Western. 'In these accidents, no fatality or injury took place," the Ministry added. The causes of these accidents broadly include track defects, loco/coach defects, equipment failures, and human errors. 'Accident victims are paid ex-gratia relief soon after an accident or untoward incident. Total amount of ex-gratia paid by the Railways to the next of kin of deceased and injured individuals in untoward incidents in Mumbai Suburban Railway Network during the period 2020-21 to 2024-25 is Rs 34.55 Lakh," the Ministry said. Total amount of compensation paid by the Railways, over and above the ex-gratia amount, to the next of kin of deceased in untoward incidents in Mumbai Suburban Railway Network during the period 2020-21 to 2024-25 is Rs 216.87 crore. 'It may be noted that the compensation paid in a year need not necessarily relate to the accidents/casualties in that year alone. The amount paid in a year depends upon the number of cases finalised by Railway Claims Tribunals (RCTs) or other Courts of Law in a particular year irrespective of the year(s) in which the accident they pertain to, have occurred," the Ministry explained. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
