What is ailing the Indian Indian Railways?
1 year, 9 months ago

What is ailing the Indian Indian Railways?

The Hindu  

Published : Jun 05, 2023 19:07 IST - 1 MIN READ The Indian Railways, one of the world’s largest employers and a crucial component of the Indian economy, is once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. One of the reasons cited by many experts as a possible cause behind the mishap was the poor investment India makes toward the safety and security of its trains. The government’s approval of privatising goods trains and the disinvestment in certain public sector units under the Railway Ministry has sparked a contentious debate in the recent past. Against this backdrop, here is a series of articles Frontline has carried over the past few years on myriad issues dogging the Great Indian Railway, focusing on its past, present, and future.

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History of this topic

Abhijit Bhattacharyya | Stop Chinese meddling in railways, critical projects
4 months ago

Abhijit Bhattacharyya | Stop Chinese meddling in railways, critical projects

Deccan Chronicle  

Over 60 years after the 1962 setback caused by the then Prime Minister’s complete misreading of the intentions of the Communist Party of China and its brutal dictator Mao Zedong, decision-makers in India do not seem to have learnt any lessons. That worldview hasn’t entirely left the Indian foreign office, despite the 1962 war, numerous clashes along the Line of …

Trains Suffice Despite High Cancellations, Railways Rake in Millions in Revenue
5 months ago

Trains Suffice Despite High Cancellations, Railways Rake in Millions in Revenue

The Quint  

Indian Railways' revenue from canceled tickets has surged in recent years, despite widespread cancellations and delays. The RTI inquiry revealed that 1,229.85 crore was earned from canceled tickets in 2022-23, with 430 crore coming in January 2024 alone. Despite special trains added during festivals, delays remain a persistent issue, with safety also a major concern with numerous accidents and fatalities …

Why do trains keep getting derailed in India?
8 months ago

Why do trains keep getting derailed in India?

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two people were killed and …

TRANSFORMATION OF INDIAN RAILWAYS: RUSSIAN TMH'S RESPONSE TO MODERN CHALLENGES
8 months, 1 week ago

TRANSFORMATION OF INDIAN RAILWAYS: RUSSIAN TMH'S RESPONSE TO MODERN CHALLENGES

Hindustan Times  

India's railway network, one of the most extensive and the fourth largest in the world, continues to evolve. Transformation of Indian railways, Russian TMH'S response to modern challenges. In March 2023, the company beat the world's leading players to win a $6.5bn international tender for the design, production and 35-year maintenance of 120 Vande Bharat long-distance electric trains in three …

Railway Budget 2024: Key investments to propel Indian Railways' infrastructure forward
8 months, 1 week ago

Railway Budget 2024: Key investments to propel Indian Railways' infrastructure forward

India TV News  

As India aims to become the third-largest economy with a projected GDP of $5 trillion in the next three years, the Railway Budget 2024-25 is expected to play a pivotal role in infrastructure development. Key expectations include significant budgetary allocations, high-speed rail projects, safety upgrades, environmental sustainability, digital transformation, and modernisation of railway stations and coaches. Key budget expectations for …

What does India need to do to make its railways safer? | In Focus podcast
9 months ago

What does India need to do to make its railways safer? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

Earlier this month, a train accident in West Bengal killed 10 people and injured over 40. Railway accidents have decreased significantly over the past decade - only 0.03 accidents took place per million km in both 2020-21 and 2021-22. But this number loses meaning in light of the numbers of lives lost in rail accidents over the past couple of …

What can the Railways do to stop accidents? | Explained
9 months, 1 week ago

What can the Railways do to stop accidents? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: On June 17, a train accident killed 10 people and injured over 40 near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal, about 600 km from Kolkata. The Railway Board initially said the prima facie cause of the accident was that the loco pilot of the GFCJ container train, who died in the accident, disregarded the Railways’ General and …

Indian Railways Far from Safe Despite Several Initiatives
1 year, 5 months ago

Indian Railways Far from Safe Despite Several Initiatives

Deccan Chronicle  

Visakhapatnam: Attention riveted to the lack of safety on the Indian Railways following the train mishap at Kantakapalli and Alamanda on the mainline of the Waltair Division. The CAG's 2022 report highlighted several shortcomings within the Indian Railways system that operates one of the world's largest and busiest rail networks. Key factors contributing to rail accidents include poor rolling stock …

Troubled tracks: Frontline newsletter
1 year, 9 months ago

Troubled tracks: Frontline newsletter

The Hindu  

Published : Jun 20, 2023 14:14 IST - 2 MINS READ The Railways, often referred to as India’s lifeline, is an unparalleled testament to ambition and connectivity. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it is the most powerful unifying force in India, rivalling religion, politics, sports, or language. The train accident at Bahanaga Bazar station in …

Railways to review operations, to ensure ‘zero compromise’ on safety
1 year, 9 months ago

Railways to review operations, to ensure ‘zero compromise’ on safety

The Hindu  

The Indian Railways will review every aspect of safety in the operation of trains to ensure foolproof working of the system. Expressing grave concern over the tragic train accident at Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha which left 288 passengers dead and over 900 injured, Chairman Railway Board/Chief Executive Officer A. K. Lahoti directed top railway officers, including General Managers …

Is the Indian Railways stretched beyond its capacity?
1 year, 9 months ago

Is the Indian Railways stretched beyond its capacity?

The Hindu  

On June 2, an accident involving three trains took place in Balasore district of Odisha. In a conversation moderated by Maitri Porecha, Mahesh Mangal and Sudhanshu Mani discuss whether the Indian Railways is stretched beyond its capacity. Comment | Getting railway safety back on track after Odisha Mahesh Mangal: I don’t think that can happen with overcrowding. The lack of …

Congress questions BJP over rail safety following Odisha train accident
1 year, 9 months ago

Congress questions BJP over rail safety following Odisha train accident

The Hindu  

Published : Jun 15, 2023 11:00 IST - 3 MINS READ The Congress has raised several questions on rail safety, pointing out that the BJP, in a 2016 accident, had hidden behind the sabotage theory without providing any proof. In its first statement after the accident involving multiple trains in Odisha, the All India Congress Committee released a set of …

EDITOR’S NOTE | India’s worst train accident since 1995
1 year, 9 months ago

EDITOR’S NOTE | India’s worst train accident since 1995

The Hindu  

Published : Jun 15, 2023 11:00 IST - 3 MINS READ In what is India’s worst train accident since the Firozabad disaster of 1995, 288 people have died so far and a thousand-plus have been injured. Photographs and eyewitness accounts coming from the site have left the country shaken The Coromandel Express has been a vital link between Chennai and …

Odisha train accident | Are safety protocols of Indian Railways enough?
1 year, 9 months ago

Odisha train accident | Are safety protocols of Indian Railways enough?

The Hindu  

How to combine both. That’s the solution Indian Railways has to find now after the tragic triple train mishap at Bahanagar Bazar station in Balasore, Odisha, last Friday, as questions have been raised about its functioning. Having had a relatively major accident-free record in the recent past, the government and the Indian Railways may have missed a key step of …

Getting railway safety back on track after Odisha
1 year, 9 months ago

Getting railway safety back on track after Odisha

The Hindu  

There have been innumerable television debates following the train accident involving the 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express, the 12864 Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminal Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and a goods train at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district, Odisha, on the evening of June 2. The Odisha train accident is now a subject of double investigation; the first, the statutory probe by …

Indian Railways dismisses "baseless" Times of India report on railway tracks in India
1 year, 9 months ago

Indian Railways dismisses "baseless" Times of India report on railway tracks in India

Op India  

Indian Railways has dismissed the data used by Times of India in its article on Railways infrastructure in India as “baseless”. Taking to Twitter to issue a clarification on the same, the spokesperson for Indian Railways said, “We reject this @timesofindia article as baseless & devoid of facts. Indian Railways infrastructure has been under a lot of scrutiny following the …

Data | Odisha train accident and the declining focus on safety by the Indian Railways
1 year, 9 months ago

Data | Odisha train accident and the declining focus on safety by the Indian Railways

The Hindu  

A cursory look at historical data on railway accidents gives the impression that such incidents are a thing of the past. Notably, among the consequential train accidents, 55% had occurred due to negligence or failure of the Railways staff. The Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh fund was created in 2017-18 with a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore to provide financial support …

DC Edit | Worst rail tragedy in years brings with it hard lessons
1 year, 9 months ago

DC Edit | Worst rail tragedy in years brings with it hard lessons

Deccan Chronicle  

The worst accident in the Indian Railways in this century has shocked the nation. Its tragedy in human terms is unacceptably high — 275 people have reportedly died — and over 1,175 are seriously injured and taking treatment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi rushed to the accident spot, as had railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, to survey and oversee the rescue operations. …

Amid Declining Accident Rates, Odisha Train Tragedy Throws Light on Rail Safety Concerns
1 year, 9 months ago

Amid Declining Accident Rates, Odisha Train Tragedy Throws Light on Rail Safety Concerns

News 18  

The unfortunate and tragic train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district on Friday evening has once again underscored the crucial issue of rail safety. According to government data from 2010-11, the Indian Railways network recorded a total of 139 “consequential” train accidents, resulting in 235 passenger fatalities. The ‘consequential’ accidents, as defined by the Railways, are those that have “serious repercussions …

Odisha derailment: Why do trains keep going off track in India?
1 year, 9 months ago

Odisha derailment: Why do trains keep going off track in India?

Firstpost  

More than 200 people died and over 900 were injured after three trains collided near Odisha’s Balasore on Friday. Rail tragedies in India According to a Comptroller and Auditor General report published last year, seven in 10 railway accidents that occurred between 2018 to 2021 were due to derailments, reported IndiaSpend. As a result, maintenance of tracks to prevent derailments …

170 years of Indian Railways and The Hindu: 3 racist, elitist op-eds that denigrate Indians who use Railways simply to peddle anti-Modi agenda
1 year, 10 months ago

170 years of Indian Railways and The Hindu: 3 racist, elitist op-eds that denigrate Indians who use Railways simply to peddle anti-Modi agenda

Op India  

On April 16, 2023 Indian Railways completed 170 years. Coverage in The Hindu The article “ The Folly of 5-star Railway Stations ” was written by Gautam Bhatia who is “an architect and sculptor and the author of Blueprint”. Someone who claims to love Indian Railways actually posed the question of “Who does Indian Railways cater to?” just because he …

April 16 Rail Day The folly of 5-star railway stations in India
1 year, 11 months ago

April 16 Rail Day The folly of 5-star railway stations in India

The Hindu  

If you travel regularly on Indian trains you would be hard pressed to figure what makes first class travel first class. Delhi’s main railway station, for instance, derives its aesthetics from the Paharganj neighbourhood, where it is set, using many available planning devices such as overcrowding, mixed land use and multi-functional space to its own advantage. The platform floors All …

April 16 Rail Day Amid swanky vande bharat trains and calls to preserve rail heritage the question is who does the indian railways actually cater to?
1 year, 11 months ago

April 16 Rail Day Amid swanky vande bharat trains and calls to preserve rail heritage the question is who does the indian railways actually cater to?

The Hindu  

The Indian Railways turns 170 on April 16. Perhaps the most striking symbols of Indian Railways in the current zeitgeist are the talismanic Vande Bharat Express trains. Art historian Vincent Scully lamented: “One entered the city like a god; one scuttles in now like a rat.” My abiding fear is that the rush of modernisation coming for our classic railway …

PIB Fact-Check rejects claims made in video on Railways' privatisation shared by Rahul Gandhi
2 years, 4 months ago

PIB Fact-Check rejects claims made in video on Railways' privatisation shared by Rahul Gandhi

India TV News  

Highlights Rahul shared a video on Twitter in which he asked about Railway's privatisation Rahul was speaking to South Central Railway Employees' Sangh AGS, Bharani Bhanu Prasad PIB Fact Check rejected all claims on Railways' privatisation made in the video The Press Information Bureau fact check has rejected claims made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a tweet that railways' …

Transmogrifying a behemoth — the Railways
3 years ago

Transmogrifying a behemoth — the Railways

The Hindu  

The Indian Railways has never had it so good. Paradoxically, this feel-good image makeover is also accompanied by a deafening silence on crucial policy issues, especially those that concern the financial health and the future management architecture of the Indian Railways. ‘Silo-less’ utopia The absence of a clear policy is evident in another crucial area: changing the management architecture of …

No plans to privatise Indian Railways, says Centre
3 years ago

No plans to privatise Indian Railways, says Centre

Firstpost  

The Railways will continue to fulfil social obligations, the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, adding that Rs 60,000 crore subsidy is provided on passenger fares New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said the government has no plans to privatise the Indian Railways and opposition parties’ contention in this regard is hypothetical. Replying to a discussion on demands for …

Will Indian Railways be privatised? Here's what Piyush Goyal said in Lok Sabha
4 years ago

Will Indian Railways be privatised? Here's what Piyush Goyal said in Lok Sabha

India TV News  

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday asserted that Indian Railways will never be privatised but said private investment should be encouraged for more efficient functioning. Replying to a discussion on Demands for Grants for Railways in the Lok Sabha, Goyal said there has been no death of any passenger in rail accidents in past two years and the railways has …

Indian Railways swings into action to help a pregnant woman who fell and injured herself
4 years, 2 months ago

Indian Railways swings into action to help a pregnant woman who fell and injured herself

Op India  

On Thursday, a passenger named Ravi took to Twitter to share that his pregnant wife had twisted her ankle while stepping down from a foot-over bridge in Junagadh, Gujarat. PNR 8534375862 — Ravi 🇮🇳 January 21, 2021 As soon as Ravi requested the help, Indian Railways swung into action and asked the Divisional Railway Manager at Bhavnagar to immediately look …

Indian Railways modernisation will bring paradigm shift, win-win situation for everyone: Niti Aayog
4 years, 6 months ago

Indian Railways modernisation will bring paradigm shift, win-win situation for everyone: Niti Aayog

India TV News  

National Institution for Transforming India CEO Amitabh Kant on government objective to modernise and improve passengers expeirence on Indian Railways said the modernisation of Indian Railways is a win-win situation for everyone. "It brings first of its kind initiative in country where private entities will source and operate modern technology trains for undertaking passenger business, using Indian Railways' infrastructure. This …

Economy Revival: Indian Railways posts higher freight load in July than last year
4 years, 8 months ago

Economy Revival: Indian Railways posts higher freight load in July than last year

India TV News  

Indian Railways - held as the lifeline of the country- for being the principal mode of transportation in the country has brought massive news that raises hopes of a revival of the pandemic-battered economy. In July, the average speed of freight trains was 45.03 kmph which is around double compared to last year's 23.22 kmph for the same month, the …

The Hindu Explains | Why has Indian Railways opened doors for private players?
4 years, 8 months ago

The Hindu Explains | Why has Indian Railways opened doors for private players?

The Hindu  

The story so far: Indian Railways has launched the process of opening up train operations to private entities on 109 origin destination pairs of routes using 151 modern trains. The present invitation for private operators to submit qualification bids for 151 trains would be, in the assessment of the Railway Board, only for a fraction of the total train operations …

Indian Railways has never been safer. What next | Opinion
4 years, 9 months ago

Indian Railways has never been safer. What next | Opinion

Hindustan Times  

If the number of deaths on tracks is a measure of safety performance of Indian Railways, the performance in 2019-20 is truly commendable. A passenger wearing PPE kit seen inside a Rajdhani Express train bound to Chennai from New Delhi amid Covid-19 lockdown The aim is to have zero accidents with robust safety systems in place. A safe rail wheel …

Indian Railways: How private players lining up to run trains is real reform
5 years, 1 month ago

Indian Railways: How private players lining up to run trains is real reform

Op India  

Twenty years ago, air travel was a distant dream for most Indians. We had Indian Airlines and Air India, both creaky government monopolies, run from equally creaky government-run airports. Read: Congress lies about Budget 2020, claims Modi Govt has reduced funds for Indian Railways: Here are the facts Smaller airports are buzzing too. Tata, Adani and Hyundai queue up to …

Not privatising Railways; only outsourcing some services: Govt
5 years, 4 months ago

Not privatising Railways; only outsourcing some services: Govt

India TV News  

The government is not privatising the Indian Railways but only outsourcing commercial and onboard services to private players in order to provide better facilities to commuters, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said in Rajya Sabha on Friday. Noting that thousands of new trains and more investment are required for providing new facilities/rakes and meet the passengers rush, Goyal said: "If there …

Indian Railways: Can the elephant dance?
7 years ago

Indian Railways: Can the elephant dance?

Live Mint  

Indian Railways is at a crossroads. Indian Railways’s gross receipts in the last 20 years have been artificially aided by an aggressive escalation in freight rates even though service standards remain patchy. Not surprisingly, Indian Railways bears sizeable losses on account of social service obligations, mainly on lower-class passenger fare discount. This, of course, curbs the speed—to a sluggish 50 …

Indian Railways' track maintenance work delayed 4 out of 10 trains in 2017, says report
7 years, 2 months ago

Indian Railways' track maintenance work delayed 4 out of 10 trains in 2017, says report

Firstpost  

Four out of ten trains in the country are being delayed not because of fog, vagaries of nature or accidents, but because of railways’ large scale repair work, according to official data. New Delhi: Four out of ten trains in the country are being delayed not because of fog, vagaries of nature or accidents, but because of railways’ large scale …

India's Railways reforms: Despite progress elsewhere, restructure of bureacratic architecture remains pending
7 years, 3 months ago

India's Railways reforms: Despite progress elsewhere, restructure of bureacratic architecture remains pending

Firstpost  

In the second half of the NDA government’s tenure, Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal seems inclined to complete the unfinished and challenging agenda to restructure and reform the bureaucratic architecture of India’s state-owned transporter In the second half of the NDA government’s tenure, Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal seems inclined to complete the unfinished and challenging agenda to restructure and …

Indian Railways struggles to remain on track, staff shortage, low funds, poor safety plague behemoth
7 years, 6 months ago

Indian Railways struggles to remain on track, staff shortage, low funds, poor safety plague behemoth

Firstpost  

Populist measures like increasing the number of trains by successive governments have put an immense burden on rail tracks making the situation dangerous. New Delhi: Three back-to-back train derailments in less than 12 hours paint a grim picture of the track safety of Indian Railways. Manpower shortage Indian Railways has been facing acute shortage of manpower, especially in the track …

Railways faces an ‘image perception’ problem; safety to be priority: Ashwani Lohani
7 years, 7 months ago

Railways faces an ‘image perception’ problem; safety to be priority: Ashwani Lohani

India TV News  

Newly-appointed Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani today said that safety will be the focus area of the Indian Railways, which is at a critical juncture and faces an ‘image perception’ problem. Lohani said in a letter to employees yesterday that Indian Railways had suffered a "serious dent" in the recent past due to "certain unfortunate incidents". "At this critical juncture …

Railways at ‘critical juncture’, safety to be priority: Ashwani Lohani
7 years, 7 months ago

Railways at ‘critical juncture’, safety to be priority: Ashwani Lohani

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Safety will be the focus area of the Indian Railways, which is at a critical juncture and faces an “image perception” problem, newly appointed Railway Board chairman Ashwani Lohani has said. Lohani said in a letter to employees on Monday that Indian Railways had suffered a “serious dent” in the recent past due to “certain unfortunate incidents”. “At …

Why the railways suffer on an average 100 accidents a year
7 years, 7 months ago

Why the railways suffer on an average 100 accidents a year

Live Mint  

New Delhi: Since 2012, six of every 10 rail accidents in India have happened because of mistakes by or the negligence of railway staff, according to a study by NITI Aayog. In the year to 31 March 2017, 66 of 104 consequential rail accidents were attributed to failure of railway staff according to Indian Railways data. Since 1960, Indian Railways …

Lessons from Kanpur train crash: Here’s how the railways can reinvent itself
8 years, 3 months ago

Lessons from Kanpur train crash: Here’s how the railways can reinvent itself

Hindustan Times  

The recent rail disaster in Kanpur is another grim reminder that the Indian Railways is in dire need of a serious overhaul. Read: To battle fund crunch, Indian Railways may link fares to inflation Deaths on the tracks due to negligence are unacceptable. At the same time, LHB design coaches should also be upgraded to have jerk free couplers, automatic …

Patna-Indore Express tragedy: Doesn't rail safety merit same zeal as demonetisation?
8 years, 4 months ago

Patna-Indore Express tragedy: Doesn't rail safety merit same zeal as demonetisation?

Firstpost  

After the Patna-Indore Express tragedy, the government should think about how many lives would’ve been saved had it focused on safety, not demonetisation. Some subjects — like railway safety for example — do not lend themselves easily to political stunts; jolts that are meant to create dramatic and transformative policy changes. The terrible accident occurred at a time when the …

3 reforms to put railways on fast track
8 years, 8 months ago

3 reforms to put railways on fast track

Deccan Chronicle  

Indian Railways: Lifeline of the Nation” — runs the bold title of a 2015 government white paper. The Indian Railways lost ground as it got mired in its own corrosive image of a government entity focused on social objectives — providing cheap, even free, travel. But the Indian Railways lost the freight business due to a monopolistic tariff policy for …

10 amazing facts about the Indian Railways, one of the world's largest railway networks
9 years, 1 month ago

10 amazing facts about the Indian Railways, one of the world's largest railway networks

India Today  

One of the world's largest railway networks, the Indian Railways, was first introduced in the year 1853. By the year 1951, the different systems of the railways were nationalised as one unit, which became the Indian Railways. There are two UNESCO World Heritage Sites falling on the Indian Railway lines: The Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus The Mountain Railways of India, which …

Accidents in Indian Railways: Review of the last 5 years
9 years, 7 months ago

Accidents in Indian Railways: Review of the last 5 years

India TV News  

Each time there is a train accident, the issue of safety in Indian Railways is discussed for a few days. The train accidents in Madhya Pradesh and in Uttar Pradesh earlier have reignited the debate around safety in Indian Railways. Here a review of the train accidents in the last 5 years including causes, types of accidents & casualities for …

Kanpur Rail Mishap: There Are No Checks & Balances in the Railways
9 years, 7 months ago

Kanpur Rail Mishap: There Are No Checks & Balances in the Railways

The Quint  

Scarce Resources The railways require about Rs 40-50,000crore annually to replace old assets be it tracks, signalling systems,locomotives, rolling stocks or reinforcing bridges, culverts, underpasses, etc.But they do not have enough resources to replace worn-out assets. Similarly we run our railway system knowing fully well that at some places it is not 100% safe as the required replacement of old …

Panel report seeks to overhaul Indian Railways, but will staff unions play spoilsport?
9 years, 9 months ago

Panel report seeks to overhaul Indian Railways, but will staff unions play spoilsport?

Firstpost  

A government panel set up to study restructuring of Indian Railways and Railway Board has asked the government to open up the sector for more private sector participation even in passenger segment, say media reports. “…The is already part of the accepted Indian Railway policy with the provision of an independent regulator”, it cites the panel report as saying. 4) …

Ratan Tata for incentive-based approach to address railways problems
9 years, 10 months ago

Ratan Tata for incentive-based approach to address railways problems

Firstpost  

The two hour-long meeting held at the Rail Bhawan was also attended by Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Minister of State for Railway Manoj Sinha along with all the Railway Board members. New Delhi: Chairing the first meeting of the ‘Kayakalp Council’ for Railways’ revamp, noted industrialist Ratan Tata is today understood to have suggested an incentive-driven mechanism for …

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