New Indian Railways ‘super app’ soon! The Indian Railways plans to introduce a comprehensive mobile application by the end of December, combining various passenger services into a single platform, according to officials familiar with the development.
The application will enable users to book tickets, purchase platform passes, and monitor train schedules. The new application, under development by CRIS, will work in conjunction with IRCTC‘s existing systems.
“IRCTC will continue as the interface between CRIS and passengers buying train tickets. Integration between the planned super app and IRCTC is underway,” a senior official disclosed to ET.
Currently, railway passengers utilize several different applications and websites for various services, including IRCTC Rail Connect for ticket transactions, IRCTC eCatering Food on Track for meal delivery, Rail Madad for feedback, UTS for unreserved tickets, and National Train Enquiry System for train tracking.

IRCTC Rail Connect, with its exclusive rights for reserved ticket booking, has achieved more than 100 million downloads, making it the most utilized railway application.
“IRCTC sees the super app as another avenue for earnings,” the official stated. The organization is currently improving its technical infrastructure to enhance service delivery.
Third-party travel booking platforms also depend on IRCTC for train reservations, highlighting its dominant position in online ticket bookings.
Also Read | Booking a train ticket? New Indian Railways train ticket reservation rules effective from November 1 – check details
For the fiscal year 2023-24, IRCTC reported a net profit of Rs 1,111.26 crore and revenue of Rs 4,270.18 crore. Ticket sales, which processed over 453 million bookings, contributed 30.33% of the total revenue, as stated in their annual report.
The UTS application, which has been downloaded more than 10 million times, specifically handles platform tickets and season passes.
CRIS maintains its role in developing and supporting essential software systems for railway operations and services.

The Kerala government’s ambitious K-Rail semi-high-speed rail project is back in the news again as the Centre assured on Sunday that the project can be taken forward if the technical and environmental issues in its design are addressed by the state authorities.

The multi-crore project has been shelved for some time due to intense protest from opposition parties and the general public and also for want of permission from the union government.

Giving a fresh hope to the project, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that he had discussed the matter with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan when they had last met in New Delhi.

“I requested the CM that whatever technical and environmental issues are there in the design of the K-Rail, please address them expeditiously, so that, this project can also be taken forward. Because from our side – the NDA government – we believe in cooperative federalism,” he told reporters here.

The union minister further said that the Centre is committed to constructing the Sabari rail from Angamaly to Erumely as per the original alignment.

Vaishnav said that the state government recently sent a letter to the Centre with attaching certain conditions. “So, we will be very soon sending a format to the Kerala government which we have done with the government of Maharashtra,” he said.

Once the state authorities fill up the format, then the project (Sabari rail) can start and move forward, the union minister added.

The K Rail, a semi-high speed rail corridor, aims to ease transportation along the entire north and south stretch of Kerala and reduce the travel time to less than four hours, as against 12 to 14 hours at present.

The SilverLine would cover a 530-kilometre stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod and be developed by K-Rail, a joint venture of the Kerala government and the Ministry of Railways.

The Opposition Congress and the BJP in Kerala have been protesting against the SilverLine project, saying it will affect the families who will be displaced due to its implementation.

Last Updated:October 26, 2024, 13:31 IST

Indian Railways has launched a Vande Bharat special train from Lucknow to Chhapra in Bihar.

The train runs six days a week.

As Diwali is approaching next week, trains heading to Bihar from across the country are packed. Many people booked their tickets four months in advance, but some missed out, and now there is a no-room status on all trains. Here’s some good news: a Vande Bharat train has started for Bihar’s Chhapra Junction, allowing you to travel back to your home state for Diwali and Chhath with ease. Confirmed tickets are still available on this train. Chhapra is a major junction in North Bihar, from where you can reach other districts like Siwan, Gopalganj, Vaishali, and even Muzaffarpur within a few hours.

Indian Railways has launched a Vande Bharat special train from Lucknow to Chhapra in Bihar. The train number is 02270. It departs from Lucknow NR at 2:15 PM and arrives at Chhapra at 9:30 PM, stopping at Sultanpur, Varanasi, Ghazipur, Ballia, Suremanpur, and finally Chhapra.

This train brings relief not only to people in Bihar but also to those in Eastern UP from Ballia and Ghazipur, where Chhath Puja is celebrated with great enthusiasm. The train runs six days a week, with no service on Tuesdays. According to the IRCTC website, plenty of tickets are still available from October 27 through the Chhath period.

The Vande Bharat train offers two classes: Chair Car and Executive Car. From Lucknow to Chhapra, the fare for a Chair Car is Rs 1780, while the fare for an Executive Car is Rs 3125. The return train departs Chhapra at 11 PM, reaching Lucknow at 6:30 AM. The return fare is Rs 1285. The base fare for the train is Rs 1105, but there is a catering charge of Rs 530 when travelling from Lucknow to Chhapra. On the return journey from Chhapra to Lucknow, the catering charge is only Rs 35, as no food is served during the night.

This train is also a great option for those planning to travel from Delhi to Bihar. If direct trains from Delhi to Bihar are fully booked, travellers can take another train or a UP government bus to reach Lucknow and then catch the Vande Bharat special from there. This allows you to avoid the heavy crowd and reach Bihar conveniently in time for Chhath Puja.

Amrit Bharat Express Trains: Indian Railways has launched the first pair of converted aerodynamic WAP-5 electric locomotives at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW). The Ministry of Railways has taken this move to expand the fleet of Amrit Bharat Express trains in FY 2023-24.  

The converted aerodynamic WAP-5 electric locomotives promise significant cost savings by reducing the need for extensive redesign and are a key part of the Railways’ modernisation efforts. 

Amrit Bharat Express Trains: Technology 

The new trains will roll out a category of superfast passenger trains, aimed at providing more affordable and efficient travel options for the passengers. The Amrit Bharat Express trains will be packed with various features which include LHB push-pull technology, utilizing non-AC coaches for better speed and performance. 

The 1st pair of converted aerodynamic WAP-5 electric locos for Amrit Bharat trains was flagged off at Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, offering significant cost savings by reducing redesign needs.

Features:

Redesigned Cab

Real-time Information System

Remote Monitoring System pic.twitter.com/NEsenVsB2s
— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) October 20, 2024

Aerodynamic WAP-5 Locos Features 

The locomotive comes with many features which include a redesigned cab, real-time Information System and remote monitoring system. The redesigned cab of this locomotive enhances aerodynamics, leading to improved fuel efficiency and a more eco-friendly operation. 

The locomotive is equipped with a real-time information system, which allows for precise monitoring, ensuring smoother and more efficient train operations. 

Adding further, the remote monitoring system enables better diagnostics and maintenance by offering remote access, which helps minimize downtime and keeps the locomotive running at optimal performance. 

Notably, the advanced locomotives with advanced features are designed to enhance the performance of the Amrit Bharat Express trains, ensuring faster and more reliable services across the country.   

NEW DELHI: The Railway Protection Force seized huge quantities of gold bars, silver and over Rs 85 lakh of unaccounted cash from four trains at New Delhi Railway Station, a press statement from the Railway Ministry said on Friday. Acting on a tip, the ministry recovered goods worth Rs 4.01 crore from the trains on September 4, the statement said.

“The RPF Team was on high alert as they inspected several incoming trains. While searching the coaches, they uncovered 24 suspicious packages from four different trains, the Ministry said. “What initially appeared to be routine parcels, turned out to contain a surprising haul: 498 grams of gold bars, 365 kilograms of silver, and 85.72 lakhs in unaccounted cash,” it said.

The Ministry stated that the RPF team, working in collaboration with the Income Tax Department, carefully documented and secured the items for further investigation. It marked the operation as a major success in curbing illegal activities on the railways in the times of Assembly Elections in Haryana. “This operation was just one of the broader efforts of the RPF to secure the Assembly Elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir, which took place between August 16 and October 5,” the press note said.

“With 60 companies of the Force deployed across the two states, the RPF played a critical role in ensuring peace and safety during the election period,” it added. Appreciating RPF’s efforts, the Ministry said that the vigilance of RPF throughout the election period resulted in the interception of illegal goods worth 12.86 crores and helped in enforcing the Model Code of Conduct in the recently concluded elections in Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir.

“Seizures included narcotics, smuggled liquor, unaccounted cash, and the items that could potentially be used to influence the voters,” the press note said. It added, “These efforts of the RPF were instrumental in maintaining the integrity of the elections and demonstrated the RPF’s commitment to ensuring the smooth functioning of the electoral process and curbing illicit activities that could have influenced the outcomes.”

India’s first hydrogen train on tracks soon? Indian Railways has engaged Germany’s TUV-SUD to conduct a third-party safety audit for the country’s first hydrogen train. Officials familiar with the plan anticipate trial runs to commence in December 2024 for this rolling stock.
With this development, India will join Germany, France, Sweden, and China as the fifth nation worldwide to operate hydrogen-powered trains.
Additionally, five Hydrogen Fuel Cell Based Tower Cars (maintenance vehicles) are being developed, each estimated to cost Rs 10 crore per unit.
An official informed ET, “The Indian Railways will have 35 trains under the Hydrogen for Heritage initiative at an estimated cost of Rs 80 crores per train with another Rs 70 crores investment in ground infrastructure per route on various heritage or hilly routes.”
The official added, “The System integration Unit battery and two fuel unit synchronization tests have been successfully done.”
Furthermore, a pilot project is underway to retrofit a Hydrogen Fuel cell on an existing Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) rake, along with the necessary ground infrastructure.
This train is scheduled to operate on the Jind-Sonipat section of Northern Railway. “Integration of prototype train is planned in Integral Coach Factory, Chennai,” the official added.
The hydrogen for the train in Haryana will be provided by a 1-megawatt (MW) Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyser located in Jind.
GreenH Electrolysis released a statement indicating that this electrolyser will function continuously, generating approximately 430 kg/day of hydrogen.
The statement also mentioned, “The refuelling infrastructure at Jind will also have a 3,000 kg hydrogen storage, hydrogen compressor, and two hydrogen dispensers with pre-cooler integration, allowing for quick refuelling of the trains.”

Weeks ahead of the festival of lights Diwali, the Narendra Modi government has announced bonuses for Indian Railways employees. The Union Cabinet today approved payment of a Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) of 78 days for Rs 2028.57 crore to 11,72,240 railway employees in recognition of the excellent performance by the Railway staff.

“The amount will be paid to various categories, of Railway staff like Track maintainers, Loco Pilots, Train Managers (Guards), Station Masters, Supervisors, Technicians, Technician Helpers, Pointsman, Ministerial staff and other Group XC staff. The payment of PLB acts as an incentive to motivate the railway employees for working towards improvement in the performance of the Railways,” said the government in a statement.

Payment of PLB to eligible railway employees is made each year before the Durga Puja/ Dusshera holidays. This year also, PLB amount equivalent to 78 days’ wages is being paid to about 11.72 lakh non-gazetted Railway employees.

The maximum amount payable per eligible railway employee is Rs 17,951 for 78 days. The above amount will be paid to various categories, of Railway staff like Track maintainers, Loco Pilots, Train Managers (Guards), Station Masters, Supervisors, Technicians, Technician Helpers, Pointsman, Ministerial staff and other Group ‘C staff.

The performance of Railways in the year 2023-2024 was very good. Railways loaded a record cargo of 1588 Million Tonnes and carried nearly 6.7 Billion Passengers. “Many factors contributed to this record performance. These include improvement in infrastructure due to infusion of record Capex by the Government in Railways, efficiency in operations and better technology etc,” said the government.