Patna:

A man from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district has sent a notice to the Indian Railways, seeking Rs 50 lakh compensation after he and his in-laws could not board a train to Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh due to alleged negligence of its officials.

The complainant, Janak Kishore Jha alias Rajan, alleged that despite having AC-3 tickets for Swatantrata Senani Express on January 26, he and his family could not board the train as the coach’s door was locked from inside.

Jha, a resident of the Gayghat police station area, claimed that despite repeated attempts and seeking help from the railways’ staff, no assistance was provided, and the train departed without them.

Following this, Jha has formally requested the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Railway Board to refund his ticket amount with interest within 15 days. Additionally, he has warned of legal action and demanded Rs 50 lakh in compensation if the refund is not processed within the stipulated time.

Jha contended that the railways’ negligence deprived him and his family of attending Maha Kumbh, an event of immense religious significance – occurring after 144 years.

He claims that missing this opportunity caused not just financial loss but also emotional and spiritual distress.

“I had booked AC-3 tickets from Muzaffarpur to Prayagraj along with my mother-in-law and father-in-law. When the train arrived at the platform, the door of our coach was locked from inside. Despite our efforts, no one opened it. The crowd was too dense to reach another coach. We sought help from the station master and Government Railway Police, but no assistance was provided, and the train left. This is sheer negligence. We have demanded a refund with interest,” Jha said.

Jha’s counsel S.K. Jha, has framed the case under the Consumer Protection Act, claiming deficiency in service.

He argued that the Railways must ensure passengers board their designated train safely and reach their destination on time. However, its failure to do so led to financial, mental, and physical distress for the complainant.

“Since Railways failed in its duty, a legal notice has been sent, giving its Chairman 15 days to process the refund. If authorities fail to comply, we will move the competent court and demand compensation,” the advocate said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mahakumbh Nagar:

The grand Mahakumbh festival at Prayagraj’s Sangam has drawn over 13 crore devotees so far. Now, preparations are in full swing for the Amrit Snan on Mauni Amavasya, January 29, 2025, when an expected 10 crore pilgrims are expected to take a holy dip at Triveni Sangam on the auspicious occasion.

Anticipating a huge influx of devotees, the Prayagraj Railway Division has made elaborate special arrangements for the smooth arrival and departure of passengers across all stations in the city.

Around 10 crore people are expected to arrive in Prayagraj for the Amrit Snan of Mauni Amavasya. As per estimates, approximately 1 crore passengers have been arriving daily in the city for the Maha Kumbh, since January 25.

To ensure the safety and smooth flow of such a large number of devotees, the Prayagraj Railway Division has rolled out a special plan along with certain restrictions. These arrangements will be in effect a day before and two days after the Mauni Amavasya bathing festival.

On the day of the festival, entry to Prayagraj Junction will be permitted from the city side, through platform number-. The exit will be only from the Civil Lines side, via platform number 6.

Reserved passengers with pre-booked tickets will have a separate entry from the city-side gate number 5, while unreserved passengers will enter through direction-wise, colour-coded shelters.

These shelters will also house unreserved ticket counters, ATMs, and mobile ticketing services. A special holding area has been set up at Khusro Bagh, with the capacity to accommodate up to 1 lakh people.

During the Mauni Amavasya festival, special arrangements have been made at key railway stations to manage the influx of passengers and ensure smooth travel. At Naini Junction, entry will be allowed only from Station Road, with the exit through the goods shed.

Reserved passengers will have a dedicated entry via Gate Number 2. At Prayagraj Cheoki Station, passengers will enter only from COD Road, which connects to the Prayagraj-Mirzapur highway and will exit through G.E.C. Naini Road.

Reserved passengers will use Gate Number 2 for entry. At Subedarganj Station, the entry will be from Jhalwa-Kaushambi Road, and the exit will be towards GT Road. Reserved passengers will enter through Gate Number 3.

To streamline passenger movement, colour-coded shelters have been set up at all stations for unreserved passengers. These shelters are organised based on passengers’ destination stations, with each colour corresponding to specific routes.

A video going viral on social media has sparked a barrage of criticism towards Indian Railways after passengers sleeping on the platform at Lucknow’s Charbagh station were sprayed with cold water, amid the prevailing cold wave conditions. The footage showed the passengers, who usually sleep on the Indian platforms, waiting for the trains, being shrugged off and forced to vacate the space by the railway staffers.

The incident, which allegedly transpired last week, showed passengers hastily gathering their belongings, including blankets, as they were forced to leave the platform, which was then cleaned by the railway staff.

A section of social media users were left angered by the incident and slammed the railways staff for not showing some sensitivity towards the passengers.

“Heart breaks man, so much poverty and disregard everywhere, govt after govt has failed the people while the politicians are padding their accounts in one tax heaven after another,” said one social media user, while another added: “The station needs cleaning but not like this, more so in such biting cold. No consideration even for small kids! Where should the passengers go if their trains are late and waiting rooms are brimming?”

However, some agreed with the officials for clearing the platform, saying it was not the spot to rest as it could cause nuisance to others.

“Railway platform is not a place for lodging. If you have a ticket, use waiting rooms or wait outside,” a user commented.

At #Lucknow‘s #Charbagh railway station, passengers, some sleeping while others waiting for their trains on platforms 8 and 9 faced the insensitivity of the cleaning staff who poured water on them and that too during the cold night to wake them up.

A video of the incident went… pic.twitter.com/7A6zRii9Xw

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) December 29, 2024

As the controversy snowballed, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Lucknow office issued a statement, claiming that the cleaning staff had been chided, while advising the passengers to not sleep on the platform.

“Necessary instructions have been issued to the cleaning staff and CHI [Chief Health Inspector],” read the DRM statement.

“Passengers are also advised to avoid sleeping on the platforms. The station provides adequate facilities, including waiting halls, dormitories and retiring rooms, which passengers are encouraged to utilise,” it added.

New Delhi:

Thousands were unable to book railway tickets this morning due to a glitch in the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website and mobile application. The IRCTC mobile app was down for the second time in a month.

A major outage was reported when users were trying to book Tatkal (emergency) tickets at 10 am. They reportedly received a message that read “unable to perform action due to maintenance activity” when they were attempting to access the site.

Many users expressed their frustration on social media.

“Tatkal booking during the holiday season is a nightmare. Servers crash right when bookings open. This is the worst website I’ve ever used. Why hasn’t this been fixed despite repeated complaints?,” a user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). attaching a screenshot of the website.

“It is 10:11am … still IRCTC is not opening…. IRCTC should be enquired and checked… definitely scams are happening. By the time it opens all the tickets are gone…,” another user wrote with the screenshots of site.

“IRCTC server down during Tatkal booking timings. IRCTC Rail connect & IRCTC Next Generation eTicketing System Can’t work during Tatkal booking hours,” a user wrote.

“Extremely disappointed with the IRCTC website. It crashes or slows down almost every time, especially during Tatkal booking hours! Millions of users rely on it, yet the experience remains frustrating. @AshwiniVaishnaw @RailMinIndia, please address this urgently! #IRCTC,” fourth user wrote.

Indian Railways has responded to a passenger’s tweet after he discovered that his booked window seat on a Vande Bharat train was actually an aisle seat when he boarded. The passenger took to social media platform X to share his grievance, posting a photo of his ticket, which clearly showed he had booked a window seat. However, a second image revealed that the seat in question was, in fact, an aisle seat, sparking the passenger’s concern. Though he said he didn’t have any problem with his current seat, he noted that the issue might create future seating inconveniences for other passengers.

“Just a gentle reminder to check seats 33 & 34 of C8 in 22435 for Window and Aisle Seating arrangement. I don’t have any problem with my current seat but this might become a problem for future passengers,” the tweet by Abhijeet Anand read. 

See the tweet here:

@IndianRailMedia@RailMinIndia@RailwaySeva Just a gentle reminder to check the seats 33 & 34 of C8 in 22435 for Window and Aisle Seating arrangement. I don’t have any problem with my current seat but this might become a problem for future passengers. pic.twitter.com/T6zd6Ndoz6

— Abhijeet Anand (@abhijeet10anand) December 15, 2024

Reacting to his tweet, Railways Seva said, “For necessary action escalated to the concerned official @Drm_dli. We request you to please share Mobile No. with us preferably via DM. You may also raise your concern directly on http://railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in or dial 139 for speedy redressal.”

Mr Anand thanked the Railways for the quick response and said that two people came and rectified the error. “Thank you for your prompt response. Two people came and addressed the issue of the incorrect seating arrangements. It is truly commendable that Indian Railways took action and marked the problem within 40 minutes,” he wrote.

The Vande Bharat Express is an indigenously manufactured, semi-high-speed, self-propelled train set. It features modern amenities such as fully air-conditioned coaches, GPS-based passenger information systems, comfortable seating, and automatic doors. Designed for speeds of up to 180 km/h, it significantly reduces travel time between major cities. 

New Delhi:

A total subsidy of Rs 56,993 crore is given every year by the Indian Railways to all categories of passengers, with a 46 per cent rebate on every ticket, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.

Replying to multiple questions in the Lok Sabha on restoring discounts given to various categories of train passengers, he said if the price of a ticket is Rs 100, then the railways charges just Rs 54 for it — a discount of 46 per cent.

“A total of Rs 56,993 crore subsidy is given every year by the Indian Railways to all classes of passengers,” Mr Vaishnaw said during the Question Hour.

Replying to another question on rapid train service, he said the railways has already started such a service — Namo Bharat Rapid Rail — between Bhuj and Ahmedabad and the satisfaction level of passengers is extremely high due to its superior service.

Officials said Namo Bharat Rapid Rail has improved intercity connectivity by covering the 359-kilometre distance between Bhuj and Ahmedabad in 5 hours and 45 minutes, with stops at several stations along the way. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A video of a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) saving the life of a 70-year-old passenger on a train has gone viral on social media. The incident occurred in the general coach of train number 15708, Amrapali Express where the elderly passenger suddenly required medical attention. The TTE swiftly sprang into action, administering lifesaving Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

A viral clip shared by the Ministry of Railways captured the intense moment, showing the TTE performing CPR on the conscious passenger. Thanks to the TTE’s prompt intervention, the passenger was stabilised and later rushed to a hospital from Bihar’s Chhapra railway station.

“TTE’s promptness gave ‘life’. While travelling in the general coach of train number 15708 ‘Amrapali Express’, a 70-year-old passenger suffered a heart attack. The TTE deployed there immediately gave CPR and saved the life of the passenger. The passenger was then sent to the hospital at Chhapra railway station,” the post shared by the Ministry of Railways read. 

See the post here:

टीटीई की तत्परता से मिला ‘जीवनदान’
ट्रेन संख्या 15708 ‘आम्रपाली एक्सप्रेस’ के जनरल कोच में सफ़र के दौरान 70 वर्षीय एक यात्री को हार्ट अटैक आने पर तैनात टीटीई ने बिना समय गंवाए CPR दिया और यात्री की जान बचाई। तत्पश्चात छपरा रेलवे स्टेशन पर यात्री को अस्पताल भेज दिया गया। pic.twitter.com/vxqsTEkir7

— Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) November 23, 2024

The video has sparked intense debate on social media, with some users praising the TTE’s quick thinking and others questioning the administration of CPR on a conscious individual. Medical experts typically recommend CPR only for people who are unresponsive or have stopped breathing. Many doctors expressed concern over the viral video, labeling it “misleading” and potentially detrimental to public health. They urged the Railways to remove the clip from social media, fearing it could incorrectly influence people’s understanding of proper CPR techniques.

A doctor said, “Don’t give CPR to awake patients and mouth to mouth breathing not required here plus the faulty compressions. If you really want to create awareness delete this video, force govt to start giving mandatory CPR lessons right from schools and colleges.”

“Performing CPR on a conscious patient is very dangerous and wrong. This is no joke. CPR is a life-saving procedure. Please delete this video so that people don’t lose lives over misinformation,” another doctor wrote. 

I have filed a RTI request for information about this so-colled CPR. Hope the Ministry of Railway will respond properly. pic.twitter.com/vHe4pulJaC

— Dr. Vishnu Rajgadia (@VishnuRajgadia) November 24, 2024

Activist Dr Vishnu Rajgadia has also filed a Right to Information (RTI) application seeking details about the incident and requesting information about the TTE’s medical training and the Railways’ investigation into the incident.

Nawa, Rajasthan:

A dedicated railway test track is being constructed in Rajasthan to develop the facility for testing rolling stock. This track will be completed by December 2025. The country’s first train trial track in Rajasthan is almost ready. This 60 km long track is not completely straight but many curved points have been made. With this, a trial can be taken of how the train coming at speed will pass on the curved track without reducing the speed. In these curves, some curves are made for lower speed and some are made for high speed. After the completion of the first phase, bullet trains can also be tested at a speed of 230 kmph. The establishment of the country’s first dedicated test track will establish new dimensions in the testing of high-speed rolling stock items in the country and this test track will prove to be a milestone in the direction of the railways moving towards modernity.

Along with strengthening the infrastructure, special emphasis has also been given to protected rail operations by the Railways in the past. Apart from the railway track, rolling stock plays an important role in strengthening safety. Before using the rolling stock, it is necessary to test it extensively and intensively, only then it can meet the safety criteria.

The railways will be able to use the resources extensively and safety will increase significantly through the dedicated test track. For the comprehensive testing of high-speed rolling stock in the country, the Indian Railways is developing the country’s first RDSO dedicated test track of 60 km between Gudha-Thathana Mithdi in Nawa of Jodhpur Division, Deedwana district of Rajasthan. This railway track has been drawn from the middle of Sambhar Lake which is about 80 km from Jaipur. The work of the RDSO dedicated test track has been approved in two phases. Phase 1 work was approved in December 2018 and Phase 2 work in November 2021. The total estimated cost of this project is Rs 820 crore.

The construction of the dedicated test track includes seven big bridges, 129 small bridges and four stations (Gudha, Jabdinagar, Nawan and Mithadi). 27 km of work has been completed under this project and the target has been set to complete the entire work by December 2025. Comprehensive testing facilities of high-speed rolling stock and items including speed tests, stability, safety parameters, accident resistance, quality of rolling stock etc. are being developed under this project. This dedicated test track also includes testing of track material, bridges, TRD equipment, signalling gear and geotechnical studies. Different structures like bridges, under bridges, and over bridges have been built on the track.

RCC and steel bridges have been built on this track which are below and above the ground. New technology has been used to make these bridges vibration-resistant. The response of a train passing over it at high speed can be tested through these bridges. The bridge has been built using a turn-out system. That is, stainless steel has been used on top by installing heavy RCC boxes. Since the environment of Sambhar is alkaline, the steel will not rust. Also, the vibration of the high-speed train can be reduced. The speed will be tested by passing the bullet train through these structures. This will be the first dedicated track in the country where neighbouring countries will also be able to get their trains tested.

The railways did not have any dedicated line for the trials of coaches, engines and train racks made in India. There is a lot of traffic on all the lines. In such a situation, the schedules of many trains have to be changed for the trials. Railway officials said that not only bullet trains but also high-speed, semi-high-speed trains, and metro trains will be tested here in future. High-speed, semi-speed and metro trains can also be tested on this track. The team of RDSO i.e. Resource Design Standard Organization of the railway will monitor the trial. This same team the railway checks the fitness of the coach, bogie and engine. Before putting any coach or engine on the track, the railway checks every parameter to see if there will be vibration beyond the set speed. The response of the train on a bad track etc. will also be checked. The high-speed dedicated railway track is 60 km long, but the main line is 23 km long. It has a high-speed 13 km long loop in Gudha.

The loop is used in the railway to cross the crossing or to allow two trains coming from opposite directions to pass without any interruption. Apart from this, a quick testing loop of 3 km has been made at Nawa station and a curve testing loop of 20 km has been made in Meethadi. These loops have been made on curves of different degrees. On a bad track, the train starts to wobble and jerk. If the track gets damaged, what should be the speed and what will be its effects will be checked. For this, a 7 km long twisty track has been laid.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Nawa, Rajasthan:

A dedicated railway test track is being constructed in Rajasthan to develop the facility for testing rolling stock. This track will be completed by December 2025. The country’s first train trial track in Rajasthan is almost ready. This 60 km long track is not completely straight but many curved points have been made. With this, a trial can be taken of how the train coming at speed will pass on the curved track without reducing the speed. In these curves, some curves are made for lower speed and some are made for high speed. After the completion of the first phase, bullet trains can also be tested at a speed of 230 kmph. The establishment of the country’s first dedicated test track will establish new dimensions in the testing of high-speed rolling stock items in the country and this test track will prove to be a milestone in the direction of the railways moving towards modernity.

Along with strengthening the infrastructure, special emphasis has also been given to protected rail operations by the Railways in the past. Apart from the railway track, rolling stock plays an important role in strengthening safety. Before using the rolling stock, it is necessary to test it extensively and intensively, only then it can meet the safety criteria.

The railways will be able to use the resources extensively and safety will increase significantly through the dedicated test track. For the comprehensive testing of high-speed rolling stock in the country, the Indian Railways is developing the country’s first RDSO dedicated test track of 60 km between Gudha-Thathana Mithdi in Nawa of Jodhpur Division, Deedwana district of Rajasthan. This railway track has been drawn from the middle of Sambhar Lake which is about 80 km from Jaipur. The work of the RDSO dedicated test track has been approved in two phases. Phase 1 work was approved in December 2018 and Phase 2 work in November 2021. The total estimated cost of this project is Rs 820 crore.

The construction of the dedicated test track includes seven big bridges, 129 small bridges and four stations (Gudha, Jabdinagar, Nawan and Mithadi). 27 km of work has been completed under this project and the target has been set to complete the entire work by December 2025. Comprehensive testing facilities of high-speed rolling stock and items including speed tests, stability, safety parameters, accident resistance, quality of rolling stock etc. are being developed under this project. This dedicated test track also includes testing of track material, bridges, TRD equipment, signalling gear and geotechnical studies. Different structures like bridges, under bridges, and over bridges have been built on the track.

RCC and steel bridges have been built on this track which are below and above the ground. New technology has been used to make these bridges vibration-resistant. The response of a train passing over it at high speed can be tested through these bridges. The bridge has been built using a turn-out system. That is, stainless steel has been used on top by installing heavy RCC boxes. Since the environment of Sambhar is alkaline, the steel will not rust. Also, the vibration of the high-speed train can be reduced. The speed will be tested by passing the bullet train through these structures. This will be the first dedicated track in the country where neighbouring countries will also be able to get their trains tested.

The railways did not have any dedicated line for the trials of coaches, engines and train racks made in India. There is a lot of traffic on all the lines. In such a situation, the schedules of many trains have to be changed for the trials. Railway officials said that not only bullet trains but also high-speed, semi-high-speed trains, and metro trains will be tested here in future. High-speed, semi-speed and metro trains can also be tested on this track. The team of RDSO i.e. Resource Design Standard Organization of the railway will monitor the trial. This same team the railway checks the fitness of the coach, bogie and engine. Before putting any coach or engine on the track, the railway checks every parameter to see if there will be vibration beyond the set speed. The response of the train on a bad track etc. will also be checked. The high-speed dedicated railway track is 60 km long, but the main line is 23 km long. It has a high-speed 13 km long loop in Gudha.

The loop is used in the railway to cross the crossing or to allow two trains coming from opposite directions to pass without any interruption. Apart from this, a quick testing loop of 3 km has been made at Nawa station and a curve testing loop of 20 km has been made in Meethadi. These loops have been made on curves of different degrees. On a bad track, the train starts to wobble and jerk. If the track gets damaged, what should be the speed and what will be its effects will be checked. For this, a 7 km long twisty track has been laid.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Indian Railways is getting ready to launch a single “super app” that would offer travellers a variety of necessary services on one easy-to-use platform. The new application will serve as an umbrella platform, bringing together all railway services in one place. It will let users purchase platform passes, book tickets, and track train timetables, among other features, which should make travelling easier.

With the goal of integrating a variety of services that were previously dispersed across several applications, the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) is working with IRCTC’s current infrastructure to construct the app. IRCTC will remain the main interface via which passengers access these services in spite of this integration. The super app’s development is still under progress.

Also Read | IIT Delhi And Centre For Railway Information Systems Partner To Transform Indian Railways

Currently, railway passengers rely on separate platforms for various needs, such as IRCTC Rail Connect for ticketing, IRCTC eCatering Food on Track for meal orders, Rail Madad for feedback, UTS for unreserved tickets, and the National Train Enquiry System for real-time train information. The new super app seeks to centralise these services, creating a streamlined and user-friendly experience for millions of railway users.

Meanwhile, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) to advance railway infrastructure, safety, and operational efficiency across India.

Under this MoU, IIT Delhi researchers will engage in a series of R&D projects aimed at enhancing security, safety, scheduling, intermodal connectivity, and revenue optimisation for Indian Railways. Faculty members from the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Management Studies will collaborate on these initiatives, combining interdisciplinary expertise to address key challenges. This partnership is expected to make Indian Railways a safer, more efficient, and technologically advanced organisation.

By combining groundbreaking research with practical application, the partnership aims to address some of the most pressing challenges in Indian Railways.