India rail industry news
News about railway and urban rail infrastructure, operations, policy and the supply industry in India.
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Metro Report InternationalChennai metro places ‘landmark’ driverless train order
INDIA: Chennai Metro Rail Ltd has awarded BEML a contract to supply and maintain 70 three-car trainsets for GoA4 unattended automatic operation. They will be used on Corridor 3 from Madhavaram to Sipcot (45·8 km), Corridor 4 from Lighthouse to Poonamallee (26·1 km) and Corridor 5 ...
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NewsSpain to support Indian railway development
INDIA: Spain’s Ministry of Transport & Sustainable Mobility has signed a memorandum of understanding to support Indian Railways in developing and upgrading its network. The initial agreement runs for five years, when a number of pilot projects are envisaged, to be followed by automatic annual renewals. ...
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In depthIndia: King Coal still dominates freight market
Despite extensive investment in renewable energy supplies, rising demand for power means that India will still be burning coal for many years, providing a baseload for Indian Railways’ freight operations. Raghu Dayal explains.
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In depthSafety: Minister speeds up India’s Kavach deployment
Indian Railways is to call tenders shortly to fit its Kavach 4.0 onboard ATP equipment to an initial 10 000 locomotives as part of an accelerated roll-out programme.
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In depthIndia: Budget boost provides opportunities for railway reform
The government is continuing to provide liberal support for Indian Railways in its 2024-25 budget unveiled on July 23, but Raghu Dayal suggests that this largesse is not enough. IR is in need of transformative restructuring if it is to reverse the long decline in its market share.
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NewsIndian-designed high speed trains ordered
INDIA: Integral Coach Factory in Chennai has awarded BEML an Rs8·67bn contract to design, manufacture and commission two 280 km/h high speed trainsets. BEML said order for the first indigenously designed and manufactured high speed trains which was announced on October 15 ‘marks a significant milestone ...
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NewsTatravagónka-backed Jupiter Wagons expands into wheelset production for India and export markets
INDIA: Jupiter Wagons Ltd has opened a new forged railway wheel production plant at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Odisha state as part of a push into international markets.
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Metro Report InternationalModi opens Mumbai metro Aqua Line
INDIA: On October 5 India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the first 12·7 km section of Mumbai Metro’s Aqua Line, or Line 3, flagging off a service at Bandra-Kurla Complex station before riding the line. Public services started on October 7. Unlike Mumbai’s three other operational ...
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Metro Report InternationalAlstom delivers 100% locally produced metro trainset to Delhi
INDIA: Alstom Transport India Ltd handed over the first of 52 six-car driverless Metropolis trainsets for the Delhi metro on September 23. Described as being ‘100% locally designed and produced’, the trains are being built at Alstom’s factory at Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, under the Indian ...
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Metro Report InternationalBengaluru, Thane and Pune metro projects approved
INDIA: Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal said in August that India has now over 1 000 km of metro under construction or approved, following government sign-off of projects in three cities. In Bengaluru, the third phase of construction will add 44·7 route-km along ...
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Metro Report InternationalIndian domestically-designed driverless metro train production begins
INDIA: BEML has begun production of a prototype 5RS-DM driverless metro trainset for the city of Bengaluru. In August 2023 BEML beat ‘stiff global competition’ to win a Rs31·77bn contract to supply operator Bangalore Metro Rail Corp Ltd — which retains the former name of the ...
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NewsIndian and Malaysian rolling stock manufacturers announce strategic co-operation
INTERNATIONAL: Indian and Malaysian rolling stock manufacturers BEML Ltd and SMH Rail have signed a memorandum of understanding to co-operate in the marketing, manufacturing and maintenance of railway and metro rolling stock for customers in Asia and Africa. The companies’ plans include the joint design and ...
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NewsIndian Railways to fast-track Kavach ATP installation
INDIA: Following a series of serious train collisions in recent months, Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has instructed Indian Railway officials to accelerate the implementation of the Kavach automatic train protection system. According to an IR report, the work is to be undertaken in a ‘structured ...
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NewsIndian cabinet approves construction of eight railway lines
INDIA: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved eight new line projects which are intended to improve connectivity, minimise logistics costs, reduce oil imports and lower CO2 emissions. The projects approved on August 9 include 64 stations providing enhanced connectivity for about 400 000 people. ...
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NewsIndian Railways to re-run Vande Bharat 4.0 train procurement
INDIA: Indian Railways and Alstom have failed to agree a deal for the supply and maintenance of 100 Vande Bharat 4.0 electric trainsets with aluminium bodies offering a lighter weight than the stainless steel of previous Vande Bharat designs. A replacement call for tenders is now ...
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Metro Report InternationalDelhi Metro expands ticketing options
INDIA: Delhi Metro Rail Corp has added additional ticket purchasing options in an effort to make transactions easier. Passengers buying Indian Railways tickets online or through the app can now book a DMRC metro ticket in QR code format up to 120 days in advance. This ...
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Metro Report InternationalKochi mobility study recommends metro expansion
INDIA: A review of transport infrastructure and services in Kochi has recommended further expansion of the city’s metro network. The Comprehensive Mobility Plan, commissioned by Kochi Metro Rail, identifies priority corridors totalling nearly 100 route-km. Whilst most of these are designated for bus operation, a 14 ...
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NewsWabtec expands Indian locomotive servicing capabilities
INDIA: Wabtec has begun maintaining locomotives at Gooty in Andhra Pradesh under a model which sees Indian Railways provide the infrastructure and staff while the manufacturer leads technical supervision to meet availability, reliability and fuel efficiency targets. The three-year contract covers the regular maintenance of up ...
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NewsElephant detection system to be deployed on Indian Railways
INDIA: Indian Railways has commissioned Sensonic to deploy an elephant detection system, with the aim of reducing the risk of collisions which can dangerous for trains and fatal for the animals. The distributed acoustic sensing network is to be installed along more than 400 route-km of ...
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Metro Report InternationalDelhi Metro and RITES seek metro opportunities
INDIA: Delhi Metro Rail Corp and Indian Railways’ consultancy business Rail India Technical & Economic Service are to jointly explore opportunities in the mass rapid transit sector in India and abroad. A memorandum of understanding was signed on June 13. DMRC said the partnership aims to ...