Indian Railways will operate more than 300 special trains for the upcoming Rath Yatra in Puri as part of elaborate arrangements to ensure safe and seamless travel for lakhs of devotees.
Indian Railways continued its strong operational performance during June 2026, registering a steady growth in both freight transportation and passenger services.
To cater to the surge in passenger traffic during the annual Rath Yatra, Indian Railways will operate a special pair of express trains between Gondia Junction in Maharashtra and Puri on selected dates in July.
Indian Railways approved the provision of Balance 48-fibre Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) across South Eastern Railway at a cost of Rs 200 crore.
Indian Railways has approved additional stoppages for four trains at Patuwas Mehrana, Hansi, and Bijainagar stations to enhance passenger convenience across Haryana and Rajasthan.
The meeting chaired by Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma, Principal Secretary of the FE&CC Department focused on the expeditious processing of Forest Diversion Proposals.
In the Central Railway (CR) zone, 4 new trains have been introduced, 6 trains extended, and 30 trains speeded up.
This represents a 6.54 per cent increase in GBS utilization compared to the same period last year (December 2024).
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today said the Vande Bharat sleeper train will be formally inducted into the Indian Railway network in the next 15 to 20 days. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to flag off the first Vande Bharat sleeper train on the Guwahati (Assam) to Kolkata (West Bengal) route, likely around January 17-18.
In 2025, special train operations were significantly scaled up, highlighting enhanced planning and a stronger focus on passenger comfort.
