Vinod Bhat

New Delhi: Indian Railways has recorded a year of strong and well-rounded progress in FY 2025–26, achieving significant milestones across freight operations, passenger services, infrastructure development, safety systems, digital initiatives with advancing self-reliance in technology and manufacturing. These accomplishments underscore its critical role in supporting economic activity, enhancing connectivity, and ensuring efficient mobility across the country.

Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, took to X to underscore the transformative progress of Indian Railways in FY 2025–26. He highlighted record freight and passenger performance, the introduction and expansion of Vande Bharat services, including the new Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, historic improvements in safety through reduced accidents and enhanced systems, and strengthened station and terminal infrastructure, all of which have enriched connectivity and improved the passenger experience nationwide.

Freight transportation reached a historic high, with 1,670 million tonnes of loading achieved during the year. This growth reflects Indian Railways’ capacity to efficiently handle key commodities such as coal, cement, fertilisers and food grains, thereby sustaining vital supply chains across sectors.

On the manufacturing front, Indian Railways strengthened its ‘Make in India’ efforts by producing 1,674 locomotives. Modernisation of passenger rolling stock also continued, with 6,677 LHB coaches manufactured, contributing to safer and more comfortable travel.

Passenger services saw notable advancement with the rollout of Vande Bharat Sleeper trains, adding to the existing fleet of Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat trains. These services represent a significant step forward in offering faster, modern and passenger-friendly travel options, particularly for long-distance journeys.

Safety initiatives gathered momentum with the expansion of the indigenous Kavach Automatic Train Protection System, now commissioned over 3,100 route kilometres, while implementation is underway on an additional 24,400 kilometres. This technology-driven system is aimed at preventing collisions and enhancing operational safety.

Digital transformation remained a key focus area. The launch of the RailOne App in July 2025 provided passengers with a unified platform for ticket booking, train enquiries and grievance redressal. In parallel, sustained efforts to ensure transparency in ticketing led to the removal of over 3.04 crore suspicious user accounts, promoting fair access to railway services.

Infrastructure development continued at pace with the commissioning of 35 Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals, facilitating improved logistics efficiency and multimodal integration. Additionally, 119 stations were redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, offering upgraded amenities and improved passenger experience.

Connectivity enhancements in strategically important regions were also achieved. The Bairabi–Sairang rail line has extended rail connectivity to Aizawl, strengthening the network in the Northeast. At the same time, major bridge infrastructure projects have reinforced all-weather rail connectivity to Jammu & Kashmir.

These achievements reflect Indian Railways’ sustained focus on capacity expansion, modernisation, safety enhancement and inclusive development. Moving forward, the organisation remains committed to building a more efficient, technology-driven and passenger-centric rail network aligned with the vision of a developed India.

Vinod Bhat

New Delhi: The Government of India continues to take necessary steps to ensure preparedness and smooth functioning across key sectors. Against the backdrop of the evolving situation in West Asia, the following update provides details of the measures being taken in the areas of energy supply, maritime operations, and support to Indian nationals in the region:

Energy Supply and Fuel Availability

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas is taking proactive steps to ensure uninterrupted availability of petroleum products and LPG across the country, in the context of the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As per Ministry:

Public Advisory and Citizen Awareness

· Govt. is making all efforts to ensure availability of Petrol, Diesel and LPG, and citizens are advised to avoid panic purchase of Petrol and Diesel as well as unnecessary booking of LPG.

· Citizens are advised to beware of rumours and rely only on official sources for correct information.

· For LPG, citizens are requested to use digital modes for booking of LPG cylinders and avoid visiting LPG distributors unless necessary.

· Citizens are encouraged to use alternate fuels such as PNG, induction and electric cooktops wherever feasible.

· In the current situation, all citizens are requested to make necessary efforts to conserve energy in their daily usage.

Government Preparedness and Supply Management Measures

· Despite this war situation, Government has given highest priority to domestic LPG and PNG, along with high priority to hospitals and educational institutions.

· The Government has already implemented several rationalisation measures on both the supply and demand side, including enhancing refinery production, increasing the booking interval from 21 to 25 days in urban areas and up to 45 days in rural areas and prioritising sectors for supply.

· Alternate fuel options like Kerosene and coal have been offered to ease pressure on LPG demand.

· Ministry of Coal has already issued order to Coal India and Singareni Collieries to allot higher quantities to States for distributing coal to small, medium and other consumers.

· States have been advised to facilitate the new PNG connections for both domestic and commercial consumers.

· Recently, Secretary (MoPNG) chaired a meeting with Additional Chief Secretaries and Principal Secretaries (Food & Civil Supplies) of all States and UTs to review the fuel supply situation and highlighted measures taken to ensure adequate availability. States were directed to prioritize LPG distribution, especially for domestic and essential needs, while maintaining strict vigilance against hoarding, diversion, and misinformation. On reports concerning FTL LPG supplies to migrant workers, States clarified that there is no disruption in LPG supply affecting migrants and that supplies remain stable. Secretary informed that states may consider managing targeted distribution of 5 kg FTL LPG cylinders, based on local requirements along with OMCs.

Coordinated efforts with States/UTs and Institutional Mechanisms

· Under Essential Commodities Act, 1955 and LPG Control Order, 2000, State Govt. are empowered to act against any hoarding and black marketing. Govt. of States/UTs have to play a primary role in monitoring and regulating supply situation of essential commodities including Petrol, Diesel and LPG. Govt. of India has reiterated the same via multiple letters and VCs to all States/UTs.

· All Chief Secretaries, ACS/Principal Secretary/Secretary Food & Civil supply of all the States/UTs are requested –

Ø To institutionalize daily press briefings at State/District level and issue regular public advisories.

Ø To setup dedicated control rooms/helplines

Ø To actively monitor and counter fake news / misinformation on social media.

Ø To intensify daily enforcement drives by District admin and to continue raids and inspections in coordination with OMCs

Ø To issue Commercial LPG allocation orders within their States/UTs

Ø To issue SKO allocation orders for additional SKO allotted to the States/UTs.

Ø To fast track CGD expansion incl. expediting RoW/RoU permissions, 24×7 work permissions etc.

Ø To promote PNG adoptions and alternate fuels.

Ø To nominate senior nodal officers for coordination with MoPNG

· Govt. of India vide letter dated 27.03.2026 and 02.04.2026 have requested Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs to intensify proactive & regular public communication, conduct daily press briefs at appropriate senior level along with timely dissemination of accurate information through social and electronic media to effectively counter misinformation and to reassure citizens regarding adequate availability and smooth distribution of LPG.

· Currently, 21 States/UTs are issuing/carrying out press briefs.

Enforcement and Monitoring Actions

· Raids continue to be carried out in many of the States/UTs to check the hoardings and black marketing of LPG. More than 3700 raids have been conducted yesterday.

· PSU OMCs officials have been directed to strengthen the system of surprise inspection to deter any instance of hoardings/black marketing.

· PSU OMCs have issued 1000 show cause notices to LPG distributorships till date. Further, 27 LPG distributorships have been suspended till date.

LPG Supply

Domestic LPG Supply Status:

· Supply of LPG is affected due to prevailing geopolitical situation. Despite this, there is no reported dry-out at LPG distributorships.

· Online LPG cylinder bookings have increased to 95% on industry basis yesterday.

· To prevent diversion at the distributor level, Delivery Authentication Code (DAC) based deliveries have been increased from 53% (Feb-2026) to 89% yesterday.

· Around 51 Lakh Domestic LPG Cylinders were delivered yesterday.

Commercial LPG Supply and Allocation Measures:

· Govt. of India vide order dated 01.04.2026 has permitted Refining companies including Petrochemical Complexes in India to make available certain minimum quantities of C3 & C4 streams for critical sectors like Department of Pharmaceuticals, Department of Food & Public Distribution,  Department of Chemicals & Petro Chemicals etc. based on specific quantity and refinery source as determined by the Centre for High Technology (CHT).

· Govt. of India has decided to allocate total commercial allocation to 70% of the pre-crises level incl. 10% reform based.

· Yesterday, more than 71,000 – 5Kg FTL cylinders have been sold.

· Since 23^rd March 2026, about 5.7 Lakh – 5 Kg FTL cylinders have been sold.

· The 5 Kg FTL cylinders are available at nearby LPG Distributorships and can be purchased by showing any valid ID proofs. No address proof is required.

· A three-member committee of Executive Directors of IOCL, HPCL and BPCL, in consultation with State authorities and industry bodies finalises the plan for the sale of Commercial LPG in the States/UTs.

· A total of 72047 MT of Commercial LPG has been sold since 14^th March 2026.

Natural Gas Supply and PNG Expansion Initiatives

· Consumers have been prioritised with 100% supplies to D-PNG and CNG-Transport.

· Supplies to industrial & commercial consumers connected on grid is at 80% of their average consumption.

· Supply to operating Urea plants is now steady at around 70-75% of their last 06-month average consumption. Considering the available inventory and scheduled LNG cargo arrivals, overall gas supply available to fertilizer plants will be increased to approximately 90% of their average consumption over the preceding six months, effective 06.04.2026. Additionally, gas supply to other industrial and commercial sectors, including supplies through CGD networks, will be enhanced by a further 10%, effective 06.04.2026.

· All industrial consumers including fertilizer plants have been advised to provide their additional requirement on spot basis so that the same may be arranged by the Gas marketing companies.

· CGD entities have also been advised by Govt. of India to prioritize PNG connections for commercial establishments such as restaurants, hotels and canteens across all their Gas, to address concerns regarding the availability of commercial LPG.

· CGD Companies like IGL, MGL, GAIL Gas and BPCL have offered incentives for taking domestic and Commercial PNG connections.

· Govt. of India has requested Govt. of States/UTs and Central Ministries to expedite approval of applications required for expansion of CGD network.

· Govt. of India vide letter dated 18.03.2026 has offered all States/UTs additional 10% allocation of commercial LPG to states provided they can help in long term transition from LPG to PNG. 12 States are getting additional Commercial LPG allocation under reform measures of PNG expansion. In addition to this, 1 UT’s application has been received and is under examination.

· PNGRB vide its order dated 23.03.2026 has directed all CGD entities to make all out efforts to connect residential schools & colleges, hostels, community kitchens, anganwadi kitchens etc. through PNG within 5 days, wherever pipeline infrastructure is available in near vicinity.

· Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways vide letter dated 24.03.2026 has stated that they have adopted “Accelerated Approval Framework for CGD Infrastructure with reduced timelines” as a special measure for 3 months wherein applications pertaining to CGD infrastructure shall be processed on priority.

· Govt. of India vide Gazette dated 24.03.2026 has notified the Natural Gas and Petroleum Products Distribution (Through Laying, Building, Operation and Expansion of Pipelines and Other Facilities) Order, 2026 under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955. The Order provides a streamlined and time-bound framework for laying and expanding pipelines across the country, addressing delays in approvals and access to land, and enabling faster development of natural gas infrastructure, including in residential areas. It is expected to accelerate PNG network growth, enhance last-mile connectivity, and support the transition to cleaner fuels, thereby strengthening energy security and advancing India’s gas-based economy.

· Ministry of Defence vide letter 27.03.2026 has issued a short-term policy modification, effective until June 30, 2026, to expedite the installation of PNG infrastructure in all residential areas/unit lines of defence.

· PNGRB has directed CGD entities to expedite D-PNG connections. Also, the National PNG Drive 2.0 (01.01.2026-31.03.2026) has now been extended till 30.06.2026 to sustain momentum in PNG expansion.

· Since March 2026, more than 3.5 Lakh PNG connections have been gasified. Further, more than 3.8 Lakh customers have been registered for new connections.

Crude Position and Refinery Operations

· All refineries are operating at high capacity, with adequate crude inventories in place. The country is also maintaining sufficient stocks of petrol and diesel.

· Domestic LPG production from refineries has been increased to support domestic consumption.

Retail Fuel Availability and Pricing Measures

• All Retail outlets are operating normally across the country.
• Middle East crises has resulted into abnormal increase in the crude prices. In order to protect consumers from this impact, the Government of India has decided to absorb a part of this burden through a reduction in excise duties on petrol and diesel by Rs. 10/litre.
• Further, Govt. of India has imposed export levy of Rs 21.5 per litre on diesel and Rs 29.5 per litre on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) to ensure availability of these products in the domestic market.
• Instances of panic buying due to rumours have been noticed in certain areas, resulting in unusually high sales and heavy crowding at retail outlets. However, it is informed that there are adequate stocks of petrol and diesel available at all petrol pumps in the country.
• Regular retail prices for petrol and diesel are unchanged.
• The Government reiterates its advice not to believe rumours. In order to curb rumours, the state governments have also been requested to disseminate correct information through press briefings.

Kerosene Availability and Distribution Measures

• Additional allocation of 48000 KL of Kerosene over and above the regular allocation has been made to all the States/UTs.
• Govt. of India vide Gazette notification dated 29.03.2026 has facilitated distribution of PDS SKO in PDS SKO Free States/UTs for cooking and lighting purpose only –
  • A maximum of two PSU OMC service stations per district (preferably Company Owned Company Operated) are permitted to store up to 5,000 litres of PDS SKO.
  • These PSU OMC service stations shall be designated by the State Government or UT administration in each district.
• 18 States/UTs have issued SKO allocation orders. Further, Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh have communicated that there is no SKO requirement in the State/UT.

Maritime Safety and Shipping Operations

Necessary measures have been put in place to safeguard Indian vessels and seafarers operating in the region, by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways. The Ministry stated that:

· Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways continues to closely monitor shipping movements, port operations and the safety of Indian seafarers, while ensuring continuity of maritime trade.

· All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, with no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels reported in the past 24 hours.

· LPG vessel Green Sanvi has safely transited the Strait of Hormuz, carrying 46,650 MT of LPG cargo with 25 seafarers on board.

· A total of 17 Indian-flagged vessels, with 460 Indian seafarers, remain in the western Persian Gulf region; the Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping), in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies and Indian Missions, is actively monitoring the situation.

· The DG Shipping Control Room remains operational 24×7 and has handled 5,015 calls and 10,425 emails since activation; in the past 24 hours, 31 calls and 129 emails have been received.

· DG Shipping has facilitated the safe repatriation of over 1,320 Indian seafarers so far, including 190 in the last 24 hours from airports and various regional locations across the Gulf.

· Port operations across India remain normal, with no congestion reported; State Maritime Boards of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry have confirmed smooth functioning.

· The Ministry continues to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure seafarer welfare and uninterrupted maritime operations.

Safety of Indian Nationals in the Region

Across the region, Indian Missions and Posts remain in close contact with the Indian community, while continuing to provide assistance and issue necessary advisories for their safety and well-being. As informed by Ministry of External Affairs:

· A group of Indian fishermen, stranded in Iran, are returning home via Armenia today; their flight is expected to reach India this evening.

· Ministry of External Affairs continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Gulf and West Asia region, with safety, security and welfare of Indian community as highest priority.

· A dedicated special control room in the Ministry remains operational; regular coordination is maintained with State Governments and UTs along with Indian Missions.

· Missions and Posts are operating round-the-clock helplines, issuing regular advisories and engaging with Indian community associations, companies and local authorities.

· Missions are facilitating visas, consular services, transit through neighbouring countries amid airspace restrictions, and providing logistical support where required.

· Welfare of Indian students remains a priority; Missions are coordinating with local authorities, Indian schools, Boards and National Testing Agency to address concerns.

· Missions remain in continuous contact with Indian crew on vessels, providing consular assistance, family communication support and facilitating return requests.

· Flight operations are improving; since Feb 28, around 6,75,000 passengers have travelled from the region to India.

Ø UAE: Limited non-scheduled flights continue; around 90 flights expected to India.

Ø Saudi Arabia and Oman: Flights operating from multiple airports to India.

Ø Qatar: With partial reopening of airspace, around 8–10 flights expected to India today.

Ø Kuwait and Bahrain: Airspace remains closed; flights operated via Dammam (Saudi Arabia) by respective airlines.

Ø Iran: Travel facilitated via Armenia and Azerbaijan due to airspace closure.

Ø Israel: Travel facilitated via Egypt and Jordan amid restrictions.

Ø Iraq: Travel facilitated via Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Ø In view of closures in Kuwait and Bahrain, travel is being facilitated via Saudi Arabia.

· In an attack in Abu Dhabi, five Indian nationals were injured; four have been discharged, one remains under treatment. Mission is extending full assistance and coordinating with local authorities.

Vinod Bhat

New Delhi: Indian Railways has sanctioned an important project for strengthening its communication infrastructure in Western Railway with the approval of Provision of 4×48 Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) Backbone in Ahmedabad and Ratlam Divisions at a total cost of ₹398.36 crore.

The project has been approved under the umbrella work titled “Provision of Kavach with communication backbone of Long Term Evolution (LTE) on balance routes of Indian Railways (Umbrella Work 2024–25)”, which has an overall sanctioned cost of ₹27,693 crore under Works Programme 2024–25 (PH-33). A sub-umbrella work for Western Railway has also been approved at a cost of ₹2,800 crore, under which this project has been taken up.

As part of the approved work, 2×48 fibre OFC cables will be provided over 1929 Route Kilometres (RKm) across Western Railway. This includes:

• 1456 RKm in Ahmedabad Division
• 473 RKm in Ratlam Division

This significant augmentation of the communication backbone will enhance capacity, reliability, and efficiency of railway communication systems. It will also support modern signalling systems, including the implementation of Kavach, enabling seamless data transmission across the network.

This initiative marks another step towards modernisation, safety enhancement and digital transformation of Indian Railways, ensuring improved operational efficiency and better service delivery for passengers and freight operations.