Indian Railways' AI chatbot, AskDisha 2.0, powered by CoRover.AI, provides various IRCTC services like ticket booking, refunds, PNR status, and e-ticket access via text or voice commands in multiple languages on its website and mobile app.
Indian Railways offers a Full Tariff Rate (FTR) scheme allowing groups to charter entire trains or reserve coaches for exclusive use. This service is ideal for weddings, religious trips, corporate tours, and educational excursions, with booking possible up to six months in advance.
Indian Railways and IRCTC have updated reservation rules, reducing the Advance Reservation Period (ARP) from 120 to 60 days. Aadhaar verification is now mandatory for priority access, and booking opens at 8 AM daily.
Indian Railways has approved its first hydrogen fuel cell train, a 10-coach set designed and built in India. Expected to be flagged off by PM Modi on July 17, it will operate on the Jind-Sonipat route in Haryana at 75 kmph.
A video showing an Indian Railways First AC cabin decorated as a 'honeymoon suite' at Jalna railway station on July 6 went viral, leading to the suspension of a Traveling Ticket Examiner (TTE) and an official inquiry. An event styling service decorated the cabin for a couple.
The 8th Pay Commission is consulting stakeholders across India, with recent meetings in Bhubaneswar and planned sessions in Kolkata. It will conduct firsthand inspections of Indian Railways' operations, including track maintenance, signal work, and train control, to assess employee working conditions and risks before salary revisions. Railway technical supervisors advocate for broader operational inspections.
Indian Railways has greenlit three major infrastructure projects totaling Rs 2,193 crore. These will enhance safety on the Jammu-Katra route, expand capacity on the Howrah-Delhi corridor, and decongest the Chennai suburban network, improving train punctuality and operational flexibility.
Indian Railways faces increased electricity costs following a Supreme Court ruling. The court declared the national transporter a "consumer" under the Electricity Act, making it liable for cross-subsidy and additional surcharges on open access power. This decision impacts the railways' operating ratio and power procurement expenses, overturning previous exemptions.
Indian Railways has announced a comprehensive upgrade programme for its Shatabdi Express and Jan Shatabdi Express services across the country. The initiative will cover approximately 25 pairs of Shatabdi Express and over two dozen Jan Shatabdi Express trains, focusing on modern seating with USB charging ports, upgraded toilets with better hygiene standards, smoother ride quality, improved LED lighting, and enhanced digital passenger information systems with CCTV surveillance.
The Ministry of Railways has set a manpower rationalization target of 2% for FY 2026-27, affecting 29,608 jobs across Indian Railways out of a total workforce of 14.80 lakh. Northern Railway will be most impacted with 3,303 posts targeted for redistribution or surrender, followed by Eastern Railway (2,544), Central Railway (2,492) and Western Railway (2,339). The Railway Board, in a letter dated April 24, 2026, directed all zones to meet targets evenly each quarter through the HRMS portal.
Indian Railways will implement future bullet train corridors on mission mode, using bundled clearances across central, state and local authorities to speed up project execution. Seven new corridors are planned: Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Chennai, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, and Varanasi-Siliguri. The approach aims to avoid the delays that increased the Mumbai-Ahmedabad project cost from ₹1.08 lakh crore to nearly ₹1.98 lakh crore.
Indian Railways now recognizes valid UDID cardholders as bona fide passengers in unreserved Divyangjan coaches on mail and express trains. The policy includes strict penalties for unauthorized travelers occupying these designated spaces.
Indian Railways is launching 908 summer special trains, operating 18,262 trips between April 15 and July 15, 2026, to manage increased passenger demand. This initiative aims to ease waiting lists and enhance travel convenience across the country. A significant portion of these services is already open for booking.
