Bharat Rakshak

Railway Reforms for Cement Transportation
Policy for new bulk cement terminals and rate rationalisation will reduce cost of cement and support affordable housing for middle and lower middle-income families.

This cleaner, faster and door-to-door service of bulk cement will give a boost to the construction industry and economy.

The way Indian Railways has transformed itself since 2014 is nothing short of a miracle. The good thing is it's looking like this is only the beginning and we are letting that foot off the accelerator pedal.

This is all good but seeing some vlogs from foreigner’s anything we do is less with Railways.

Maintenance of LHB AC coaches often in long distances routes is shocking with only basic cleanliness, showers not working, doors not closing etc … not sure why we still use the old White VB trains as their quality control was poor, some rakes don’t even get a wash in months it seems.

So while we buy new rakes and trains we need to figure a way of maintenance depots and standardisation. The sheer variety of our coaches EMU, DEMU, MEMU is horrifying, gaudy colours etc.

garbage disposal onto tracks from railway staff now seems to be targeted so that’s one improvement.but otherwise most of the railway network is a garbage lane.

We want to make trains in ICF - God save us. We will soon be overtaken by SEA in the quality of trains… often they purchase pre- owned trains from Japan.. it does the job for them because the aesthetics are at least good and manufactured well. I know long term we will have IR just maintains infrastructure while trains will be maintained by private companies but we need to start sooner than later.

Food served is same paneer , chicken curry , daal across all fare types. No labels nothing. Clearly proves Railway babus don’t do any inspections when it comes to service. Not to mention our railway platforms are sometimes wet because the coaches themselves piss on them.. no idea what they flush down…people waiting for long distance trains sleeping on floor.. let’s not talk toilets … and even in metros this is the situation.

I watched a Japanese guy going from Dibrugarh to Kerala…man I salute him even though he was in AC … he was sporting but finally he had the good fortune of ordering Dominos pizza and fried chicken on a station in Andhra.. small mercies , he must have thought

Staff don’t seem to have proper uniform anyone comes in starts selling so what security for women etc…
If nothing we can just implement some standards from British Raj… else this Biharification and Mandalification of railways will have its own drag on the economy . Seems to the average passenger once you are in the train hope that it goes from point A to point B without trouble and catastrophic delays… similar to how Indian govt treats its citizens… we are all orphans and all on autopilot!!

And the basics of train names and destinations… bhai that is a class apart … what is difference in quality between Duronto/Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Express etc etc while the fares change a lot

The only ray of hope so far are the standard of the metro lines. Pleasantly surprised that on Agra metro there was a lady driving the train and wearing full pants and tie with a rolling bag. That’s a start

bala wrote: ↑05 Nov 2025 07:39 वंदे भारत स्लीपर ट्रेन का सफल ट्रायल कोटा मंडल के लिए गौरव का क्षण है

The team of RDSO Lucknow successfully conducted high speed trial of Vande Bharat Sleeper Train in fully loaded condition at West Central Railway, Kota Division. The "Long Confirmatory Run" was completed at a speed of 180 km/h on the 50 km long section between Rohalkhurd-Laban stations!

https://x.com/drmkota/status/1985726267619230051
https://x.com/drmkota/status/1985725477345247330
https://x.com/drmkota/status/1985724985747574827

Vande Bharat Sleeper will change the image of Railways in India and this is a turning moment in history of the nation. The quick deployment of such trains throughout will usher in modern train travel for many at decent speeds.

As usual, the internal sabotage is underway in full swing...
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india ... 84315.html

D9 Locomotive Achieves EN Certification After Trials on Nagpur Itarasi Route ‪@NewsStation

From rare earths to Pune Metro Rail: Ashwini Vaishnaw announces cabinet approvals for major projects

Moneycontrol News November 26, 2025 / 16:30 IST

What are the other projects?

The Cabinet cleared ₹1,457 crore for the doubling of the Devbhumi Dwarka (Okha)–Kanalus railway line and ₹1,324 crore for the construction of the 3rd and 4th railway lines between Badlapur and Karjat.

These decisions aim to strengthen industrial capacity, improve connectivity, and support long-term infrastructure growth across key regions.

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india ... 97610.html

What's the purpose of the Siemens D9 deal ? Ir already has the WAG 12Bs that are higher power tho they have traction issues due to their BoBo config. But they also have a 12000hp WAG11 that doesn't have that problem, so why such an extensive fleet of 9000hp D9s as well ? Replacement of the WAG7s and older?

Indian Railways Just Hit 1 BILLION Tonnes. India’s Economy Is BOOMING
00:00 1 Billion Tonne Freight Loading Milestone
01:14 Water Transport, Tourism In Northeast
02:10 Bengaluru Metro Four-Storey Commercial Complex
02:42 Key Rail And Highway Projects Aligned
03:18 Rishikesh–Karnaprayag Rail Deadline To 2028
04:09 Noida International Airport to Launch Direct Bus Links
04:41 Ask PT


Mumbai Locals Just Got BIGGER! Central Railway’s Massive Upgrade Begins
00:00 Mumbai local train updates
01:37 NCRTC Invites Bids for DDC Contract (Advaitya)
02:05 Major Civil Airports Install Anti-Drone Systems (Advaitya)
03:06 UPI to link with Europe’s TIPS soon (Advaitya)
03:52 AAI plans to expand airspace capacity (Advaitya)
04:40 Ask PT

Suraj wrote: ↑27 Nov 2025 08:22 What's the purpose of the Siemens D9 deal ? Ir already has the WAG 12Bs that are higher power tho they have traction issues due to their BoBo config. But they also have a 12000hp WAG11 that doesn't have that problem, so why such an extensive fleet of 9000hp D9s as well ? Replacement of the WAG7s and older?

The D9 will be a loco that will fill the space between the WAG9HH and the Alstom WAG12B. The original WAG12 "failed" oscillation trials and only one was built. The issues were rectified and the WAG12B was developed with better ride stability. The WAG 12 that failed the oscillation test was converted to WAG12B standards. Yes, WAG12B has problems with the Bo-Bo wheel configuration that has led to poor adhesion on steep gradients. Moreover there have also been issues with curves which the WAG12B finds difficult to negotiate on some sections of IR. However, with a design restriction of 1:200 ruled gradient on the DFCs the Alstom has been doing fine. Also gear ratios are different for D9 Siemens and WAG9 so IR may use this to optimize performance on several routes using the optimal gear ratio for different parts of the network.

Visakhapatnam, Raipur, Kharagpur and Pune have been selected to home the D9s which is clearly not near DFCs. Visakhapatnam/Waltair has already gotten 2 locos the first two. They will be used for heavy freight hauling on the DBK railway and the mineral belt in Orissa and Jharkhand. WAG12B is homed at Saharanpur astride the spur of the EDFC from Khurja to Ludhiana, which is easy access to both WDFC and EDFC.

The design of the WAG9HH the latest variant says it delivers 9000hp, but actually it is a bit less. The Siemens D9 that you are mentioning can deliver 9000hp, has a panel for the Kavach unit and also Agilent systems something like that(which is an AI system to anticipate faults and alert maintenance) so it is a significant upgrade over the WAG9 and can also run at 120kmph with heavy loads, though it will have to be double headed to handle DFC rakes at 13,000 tonnes. D9 has Co-Co wheel configuration so adhesion will be good.

One other issue with WAG12B is that with the nose suspended traction gear and the supposed 12000hp power output, it is very heavy on the tracks and must cause quite a bit of wear and tear on the rails. I am not sure what the quality of the rails are away from the DFCs.

Once the sections to Sikkim and Karnaprayag become operational and even the lines out of Mumbai via the Bhor and Thull ghats with 1:33 ruling gradient, the D9 will fill that niche for hauling freight. You want the section to be quickly cleared and time spent by slow freight clogs up the network. However, the line survey for the new 3rd and 4th lines from Kasara to Igatpuri using LIDAR and GPS is supposed to pick up routes with a lower ruling gradient than the existing one, maybe because people can tunnel through stuff for longer distances than in the old days.

In recent days the Bhusawal to Manmad triple line is finally finished and commissioned Also the Panvel to Karjat suburban corridor is making good progress. The suburban terminal at Karjat is finally seeing parts of the building coming up and I think in 2 years the whole project will be complete.
Tripling between Mathura and Jhansi on the NS main line is done for 242/274km. So also Bangalore to Pune via Hubli and Belagavi is fully doubled and electrified as of 2 weeks ago.

S_Madhukar wrote: ↑18 Nov 2025 23:44 This is all good but seeing some vlogs from foreigner’s anything we do is less with Railways.

Maintenance of LHB AC coaches often in long distances routes is shocking with only basic cleanliness, showers not working, doors not closing etc … not sure why we still use the old White VB trains as their quality control was poor, some rakes don’t even get a wash in months it seems.

So while we buy new rakes and trains we need to figure a way of maintenance depots and standardisation. The sheer variety of our coaches EMU, DEMU, MEMU is horrifying, gaudy colours etc.

garbage disposal onto tracks from railway staff now seems to be targeted so that’s one improvement.but otherwise most of the railway network is a garbage lane.

We want to make trains in ICF - God save us. We will soon be overtaken by SEA in the quality of trains… often they purchase pre- owned trains from Japan.. it does the job for them because the aesthetics are at least good and manufactured well. I know long term we will have IR just maintains infrastructure while trains will be maintained by private companies but we need to start sooner than later.

Food served is same paneer , chicken curry , daal across all fare types. No labels nothing. Clearly proves Railway babus don’t do any inspections when it comes to service. Not to mention our railway platforms are sometimes wet because the coaches themselves piss on them.. no idea what they flush down…people waiting for long distance trains sleeping on floor.. let’s not talk toilets … and even in metros this is the situation.

I watched a Japanese guy going from Dibrugarh to Kerala…man I salute him even though he was in AC … he was sporting but finally he had the good fortune of ordering Dominos pizza and fried chicken on a station in Andhra.. small mercies , he must have thought

Staff don’t seem to have proper uniform anyone comes in starts selling so what security for women etc…
If nothing we can just implement some standards from British Raj… else this Biharification and Mandalification of railways will have its own drag on the economy . Seems to the average passenger once you are in the train hope that it goes from point A to point B without trouble and catastrophic delays… similar to how Indian govt treats its citizens… we are all orphans and all on autopilot!!

And the basics of train names and destinations… bhai that is a class apart … what is difference in quality between Duronto/Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Express etc etc while the fares change a lot

The only ray of hope so far are the standard of the metro lines. Pleasantly surprised that on Agra metro there was a lady driving the train and wearing full pants and tie with a rolling bag. That’s a start

Maintenance, cleanliness, hygiene, repairs these are the hallmark of a truly developed entity.

Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru: The Future High Speed Triangle
Bullet trains are finally moving from PowerPoint to reality in India.
In this video, we break down the future high speed rail network in Southern India – Hyderabad–Chennai, Hyderabad–Bengaluru and Chennai–Bengaluru–Mysuru – and explain what stage each project is at, from surveys and DPRs to approvals, land acquisition and construction timelines.
You’ll also see how major North Indian high speed corridors like Mumbai–Ahmedabad, Delhi–Varanasi and Delhi–Ahmedabad fit into the larger 7,000 km national HSR vision, and how they can rebalance growth between North and South India by spreading jobs, investment and opportunities.
If you travel frequently between these cities, or you’re planning your career, business or real estate decisions around future connectivity, this video will help you understand what is realistic, what is hype, and what to watch for in the next decade.

The Great Railway Freight Upgrade: Cargo Trains To Criss-Cross India In New ₹1.5 Trillion Corridor
Indian Railways is exploring three new freight corridors to extend the high-speed cargo network deeper into southern, eastern, and central India, building on the success of two operational lines to create a continuous nationwide logistics loop. Detailed project reports for the three new lines have been completed and are under examination, said one of the three people quoted earlier.

uddu wrote: ↑12 Dec 2025 18:55 The Great Railway Freight Upgrade: Cargo Trains To Criss-Cross India In New ₹1.5 Trillion Corridor
Indian Railways is exploring three new freight corridors to extend the high-speed cargo network deeper into southern, eastern, and central India, building on the success of two operational lines to create a continuous nationwide logistics loop. Detailed project reports for the three new lines have been completed and are under examination, said one of the three people quoted earlier.

After this, for rest of the railways network they should lay a single dedicated freight line pan India. Atleast there would be some respite and timely running of goods train.

LIVE: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw briefs on New Railway Projects, Vande Bharat Sleeper train

From Banaras to Mozambique | BLW Sends 6th Locomotive Abroad
BLW (Banaras Locomotive Works) has once again raised Bharat’s flag high on the global stage. In December, the 6th indigenously manufactured 3300 Horse Power AC–AC diesel-electric locomotive was proudly dispatched to Mozambique under the ‘Make in India – Make for the World’ vision.
This milestone reflects Bharat’s growing technological self-reliance and expanding global footprint in railway manufacturing.

Cabinet approves major highway projects in Odisha & Maharashtra | NH-326 | Nashik–Solapur Corridor
The Cabinet has approved two major highway projects to boost connectivity and economic growth in Odisha and Maharashtra.

These projects include:
1. Maharashtra – 6-Lane Greenfield Nashik–Solapur (Akkalkot) Corridor
Part of Surat–Chennai High-Speed Corridor linking West to South
Project Length: 374 km | Cost: ₹19,142 Cr
Largest-value BOT project that will spur private investment
Nashik–Solapur distance will be reduced by 14% (432 km → 374 km)
Average speed will increase from 60 km/h to 100 km/h
Surat–Chennai travel time will be reduced by 45% (31 hrs → 17 hrs)
Will facilitate heavy traffic between Surat, Vadodara & Mumbai towards Kurnool, Bengaluru & Chennai
Corridor will enhance multi-modal connectivity: 8 railway stations, 6 airports, 2 logistics parks & 3 PM Gati-Shakti economic nodes
Improve connectivity between Chennai Port & Hazira Port
Boost logistics efficiency for NICDC nodes at Kopparthy & Orvakal

2. Odisha – Widening & Strengthening of NH-326 (Mohana to Koraput)
Project Length: 206.2 km | Cost: ₹1,526 Cr
Travel time will be reduced by 3 hours
Covers aspirational & tribal districts: Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput
Direct connectivity to NH-26, NH-59, NH-16 & Raipur–Visakhapatnam corridor
Facilitate movement of goods to Gopalpur Port & nearby industrial hubs
Will promote industrial, educational, tourism & socio-economic development
Enhance road safety by removing black spots
Will boost economic activity and promote Koraput Coffee

vsunder wrote: ↑10 Oct 2025 21:12 Those of you who are knowledgeable of Karnataka railways would be happy to learn that SWR finally, finally will complete electrification of Mangalore to Bangalore by mid December if not slightly earlier. The ghat section has remained diesel till now and wires and poles were being put up at a very slow pace. They have taken a 3 month block with few passenger trains to complete wiring in the tunnels and attachment of brackets and pole fixing. Possibly the route to Goa through Castle Rock will see electrification finally complete in the ghats too. The ghat section was not electrified till now.

https://x.com/dfccil_india/status/1976128607702368310

The electrification of the Bengaluru Mangaluru railway route is completed and Vande Bharat trains are likely to be launched soon.

Here is a video explaining the electrification and limits that exist on the route.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDpp2_APmPw

Massive fire breaks out at Thrissur Railway Station (code: TCR, in Kerala) parking area; more than 100 bikes gutted.
Thrissur two days back saw another major fireworks display, quite different from what gets done during the annual temple festival. How are contracts for parking services in IR given out? What are the expectations set on the contractors? Eye witnesses in this case tells that; the entire parking area shed had just one fire extinguisher which was not even in a good working condition. The staff were two aged ladies, who were clueless on fire fighting and all they could do was to run away. Does the railways have any responsibility to pay compensation (usually what is known as vicarious liability in legal terms)?

Gomti nagar railway station/indian Railways/Gomti nagar Railway station redevelopment
As part of Railway station development project, one such station the GomtiNagar Railway station got developed and the infrastructure is really good.

https://x.com/i/status/2014060110734303594
@MeghUpdates
BIG TRAGEDY AVERTED

A major conspiracy to derail the Maharaja Express by placing Iron angles, in front of India's most luxurious tourist trains, was foiled near Jaipur due to the alertness of the loco pilot.

The train, carrying hundreds of foreign tourists, was en route from Jaipur to Sawai Madhopur when the incident occurred.

AERODYNAMIC WAP-7 RDSO TRIALS BEGIN AERODYNAMIC WAP-7 Vs WAP-5

Flights Losing, Trains Winning: Vande Bharat Effect !
Vande Bharat Express is quietly doing what most people didn’t expect—**it’s taking away airlines’ biggest advantage on short routes**. When you factor in airport travel + early reporting + security + baggage + boarding, a “1-hour flight” often becomes a 4–5 hour task. Vande Bharat flips that: city-centre to city-centre travel, faster boarding, cleaner stations, and a predictable timeline—making it the smarter choice for routes in the *300–800 km sweet spot**. That’s why more travellers are saying the same thing: *flight looks faster on paper, but Vande Bharat feels faster in real life. In this video, I break down where airlines still win, where trains are dominating, and why India’s travel habits are shifting faster than anyone predicted.

https://youtu.be/Sby6xl0xTxQ
Allahabad name changed in 2018
The video is about two years old.
The sight of the trains passing by when the cameraman stood on the platform is a great sight!!
And the uniform speeds almost above 120 Km/Hr wow!!
The only grouse I have with the Railway ministry is why keep addresing Pryagraj as Allahabad still !!
Listen carefully at 5.22 onwards and you can clearly hear the lady say Allahabad why???

with electrification and WAP 7 onwards locomotives what speeds can the trains acheive with the present BG rails??
I saw a video of full electrification of tracks from Sakaleshpura to Subramnaya Road and the person saying that journey from Bengaluru to Mangaluru to be around 4hrs with electric locos

SRajesh wrote: ↑30 Jan 2026 16:17 with electrification and WAP 7 onwards locomotives what speeds can the trains acheive with the present BG rails??
I saw a video of full electrification of tracks from Sakaleshpura to Subramnaya Road and the person saying that journey from Bengaluru to Mangaluru to be around 4hrs with electric locos

Internet is full of idiots and morons unfortunately so people post all sorts of videos with fake claims. The ghat section Saklesphpur to Subramanya Road has a PERMANENT speed limit of 30kmph due to very steep and sharp curves. This is a legacy issue as the old tracks were MG tracks back in the day. Old man Roche
was one of the tunnelers and he lost his company being a goody goody boy. I knew all these old time tunnelers. These stories for another day. Anyhow the distance between Subramanya Road to Saklespur is 55km and that makes it a 2 hour journey as the train will be traveling at an average speed lower than 30kmph. This will be the same for all trains including a putative VB between Mangalore and Bangalore. Add the times from Bangalore to Saklespur that is 3 hours 10mins fastest and Subramanya road to Mangalore about 1 hour 20 mins and that is is 6 hours 30 mins for the fastest train. VB can do a bit more quicker and shave an hour in the non ghat section, so one could expect a VB doing things in 6 hours in a rosy scenario. All of this means 7 hours or more as the Bangalore to Mangalore section is a single line section with trains having to stop to let other trains through. There are also safety issues to increase more throughput, Vaishnaw has yet to take a call for constructing a new crossing section in the ghats and a runaway line. Basically he has let the Railway Board do whatever they want while he goes to Davos, before Suresh Prabhu had devolved authority to the zones, while Vaishnaw has reversed it and with all sorts of additional charge he is more into propaganda and IR projects are really completion of Suresh Prabhu projects like connecting NE, Bangalore to Pune doubling, just completed, Gadag to Solapur doubling almost complete and even DFCs almost complete etc etc too many. People posting videos on this thread does not fool me and anyone knowledgeable about IR.

The main issue on Saklespur to Subramanya rd. are the bankers. This is a steep ghat section 1:50 slope ruling gradient and the diesels doing banker duty are fitted with special brakes. There is heavy freight moving up from NMPT(New Mangalore Port Trust, Panambur) and bankers are essential. Will the WAG 7 and WAG9 fitted with IRAB 1 and microprocessor controlled braking systems CCB/E-70 fitted onto the elocos WAG9 and WAG7 that do freight duty be able to handle it ? My feeling is yes and this is because they also do freight duty on Bhor and Thull ghat out of Mumbai to Igatpuri and Pune which have ruling gradients of 1:33 and so steeper than the Saklespur ghat.

There are no approach roads to the intermediate stations Saklespur to Subramanya road fit to carry construction equipment for RE and the heavy monsoons, both contributed to this RE project getting delayed. Now SWR is left with Braganza ghat Castle Rock to Kulem RE through similar ghats in Goa where RE is not complete for about 40km. Supreme Court withdrew the wild life clearance certificate for doubling through the Braganza ghat in Goa with lot of pressure from various lobbies in Goa,there is heavy freight from Vasco da Gama port through the ghats to Hubli and onto to Secbad and so on. Again bankers are used on this section. Do not know when this Goa section will complete RE.

E70 brake systems on elocos on IR ^^^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5lqzXVIgrI

Though eloco trial took place between Saklespur and Subramanya Rd on Dec 28, actual elocos hauling freight and passenger has not started. The TSS(traction substation) at Saklespur is possibly just ready and several drains trackside have to be finished which prove crucial during the monsoons and there are frequent landslides every monsoon bringing traffic to a halt. The CRS put several conditions post inspection.

1. The banker engines will remain though the elocos will have tractive effort to haul trains up the 1:50 slope. The bankers will provide dynamic braking on descent and assist in braking going uphill. There are catch sidings and runaway lines at intermediate stations in the ghats.

2. Passing of trains at Yedakumari ad Kadagaravalli is not allowed as the stations are built on steep slopes, CRS has now allowed it under a caution/observation. Donigal and Siribagallu are considered crossing stations where there is no caution for trains to cross each other.

3. CRS has insisted that though VB has distributed traction motors on each coach and tractive effort uniformly front and back like a banker, IR needs to conduct tests with VB including stopping and starting VB on steep slopes and then and only then begin operations on the Mangalore to Bangalore route with VB. No such trials have started. One may see a novel spectacle of VB with a banker if the trials do not go as intended.

4. There is no change in the permanent speed limit 30kmph ^^^.

Lastly there were many design changes on this section. The OHE poles are closer at 67.5m distance apart than in the rest of the IR network where roughly 14 poles make 1 km, so 1000/13=77m apart. This is due to landslides during monsoons a common event which may damage the OHE system with far apart poles. There are 57 tunnels on this route(old man Roche!!) and 427 brackets had to be installed in the tunnels to hold the catenary wires in place. After installation pull tests were administered on the brackets by NIRM(National Institute of Rock Mechanics) and Civil engg. department of Bangalore university to test the integrity of the bracket mountings inside the tunnel.

SWR instituted a line block from May to Dec 2025 with very few trains if at all to facilitate RE since there was no way to transport traction poles and wires to the intermediate stations by road. All had to be carried in by freight train. There was a lot of moaning in Mangalore. Meanwhile the four laning of the road through Shiradi ghat which is the bus route Mangalore to Bangalore is also progressing with many sections thrown open. The bus mafia of the conspiracy theorists on this forum. You should meet this bus mafia, they are a bunch of useless whoremongers incapable of doing anything besides whoring and boozing. If anything it is SWR run by incompetent fools.

^^Sunderji
Thanks for a very detailed explanation on work progress.

I did not understand 2 projects announced for railways. Is Surat-Dankuni DFC something new or they have changed the alignment of the east-west DFC?
Also why Varanasi-Siliguri bullet train project and not Varanasi-Kolkata? The latter will make more economic sense.

Supratik wrote: ↑01 Feb 2026 21:27 I did not understand 2 projects announced for railways. Is Surat-Dankuni DFC something new or they have changed the alignment of the east-west DFC?
Also why Varanasi-Siliguri bullet train project and not Varanasi-Kolkata? The latter will make more economic sense.

I am speculating here but given the very bad experience and very obvious by non Bhajpa "Aamchi Maati, Aamchi Maansan" (some here may remember this DD Marathi program ) soiled son of soil, Marathi manoos state gobarmint's deliberate screwing up of the MH section of o the Mumbai Amdaavad Nai Delhi Bullet train to spite the NDA gobarmint which led to delays and cost over runs. This same Jai Maharatshta gobarmint also similarly screwed parts of the MH alignment of the Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg and with the Metro.

The peoples gobarmint of Oesht Bungaal, for the benefit of the shonar bungal clearly appears to have not been helpful in relation to the Oesht Bungaal section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC)—specifically the Sonnagar–Dankuni stretch—has faced significant delays that ultimately led to a fundamental shift in how the project is being executed and aligned.

From reports, the primary cause of these delays appears to have been the difficulty in land acquisition and encroachment removal.My understanding is as recently as late 2025 nearly 73% of required land for various railway projects in the state (including DFC-related sections) remained to be acquired, stalled by ahem "state apathy" and local law-and-order issues.. More knowledeable people can comment.

So the gobarmint, twice bitten (Mumbai and Kolkotta ) may have decided to go to Shiligoodi instead which even though being in Oesht Bungaal may feel more optimistic about its prospects - may not have have the enchroachment issues which are a political hot potato everywhere and more so in Oesht Bungaal. Just my speculation.

In the sansad, when NS announced the 7 new HSR lines there were howls from beebul from gads won kundry why no HSR announcement for gads won Kundry - a legitimate howl, I thought. A BLR - KOCHI HSR would makde sense - it would link KL to Chennai and to Nai Delhi via Mumbai but I am not sure about alignment issues etc.

E&OE bliss.

On another note - I just returned from a magnificent road and train trip in Taiwan, Korea and Japan. My 4th visit to Nippon but first personal visit. Didnt fly anywhere in Korea and Japan. Overlanded korea from Seoul to Busan thru the mountains and villages. Took a ferry from Busan to Osaka, Then iust trains and hired a campervan and traveled thru the tiny owns and villages staying eclusiveky in the Micho-no-eki's. Everything is different level in Japan. Coming to trains took the Osaka - Tokyo Shinkansen (not my first Shinkansen ride though).

Osaka to Tokyo I actually wanted to and tried for the overnight sunrise seto/ sunrise izumi the last remaining sleeper service in Japan but was sold out. So took the shinkansen. These run on a similar frequency to our MSRTC Mumabi = Pune SHIVNERI bus.

Cam to India from Tokyo and I must admit even though I come to India about twice a year - it was a shock for a while- the broken down cities, garbage, general next level grunginess and total apathy by local gobarmints and the people.

I then took the new 26101 Pune - Ajni (Nagpur) VB. Took approx approximately 12 hours. Similar distance covered by Osaka - Tokyo Shinkansen in 2:20 mins. VB was much better than the regular services bit still had issues.e.g. The doors close before the doors are closing anncouemnts are completed. Typical babu level stuff. The interior fit and finish inc panel fitting though better than Shatabdi/Rajdhani are still rough but moved up from local mama street fabrication and assembly shop to approved OEM supplier to Hindustan Ambassador class (not yet Maruti class). May post detailed experience later. THe exterior finish seems to be much better; Maruti/Hoondai standards. For the entire length of the journey and no I am not exaggerating - the tracks are lined with rubbish thrown from trains. Its quite disgusting to see but betetr than seeing naked bums defacting which swach bharat has sthanfully solved. Also the bio toilets on most trains mean stations dont stink from being open raw sewage lines. That's another great achievement.

On the good side seats are nice and wide with plenty of leg room. A god send.

The onboad garbage bins seem a diect lift and fir from the Shatabdi/Rajdhani. Nothing wrong with this per se except that these are too tiny for the volume and type of rubbish being generated on the train- the IRCTC inhouse catering + the meals delivered by meals on wheels by private players at stops plus all the water bottles. The bins (when and if used at all) are full in no time. IR needs bins with bigger mouths (big enough to easily accept a full size pizaa box which is what so many people seem to order) and with a built in rubbish compactor so the bin can accept more than 1 pizza box and half a jutting out water bottle. The type of bins with compactor used on aircraft.

The Pune - Ajni VB reached a max speed of 129 kmph for short bursts mostly sitting between 90 and 100 kmph for long stretches. per the onboard speedometer. I guess the tracks + signalling are not up to 160 kmph on this route. The time consuming train reversal at Daund JN has been sorted i presume due to the commissioning of the Daund Chord Line. That's 30-40 mins of time saved.

The up and down escalators at Pune JN platform 6 side - the Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel (formerly known as Le Méridien) side were working and operational much to my delight and surprise. Station overbridges look like a dump as always with dogs, itinerants and passengers lazing about though platforms are cleaner and not stinky due to bio toilets in trains.

@rahulm ji always will be envious of your Japan trips! Once I win my lottery will move there for sure…

but yes so much work to do in IR, I don’t know how our leaders navigate… in my north Mumbai suburb you will see the clean metro and just a mile east the main railway station looks an absolute mess- despite adding extra platforms and tracks the tin asbestos roofs, the crazy road traffic with rickshaws and crowds everywhere it’s like moving from Singapore to Dhaka in a mile, I kid you not! My parents always mock my enthusiasm when I am visiting, they like to see the shock on my face when they see apart from a line of new restaurants and swanky cafes… umm not much has changed. Yes roads are concrete, even footpaths with only a few hawkers, we have got good parks, makes even my Bandra mates a bit jealous( they avoid the shock of Matunga) but yet reality is not far off…

Tells you why BMC is the golden bird while we only see the droppings ..

Don't be diappointed. We have seen worse in the 80s, 90s. India is going to develop through iterative improvements not suddenly like China. Too many socialist legacies to be fixed.

All of this reminds me of the story of the boy who cried wolf. In the "bad old days" when the Railway budget was a separate feature, in 2016 yes in the Mudi era, Suresh Prabhu presented the Railway budget and said the EDFC and WDFC would be done by 2019 and then presented plans for the East West corridor, Southern Corridor Itarsi to BZA(Beswada=Vijayawada) and the East coast corridor(Kharagpur to Vijayawad) well nothing happened. Then the same Sitharaman presented the budget in 2020-2021 and said the same thing and nothing happened. Now this is the third time and unless I see money put in and tenders nothing will happen. DPRs are with the Railway board since 3 years.

Here is the official PIB on Sitharaman's 2020-2021 speech, (see section under Infrastructure, Feb 1, 2021)

https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... g=3&lang=2

Suresh Prabhu speech


https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/in ... s?from=mdr

PDF document of speech

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... h_6ktkdk8j

So all ullu banoing

Indian Railways is tripling and quadrupling the East West corridor since 2014 and many sections are tripled and quadrupled. But it is highly inefficient. Howrah to Kharagpur tripled even in UPA. Kharagpur to Tatanagar tripled except for 10km and just achieved this progress. Going on for a decade. Gondia to Nagpur mostly tripled and Bhusawal to Manmad tripled a month ago. Between Gondia and Tatanagar a few places tripled etc etc. Now as usual Railway Board realizes that their traffic predictions were grossly underestimated so quadrupling has started. The way IR does this is give contracts to small time contractors for short block sections of 25km to level the land and build bridges etc and lay track. No big company will enter into this like L&T or GMR who will go in for a 400km stretch like on the DFCs. Nett result the quality of track is not uniform, axle loads are not of the level of 25 tonne axle loads like DFCs and 32 tonnes for bridges and so on. Stations on DFCs are not stations but places where there are extra long loop lines that can accommodate 1500m long freight rakes with 13,000 tonne loads and these stations are 40km apart with automatic signalling and tracks are built for a freight to run at top speeds of 100kmph with 75 kmph average. While IR loops are 800m and freight rakes 5000 tonnes and distance between stations 10km and the traffic is mixed, freight+passenger which delays both. IR is loathe to give anything to DFC corp since DFCs pull freight business away from IR and it is freight that subsidizes passenger traffic so eventually if all freight starts running on DFcs, IR goose is cooked as passenger ticket prices are not allowed to rise.

Why Surat: Adani Hazira port is at Hazira/Surat and this is a large petrochemical LNG complex. Google it you will even find out what ships and tankers are berthed today there and what is their registry. It is also faster to move things by rail than by going around Sri Lanka to western ports. Drop your stuff at Paradip or Vizag and haul stuff across India and possibly to western ports and use the proposed IMEC, possibly with the EU deal this may be the thrust of the future. Using rail is always cheaper esp. with an electrified system.

Why Siliguri. Assam seems to be the recipient of favors. Tata is opening a semiconductors fab plant in an obscure hole in the wall called Jagi Road between Guwahati and Lumding. This section Lumding to Guwahati jst got doubled and electrified 2 years ago, it was metre gauge for a very long time.Mizoram got connected to the IR network two months ago and so Aizawl is on the IR map. Imphal, Kohima and Gangtok is next to be connected with Rangpo/Gangtok next and then Imphal/Manipur and last Kohima. In varying order the state governments of Nagaland and Manipur are full of useless ch***ya and they created problems with LA and still allow the locals to harass the contracting agencies who not only have to do difficult tunneling but deal with machete wielding pricks. Meghalaya has its own problems with the KSU, Khasi students union banning an laying of tracks to Shillong so that project has quietly died. Sikkim is the only place where LA has not been a problem and there is no law and order problem but then the railway line only goes 15 km in Sikkim.\ and rest in WB. So with the Look east policy and the border close by, it just makes sense to build the HSR to Siliguri. People can come upto Siliguri and then take the HSR from the state capitals and possibly if Assam wants to start a cluster of high tech chip ventures around this Jagi Rd. stuff, who knows. Currently the road situation is this 18 hours by road from Gorakhpur to Guwahati. A new Gorakhpur to Guwahati expressway is being built that will allow the journey to be made in 7 hours.

Let me leave with a thought that disabuse you from the notion that BJP states are great models of efficiency. Maybe UP and to some extent MH. There is big state called MP where a clown called Yadav has just taken over as CM and he is hell bent on screwing everything. Here is one example. Take the Manmad to Indore new railway line. Yes, yes it passes through a tribal belt through the middle of nowhere. But it involves tunneling and major bridges across the Tapi and Narmada. It has been envisaged for the last 30years with no progress. Why because it is the shortest train route from Delhi to Mumbai. From Indore to Mumbai the route will shorten from 830km to 538km. In MP it will involve 50 major bridges and 83 minor ones, along with 35 railway overbridges and 62 underpasses and some tunnels and passes near Maheshwar on the Narmada, an old Holkar stronghold and the origin of the place of the famous Maheshwar sarees.

Finally funds were released. MH government has already begun LA and handed over land in Chalisgaon district and railway started the tender process and even work has started. But Yadav bhaiyya even has not taken the LA that has been done and published it in the state gazette. I do not know what the problem is. My opinion central leadership of the BJP wants a pliant fool rather than an innovative thinker as a CM.

you always have fascinating insights and information vsunder sir, hat tip.

@Morem: Thanks.

The WDFC has been plagued by shifting deadlines all because of poor project management by Tata Constructions, jack of all trades. Its one reason they should be banned from building planes. They could not allocate resources to build Jewar airport, build the new Parliament building and build the Vasai to JNPT stretch of the WDFC leading to time over runs aided and abetted by Uddhav Thackeray gang. Now the latest deadline is March 2026. It is possible that WDFC will be complete finally as this last 102km stretch is crucial.

The big hurdle was an open web girder of about 110m length that had to placed over the CR tracks at Kalamboli which would carry the downline of the WDFC to Panvel and JNPT. It was a tricky act. A similar upline open web girder was placed in May 2025. Now on Jan 26, 2026 the downline girder was placed by taking a traffic block on the CR tracks affecting Konkan railway traffic and CR traffic for a couple of hours and moving this massive span slowly by hydraulic jacks over the CR tracks at Kalamboli. This was one major obstacle in the completion. Now there is an open web girder bridge that has to be placed overNH 48 at Panvel. This bridge will carry WDFC over NH 48. After that all tunnels are done at Kundevahal near JNPT and it is now basically some earthworks and track laying and OHE work. So a March deadline for commissioning the last 102 km stretch of WDFC and completing all 1506km from JNPT to Dadri outside Delhi seems plausible. Container traffic is expected to rise once JNPT is connected. Already container traffic is quite heavy from Gujarat ports towards North India on the WDFC.
Traffic on the WDFC will rise by 65% once JNPT is connected
Freight train operations on the WDFC are expected to rise by 65% following the completion of the final 102-km link to JNPT, slated for completion by the end of FY26.
Capacity Expansion: The connection will allow JNPA to move nearly 100 trains per day, up from about 27 currently.
Logistics Efficiency: The WDFC has already reduced transit times by nearly 50%, with speeds expected to reach 75 kmph, up from 60 kmph.
Economic Impact: The full connection, expected by March 2026, is anticipated to boost annual economic activity by ₹1 lakh crore.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Here are some important projects taking place mainly doubling in Telangana and also the Katni grade separator which is the longest railway viaduct in India to decongest the massive Katni yard which is hub for moving coal and minerals and railway tracks meet from 5 directions. The upline has been commissioned in August 2025 and the downline hopefully soon. The two viaducts upline+downline is 35km and here is the trials on the upline last year and moving a massive girder bridge on the downline as part of commissioning it. L&T is the prime contractor.

Bangalore to Hyderabad doubling

Hyderabad to Mahbubnagar doubled. Also Bangalore to Dhone doubled(essentially, there is a small piece near Gooty that doubling has to be done) It is only Dhone--Kurnool--Mahbubnagar that doubling has to be done.

Between Dhone and Kurnool

https://youtu.be/pghRsaBocUg

Between Kurnool and Gadwal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N09hj0vmyYs

Between Manyamkonda and Mahbubnagar which will complete first

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cFwHynmdaA

One important bridge that will delay the project of doubling between Dhone and Mahbubnagar on the Bangalore to Hyderbad route is the bridge over the Tungabhadra near Kurnool. Trains like VB cannot realize their full potential and speed by traveling on a single line section which is what is now available between Dhone and Mahbubnagar on the Bangalore to Hyderabad route. After doubling and strengthening of tracks and so on the route can be made fit for 130kmph travel fully. Bangalore to Gooty is possibly rated at 130kmph and Mahbubnagar to Secunderabad is doubled and rated for 130kmph.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Katni grade separator

Moving a 91 m rail over rail flyover span, part of the downline of the Katni grade separator
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItlmUvfogvw

Upline trials last year, now commissioned of the Katni grade separator

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDVJdHt16rE

What is the Katni grade separator and why is it important ?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6tfAmf6p8w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaY6k5kIzC4

vsunder wrote: ↑03 Feb 2026 06:36 Why Siliguri. Assam seems to be the recipient of favors. Tata is opening a semiconductors fab plant in an obscure hole in the wall called Jagi Road between Guwahati and Lumding. This section Lumding to Guwahati jst got doubled and electrified 2 years ago, it was metre gauge for a very long time.Mizoram got connected to the IR network two months ago and so Aizawl is on the IR map. Imphal, Kohima and Gangtok is next to be connected with Rangpo/Gangtok next and then Imphal/Manipur and last Kohima. In varying order the state governments of Nagaland and Manipur are full of useless ch***ya and they created problems with LA and still allow the locals to harass the contracting agencies who not only have to do difficult tunneling but deal with machete wielding pricks. Meghalaya has its own problems with the KSU, Khasi students union banning an laying of tracks to Shillong so that project has quietly died. Sikkim is the only place where LA has not been a problem and there is no law and order problem but then the railway line only goes 15 km in Sikkim.\ and rest in WB. So with the Look east policy and the border close by, it just makes sense to build the HSR to Siliguri. People can come upto Siliguri and then take the HSR from the state capitals and possibly if Assam wants to start a cluster of high tech chip ventures around this Jagi Rd. stuff, who knows. Currently the road situation is this 18 hours by road from Gorakhpur to Guwahati. A new Gorakhpur to Guwahati expressway is being built that will allow the journey to be made in 7 hours.

Vsunder-garu,
Let me add just one small snippet about Jagi Road. Jagi Road is the Nellie area and is the only area that is still Hindu in the stretch south of the Brahmaputra from Gauripur to Golaghat. Jagi Road makes eminent sense from a strategic point too. If we want to keep Assam in 30 years, Jagi Road is going to become vital.

On either side of Jagi Road, the situation is bad. Jagiroad is ~50kms east of Guwahati, and Guwahat is becoming a sole Hindu city in a sea of Muslims - with Goalpara-Chaygaon on the west, and Laharighat and Jamunamukh in the east. So, strengthening Jagi Road area is a very wise thing. It may be the one Hindu redoubt in the south of the Brahmaputra, alongside Guwahati city.

Northeast rail: Vaishnaw flags off Sairang-Silchar train; Guwahati station upgrades with Graham pods
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has flagged off the new Sairang–Silchar passenger train, strengthening connectivity between Mizoram and Assam. The service runs on the newly completed Bairabi–Sairang rail link, a key infrastructure project aimed at integrating Mizoram into India’s railway network. This milestone is being called a game changer for economic, educational, and medical access in the region.

Why can't railways get out of the dal, rice, chicken curry, paneer curry routine on premium trains? If the airlines can do it so can the railways. They should get out of the jail food, hospital food routine. If necessary charge a few extra rupees in vande bharat trains.

IR should not be in the business of food service, instead allow private players to serve food. Maybe they conform to some standard airline type service trays which are loaded and served by IR personnel. Ordering is done on common IR app and people get to pick and choose what they want. There are many who have restricted diet needs and they also crave their own ethnic type food choice. These are added costs for the passengers besides the routine ticket price.

Meanwhile
Ashwini Vaishnaw outlines railway reforms, cargo terminal expansion and passenger services

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted Prime Minister Modi’s reform drive, noting GST and labour code achievements and Indian Railways’ freight growth. He announced immediate measures on train cleaning, (including general coaches), enhanced on-board services, and expansion of Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals with a target of 52 reforms this year and significant cargo and passenger improvements.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMLTO85jWic

S_Madhukar wrote: ↑02 Feb 2026 07:36 @rahulm ji always will be envious of your Japan trips! Once I win my lottery will move there for sure…

but yes so much work to do in IR, I don’t know how our leaders navigate… in my north Mumbai suburb you will see the clean metro and just a mile east the main railway station looks an absolute mess- despite adding extra platforms and tracks the tin asbestos roofs, the crazy road traffic with rickshaws and crowds everywhere it’s like moving from Singapore to Dhaka in a mile, I kid you not! My parents always mock my enthusiasm when I am visiting, they like to see the shock on my face when they see apart from a line of new restaurants and swanky cafes… umm not much has changed. Yes roads are concrete, even footpaths with only a few hawkers, we have got good parks, makes even my Bandra mates a bit jealous( they avoid the shock of Matunga) but yet reality is not far off…

Tells you why BMC is the golden bird while we only see the droppings ..

Japan burns through money. Very fast. But the average quality of everything in Japan is so high, it’s worth it. I actually did Japan on the cheap(er) side like I do most countries (difficult in Switzerland though ). Being a train tragic, from memory, so far I have done:

Notable trips In random order:

1. Countless train journeys in India in every class - off course. I took 2 years off and back packed thru India. In a dhoti, shirt, kolhapuri chappal, marathi manoos topi and 1 backpack. Toured everywhere on a whim. Best thing I ever did.

2. London St Pancras - Brussels. Eurostar x return many times in 1st Class. Nice meals by European food standards

3. London St Pancras - Paris Nord Eurostar x return many times in 1st Class. Nice meals by European food standards

4. London Paddington to Penzance (Cornwall) overnight sleeper service on the Great Western Railway (GWR)'s Night Riviera Sleeper train x return. Got a decent curry (and sadly better than IR) for dinner and english breakfast in bed.

5. Prague -to Hamburg Hbf České dráhy (CZ railways) via Berlin. Then onwards to Kiel Hbf and thence to Laboe to see U995, the only surviving Type VIIC U-Boat in the world. Had one of my most memorable train meals in the restaurant car of this train. Complete with white table cloth and smiling cheerful service. Super memorable overall.

6. Bar (Montenegro) to Belgrade (Serbia). A ~12 hour ride crossing the absolutely gorgeous Dinaric Alps through hundreds (no exaggeration) of tunnels and bridges. Marvel of engineering. Saw Marshall Tito's famous Blue Train (Plavi voz). When I visited it was kept at the Topčider railway depot siding. I saw it from outside. Think you need special desi style “plane paper triplicate run here to run there for sthyamp and sheal (stamp and seal in marathi English accent)” bureaucratic application process to visit the train. No food service at all, Carried ny own big bo full of all manner of food and baatli of desi (local beer )

7. Too many Freccia Bianca and Freccia Rosa trains in Italy going to Florence, Turin, Rome, Venice etc etc etc.These are operated by Italian state rail operator Trenitalia and the much maligned Italian public sector does a superb job of running and maintaining these trains (as does the SNCF - the French French gobarmint operator).

8. Zurich - Chur -SBB (Swiss Federal Railways),

9.Chur (Switzerland) - Tirano (northern Italy) Bernina Express crossing the Swiss alps in winter. This is a glass train for all practical purposes and views are absolutely gorgeous drinking the hot chocolate served on the train on airline like trolleys by staff. Staff with arline style trolleys servcing satchet hot beverages, usual carbonated drinks and cakes etc.

10. Tirano - Milano by Trenord Regional.

11. Milano Centrale to Roma Termini - by Italo

12. Amsterdam Centraal to Osnabruk Hbf (Germany) by DB ICE

13. Wismar (a Hanseatic city on Germany's Baltic coast- it's one of the best-preserved examples of a medieval trading town from the Hanseatic League) to Hambug Hbf by some regional train.

14. Hamburg hbf – Innsbruck Hbf by ÖBB (Austrian) Nightjet overnight sleeper The train was brand new and my private toilet was not working so the staff authorised a half refund on the spot.

16. Innsbruck hbf to Bologna day train crossing the snow covered Brenner pass on the Apls by the OBB EuroCity (EC) with a splendid OBB dining car. Lovely dining car expeience. Nice Eropean food and drinks,

17. Bologna to Napoli Centrale by Trenitalia Regionale Veloce.

18. Napoli Garibaldi (underground level of the main Napoli Centrale station) to Pompeii by the narrow gauge Circumvesuviana. This train is gritty, narrow-gauge service and station upkeep along this line is closer to our desi IR. Even Napoli Garibaldi station feels like an "upgraded" IR station. It has a very different vibe compared to most other Italian big city stations.

19. Vienna Hbf to Lambach Bf on ÖBB Railjet to visit Lambach Abbey. Significance ? Well Herr Adolf Hitler spent some time here as a kid. Attended the monastery school in the abbey. The common narrative is that Hitler invented the word Swastika or that it is present in his writings. This is untrue. The original German version of Mein Kampf doesn’t contain the word ‘ swastika’ at all, only ‘Hakenkreuz’ meaning hooked cross.

the first (abridged) translation of Mein Kampf was done by Englishman E.T.S Dugdale in 1931. Dugdale, who was fluent in German and had done work for the German government, accurately translated the relevant passages and never once used the word Swastika.

So how and when did the Hakenkreuz become the swastika! ah ha, enter the perfidious Brits or rather , a Brit. A catholic priest at that.
Catholic Priest and journalist James Vincent Murphy, published the first complete translation of Mein Kampf in 1939. Murphy deliberately mistranslated Hakenkreuz into Swastika while leaving other German words either in original form or translating them properly in English.
So how does Swastika (a Sanskrit word used by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains only) then become the English translation of Hakenkreuz?

One cannot help but conclude that Murphy, being an ordained priest, didn’t want the evil Nazi symbol to be associated in any way with the sacred hooked cross of Christianity, and thus deliberately mistranslated Hakenkreuz into Swastika.

This site had been on my list for long.Look as hard as I might, I couldn’t find the Hakenkreuz anywhere in the Abbey. Finally I asked a priest who said they have removed all traces of it. Talk about revisionism. The beer in the abbey was superb.

20. Lambach Bf to Linz Hbf by local train and then interchange to Dusseldorf Hbf by DB ICE.

21 Sydney Central to Melbourne southern Cross x return by the overnight sleeper XPT. This has hot showers.

22. Cairo Ramses station to Aswan on the Egyptian National Railways (ENR) day VIP train # 980. Epic 15 hour journey crossing pretty much most of Egypt - North - South with picture post card incredible views of the Nile and desert. India and Egypt are more or less bhai bhai in terms of run down cities, grunginess, chaos and garbage. Interestingly my coach was stamped MBB (Messerschmitt Boelkow Blohm, Helicopter and transport system division, DONAUWOERTH, GERMANY (WEST). A pre German reunification cold war relic when MBB made luxury coaches. Full service white porcelain service at seat - like IR 1st AC. Very edible food. Staff went to extra ordinary lenghts to get me veg food.

23. Aswan to Luxor on ENR VIP train # 2007.

24 Tokyo to Shin-Yokohama Shinkansen - Maybe? the shortest Shinkansen journey possible

25. Osaka - Tokyo Shinkansen.

25. Osaka - Kyoto x return. One journey was on a JR classic train. In my view none one does trains as a complete system – the punctuality, cleanliness, order, public behaviour It’s a superb experience.

26. Ho-chi-min to Hanoi with a multi-day stop over at Da-Nang by the Reunification express on the Laman Express, which is a high-end private sleeper carriage attached to the Reunification Express. Considered one of the most scenic train journeys in the world, especially -the 3 odd hour stretch between Hue and Da Nang. The train clings to the cliffs of the Hai Van Pass, overlooking the jungle and the South China Sea. I also did the Hai Van pass on a 200 cc moped. Train, service and cleanliness were very good. The toilets in the LAMAN coach were nice. The toilets in the rest of the train were disgusting. Unlike IR you cant hop over from another carriage do your business in the toilet, don’t flush, in the LAMAN coach and then hop back over to your coach. The attendants are super vigilant and always stand outside the door all the time is train is stationary on a station and doors are open. Like Egypt. Very edible food. Staff went to extra ordinary lenghts to get me veg food and gave me lots of extra steamed veggies and soy sauce with my rice. And peanuts.


27 Ketapang (East Java) to Probolingo (for prambanan) by the superb (better than IR) PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) Wijayakusuma Express. I ate in the excellent dedicated Restorasi (Dining Car) watching the beautiful, winding coffee plantations and jungle-covered hills. Note: Indonesia beats IR on every visible soft metric - cleanliness, service with a smile, garbage, cattle, dogs and itinerants. Station platforms are spotless to Western EU standards. I didnt see one piece of garbage either on the station platform or on the tracks. Immaculate. Station access is brutally access controlled through full height glass doors with security even in a nothing tiny provincial station like ketapang.They allow ticket holders on the platform 15 odd minutes before the train arrives and every passengers ticket is scrutinised before granting them access - aircraft boarding style. I have some vdos on my Instagram. All my travel is on Instagram. Very nice Indonesian food.

28 Yogyakarta (for Borobudur) to Jakarta (Gambir) by the absolutely gorgeous Argo Lawu Luxury /7L . There is no IR equivalent. Nothing IR has comes close. This Argo Lawu has aircraft style business class seats with heaps of buttons to do the “jushta sopla adjust maadi” positions that recline to 140 degrees. These are essentially high-end "cradle" seats (similar to a standard international aircraft Business Class seats. With personal LCD screen that no one has scratched their names on. or tried to break and tale home. Immaculate. Very impressive. This Argo Lawu has a dedicated Restaurant Car and it was actually one of the highlights of my journey. There is something very lovely and charming about dining in a train restaurant car looking out the window as the world passes by.

28 Yangoon to Mandalay by Overnight Express (No. 3) sleeper. Old school, rickety rake with non AC 4 berth sleeper coupes but super polite people, clean and charming. One of the nicest and memorable train journey’s I have done. No bars on windows. TT laughed at me when I pointed it out ads said "no one will steal anything - enjoy the journey".

29 Shanghai Maglev to Pudong Airport.

30. Bangkok (Beautiful Hua Lamphong Station) to Surat Thani (actually phun phin) on State Railway of Thailand (SRT).Special Express No. 85 (aka the rattler rake) overnight sleeper bound for Nakhon Si Thammarat. The dining car was a boisterous, loud fun experience. Now things have changed after a recent massive upgrade by Thai railways. All soft metrics better than IR.

31 Galle to Colombo by local/intercity. Terrible. Ancient rake, They must have a tie up with Maharashta Rajya Parivahan - janate chya seve saathi MSRTC workshop. The roof leaked like a sieve and everyone inside had umbrellas. I got a soaking oz I didn’t know I needed one. Very crowded. Smell other peoples armpits 7:03 AM Virar - Churchgate fast local style.

32 Málaga María Zambrano to Madrid-Puerta de Atocha-Almudena Grandes by RENFE (Spanish Rail) High speed service.

33. San Jose (Costa Rica) to Heredia Incofer limited service. bit dilapidated and old but again access control from waiting area to platform is brutally controlled and only ticket holders are allowed.

34 Sofia (Bulgaria) to Thessaloniki (Greece) by the Hellas Express. This was a train bus train shuffle. On the Bulgarian side – Sofia to Kulata (Bulgarian Greek border) – Bus to Strimon (Greece side) and then to Thessaloniki, Strimon a small, isolated junction station in the Greek countryside a bit run down with dogs and cats freely roaming the platform, a swarm of mosquitoes in the evening and a small Jesus shine with candles on the platform.. Did remind me of better kept rural IR stations On the greek side the train was hours late I must obviously look like an illegal migrant coz the passport control trio on the train looked me and my passport up very thoroughly going to the extent of scratching my passport photo page with their nails to see if it a fake. They then had a mini conference about me to decide what to do with me.

35 Thessoliniki – Athens on Train 601 – operated by TRAINOSE. This was the legendary "slow" overnight service that is a rite of passage for backpackers (like me) and budget travellers (like me) reaching Athens very early AM. This train was packed to the gills – with migrants. It turned out to be the migrant express from Thessi to Athens.

36. Napoli Centrale to Sicily (Catania) by Intercity Notte (ICN) sleeper operated by Trenitalia This is one of the most unique rail experiences have ever had. The train is uncoupled into segments and rolled onto a ferry in Villa San Giovanni to cross the Strait of Messina. During the 30 minute crossing, you can leave the train and go up to the ship's deck for views of the Strait or watch the train being split and rejoined. In the early morning at Messina Centrale, the train is physically split into two sections: one heads west to Palermo and the other heads south to Catania (my destination).

37 Paris to Versailles by some train I don’t remember.

38 Brussels to Brugge x return

39 Brussels to Ghent x return

40 Amsterdam to Brussels on the Thalys. Many more Thalys trips that I don’t remember right now,

41 Heritage train – Puffing Billy (steam) 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge, Victoira, Australia

42 Heritage train: Zig Zag railway (steam) , Blue mountains, NSW< Australia

43 Heritage train – Darjeeling train

Railway Museums or museums with significant railway exhibits

Australia
• NSW Rail Museum – Thirlmere, NSW.
• Normanton Railway Station Museum – Gulf Savannah, QLD.

Europe
• Hungarian Railway History Park (Magyar Vasúttörténeti Park) – Budapest, Hungary.
• German Museum of Technology – Berlin, Germany.
• Romanian Railway Museum – Bucharest, Romania.
• Technisches Museum Wien – Vienna, Austria.
• National Technical Museum – Prague, Czechia.
o Specifically saw: Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s saloon carriage & the "Silver Arrow" railmotor.
• The Blue Train (Tito’s Train) – Topčider Depot, Belgrade, Serbia.
o Viewed from the exterior.

United Kingdom
• National Railway Museum – York.
• London Transport Museum – London.

Asia
• National Rail Museum – New Delhi, India.
• Narrow Gauge Rail Museum – Nagpur, India.
• Kyoto Railway Museum – Kyoto, Japan

Plus numerous german local and regional services to small towns and villages, pretty much all airport express trains, metros where I have travelled. If there is a metro available I pretty much dont take Ubers/taxis.

Is there a travel thread on BRF. I think I remember there once was but couldn’t find it. I would prefer to post further on my travel in that thread if it exists.

All these trains serve local food and all edible. IR was once knwon for good food. Many trains were famous for the food/specific menu items they served. e.g Cutless aka cutlet on the Mumbai Pune Deccan queen. There are many other examples.

On the VB I travelled from Pune to Ajni I was hoping/exepcting to see the new VB menu's - millet poha and ragi roti etc/ Maybe this menu hasnt made to the Pune - Ajni VB. Instead I got terrible food and lots of it. Somewhere along the way (literally) the raiwlays have changed from atta to maida for rotis. Why on earth? Maida roti's become elastic and leathery once cold. What is this fascination for maida (it costs more and is more processed than atta)? Just bloody serve phulka like IR once used to before this maida panner obsession took over.

I think the rice is left over rice from the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. Any 2 bit dhaba and 2 bit restaurant makes a decent dal and rice in India. Not IR, at least not on the Pune Ajni VB.

IMVHO, based on my travel experience. in relation to soft customer facing metrics, before world class this and world class that talk, IR should aspire and meet Vietnam, KAI (Indonesia) standards for food and cleanliness and broadly KAI standards in general for courtesy, cleanliness, station access, no dogs, cats itinerants, train comfort. no unreserved passengers in reserved coach and.or taking up dining car space for the entire journey etc.

Indonesia in general and its railways specially surprised me compeletely. For a Mulim majority country, Bali has preserved so many Sanatan traditions very well especiallly temple and surrounds cleanliness, their national carrier is called GARUDA (Sanskrit) not Peer baba Taimur lane airline, trains are called Wijayakusuma (victort flower), Argo Sindoro: (Sundar), Harina (Hiran aka deer), Gajayana sleeper (self explanatory), Bima (Bhima). Apparently, old Javanese is ~ 30% Sanskrit. Argo Bromo (Brahma) etc etc.