Ashwini Vaishnaw Announces Plans To Reduce Time in Mumbai

06 Feb 2025 CW Team

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Mumbai suburban railway will soon introduce new trains with improved features aimed at enhancing passenger comfort and alleviating overcrowding. Speaking through a video link from New Delhi, Vaishnaw outlined several ongoing and upcoming projects for Mumbai’s suburban network, valued at Rs 164 billion, which are being carried out across both the Central and Western Railways.

The Minister also mentioned plans to reduce the time interval between local trains. Currently, trains operate with a 180-second gap, which will be gradually reduced to 150 seconds and eventually to 120 seconds, enabling more frequent services and reducing congestion.

A new fleet of trains with upgraded design will be introduced, Vaishnaw revealed, emphasizing better acceleration, enhanced ventilation systems to increase oxygen levels, and improved suspension systems for greater passenger comfort.

In addition to these upgrades, Vaishnaw stated that nearly 300 additional local train services will be added in phases, expanding the current daily operations of 3,000 services. The increased services will be made possible by the completion of infrastructure projects, including the laying of around 300 kilometers of new tracks.

In the Union Budget 2025-26, a record allocation of Rs 237.78 billion has been earmarked for railway projects in Maharashtra, an amount 20 times greater than the allocations made under previous UPA governments. Vaishnaw also highlighted that Maharashtra has entered into a tripartite agreement with the central government and the Reserve Bank of India to ensure timely financing and completion of these vital railway projects.

Building Material

11 Dec 2025

Suraj Estate Wins Euromoney Award for India’s Best Residential Developer

"Suraj Estate Developers Limited has received the Euromoney Real Estate Award 2025 for ‘India’s Best Residential Developer’, positioning the company among globally benchmarked leaders in the sector. The recognition reflects its four-decade legacy in delivering high-quality residential and redevelopment-led projects across South Central Mumbai. The Euromoney Real Estate Awards, presented by the London-based Euromoney magazine, are widely regarded as one of the most credible global assessments of performance in real estate, banking and finance. Winners are selected through surveys of inte..

Lloyds Metals, Tata Steel Sign MoU to Explore Strategic Collaboration

"Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Steel Limited to evaluate potential areas of strategic cooperation across mining, logistics, pelletisation and steelmaking. The MoU was signed by B Prabhakaran, Managing Director of Lloyds Metals, and Mr T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel. The partnership framework aims to leverage the natural operational synergies between both companies and assess opportunities in greenfield steel projects, iron ore mining, slurry pipeline infrastructure, pellet manufacturing in iron ore–ric..

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching th..