Indian Railways faces surge in equipment failures during first quarter

13 Jul 2023 CW Team

However, there were some improvements in electric and diesel locomotives, as well as engineering, where the number of incidents was lower than the previous year.

In April-June 2023, the national transporter reported 16,458 cases of signal equipment failures across its zones, which was 8.8 per cent higher than the 15,129 incidents recorded in the same period the previous year.

The increase in equipment failures can be attributed to the higher number of trains operating on the Indian Railways network. According to a senior Railways Ministry official, there has been a 12 per cent increase in the number of passenger trains, with 10,656 trains currently running in the country.

Additionally, an internal railways enquiry panel found that the Balasore train accident in June, which resulted in over 290 fatalities, was caused by a fault in the signalling equipment.

The data also revealed concerns about equipment failures in the newly constructed dedicated freight corridor (DFC) and passenger electric locomotives, according to another railways official who reviewed the data.

The first official mentioned that the data for the first quarter might not reflect the overall performance for the entire year due to seasonal factors such as the operation of summer specials, special maintenance drives, and monsoon preparedness.

The railways conduct a detailed analysis of each equipment failure, and corrective measures are taken to minimise their occurrence, the official added.

During the three-month period ending on June 30, the railways recorded 253 incidents of train parting, 636 OHE failures, and 3,759 cases of electric locomotive failures.

In the DFC, there has been a significant increase in electric locomotive failures, rising to 70 from 15 in April-June of the previous year. Additionally, OHE failures in the freight corridor have surged to 67 from just four incidents.

Indian Railways witnessed a significant increase in equipment failures during the first quarter of the current financial year, as per official data. Compared to the previous year, there were more breakdowns in overhead equipment (OHE) and signalling equipment, as well as instances of wagon and coach detachments, train parting, and hot axle.However, there were some improvements in electric and diesel locomotives, as well as engineering, where the number of incidents was lower than the previous year.In April-June 2023, the national transporter reported 16,458 cases of signal equipment failures across its zones, which was 8.8 per cent higher than the 15,129 incidents recorded in the same period the previous year.The increase in equipment failures can be attributed to the higher number of trains operating on the Indian Railways network. According to a senior Railways Ministry official, there has been a 12 per cent increase in the number of passenger trains, with 10,656 trains currently running in the country.Additionally, an internal railways enquiry panel found that the Balasore train accident in June, which resulted in over 290 fatalities, was caused by a fault in the signalling equipment.The data also revealed concerns about equipment failures in the newly constructed dedicated freight corridor (DFC) and passenger electric locomotives, according to another railways official who reviewed the data.The first official mentioned that the data for the first quarter might not reflect the overall performance for the entire year due to seasonal factors such as the operation of summer specials, special maintenance drives, and monsoon preparedness.The railways conduct a detailed analysis of each equipment failure, and corrective measures are taken to minimise their occurrence, the official added.During the three-month period ending on June 30, the railways recorded 253 incidents of train parting, 636 OHE failures, and 3,759 cases of electric locomotive failures.In the DFC, there has been a significant increase in electric locomotive failures, rising to 70 from 15 in April-June of the previous year. Additionally, OHE failures in the freight corridor have surged to 67 from just four incidents.

Real Estate

28 Oct 2025

Indian Real Estate Sector Sees Highest Capital Inflow in Seven Years

Equirus Capital, a leading full-service investment banking firm, has reported that India’s real estate sector has witnessed its highest capital inflow in seven years, with funds raised reaching ₹23,080 crore across 12 deals.According to Equirus Capital’s analysis, the cumulative capital raised by the sector since FY18 stands at ₹72,331 crore. Of this, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) accounted for the largest share at ₹31,241 crore, followed by large-cap real estate companies at ₹20,437 crore, mid-cap players at ₹12,496 crore, and small-cap firms contributing ₹8,156 crore...

Real Estate

28 Oct 2025

India’s Flex Office Market Set for Record Growth

myHQ by ANAROCK, India’s largest workspace discovery and flexible office solutions platform, has released its Flex Office Market in India 2025 Report, revealing that India is set to become the Asia-Pacific region’s largest flexible office market. The report highlights how flexible workspaces have become a mainstream component of India’s commercial real estate, capturing a growing share of national leasing activity.“Flexible workspaces have evolved from a cost-optimisation tool to a strategic necessity,” said Utkarsh Kawatra, CEO and Co-Founder, myHQ by ANAROCK. “Average corporate d..

Real Estate

28 Oct 2025

India Defies Regional Slowdown; Office Leasing on Track for Record High in 2025

India’s office market continues to outperform the broader Asia-Pacific region, emerging as a key growth driver amid regional headwinds, according to Knight Frank’s Asia-Pacific Office Highlights Q3 2025 report. With 8.8 million sq. ft. transacted in the third quarter alone, leasing momentum remains robust. Full-year volumes across Bengaluru, NCR, and Mumbai are projected to reach 50 million sq. ft., surpassing the previous record of 41 million sq. ft. set in 2024.The surge has been fuelled by sustained leasing from Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and renewed activity from third-party IT s..