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Wither railway security: 4 train accidents within 12 hours on Friday left 7 dead

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The past year has seen a sharp increase in train derailments and accidents; a majority of them have been reported from Uttar Pradesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi may have hastily replaced Suresh Prabhu with his close confidante, Piyush Goyal, as the Union railway minister in September this year following two major rail derailments that rocked India in quick succession, yet the change of guard has done little to prevent more tragedies from hitting Indian railway- the world’s largest railway network.

Between Thursday evening and Friday – in a span of just 12 hours – four train accidents left seven people dead and injured at least 11 others. Three of these accidents were reported from Uttar Pradesh – the state which has accounted for the maximum number of train derailment incidents this year – while one was reported from Odisha. There were two derailments, including the much publicised incident of the Vasco Da Gama Express near Manikpur station in Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot district that killed three people early Friday morning, one incident of an engine decoupling from the wagon and a train hitting a car at an unmanned crossing.

The spate of accidents began at 7.19 pm on Thursday when a local train hit a Bolero vehicle at an unmanned crossing near Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, killing four people and injuring as many. The vehicle, packed with people belonging to a marriage party, was hit at Matha Bhusunda village under the Musafirkhana police station.

Then, at 4.18 am, 13 coaches of the Vasco Da Gama-Patna Express derailed near Manikpur in Uttar Pradesh, killing three people, including a six-year-old boy and his father, and injuring nine other passengers. The Patna-bound passenger train, which derailed soon after leaving the Manikpur Railway Station in Chitrakoot district, was moving slowly as a result of which casualties were less, officials said.

Then, less than two hours after the Manikpur derailment, a Paradeep-Cuttack goods train jumped the rails between Goraknath and Raghunathpur in Odisha at 5.55 am. While no deaths were reported, the down line was disrupted tillSaturday.

In the fourth incident, the engine of Jammu-Patna Archana Express separated from the train near Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. This happened twice. The engine first decoupled at around 2.35 am and was re-coupled within an hour following which railway personnel gave the train clearance for its onward journey at around 3.17 am. However, the engine and the first coach (same as earlier) separated again at around 5.25 am and were reattached at 6.05 am.

“After re-examination by staff and senior officials it was decided that the train should be given a new locomotive to ensure that such problem does not happen again,” a spokesperson for North Central Railway told news agency PTI. The train finally left at 7.25 am after security clearances were received. The official said some mail express trains and goods trains were delayed due to the incident.

The year 2017 has witnessed a series of train derailments, mostly having occurred in Uttar Pradesh, although in most cases incidents of passenger deaths were not reported.

On August 19, the derailment of the Utkal Express near Muzaffarnagar in UP had claimed 22 lives and left over 150 injured while over 100 people were injured when the Kaifiyat Express derailed in Auraiya district on August 23.

The two train tragedies had paved the exit of then Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu who Prime Minister Narendra Modi replaced with Piyush Goyal during a reshuffle of his council of ministers on September 3.

However, a mere change of guard in the railway top brass has not prevented rail derailments from continuing unabated at a time when the Prime Minister and the BJP are busy trying to showcase the proposed Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project in poll-bound Gujarat.

Under Goyal’s watch as railway minister, this is possibly the fourth derailment – the first in which passenger deaths have been reported. On September 7, the Ranchi-Delhi Rajdhani Express had derailed near Minto Bridge in New Delhi while seven coaches of the Shaktipunj Express had derailed in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district. No casualties were reported in either of these mishaps that happened within hours of each other. On September 14, hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, one coach of the Jammu-New Delhi Rajdhani Express had derailed at the New Delhi railway station.

In November last year, the Indore-Patna Express had derailed in Pokhrayan near Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, killing over 150 people.

-With inputs from PTI[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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India to build seven high-speed rail corridors, Finance Minister announces

Union Budget 2026-27 unveiled seven high-speed rail corridors and a dedicated east-west freight corridor to boost sustainable transport and economic growth.

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February 1, 2026

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India to build seven high-speed rail corridors, Finance Minister announces

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament on Sunday, announced that India will develop seven high-speed rail corridors connecting key cities across the country.

These corridors, described as ‘growth connectors’, aim to promote environmentally sustainable passenger transport systems. The proposed high-speed rail links will connect:

  • Mumbai and Pune
  • Hyderabad and Pune
  • Hyderabad and Bengaluru
  • Hyderabad and Chennai
  • Chennai and Bengaluru
  • Delhi and Varanasi
  • Varanasi and Siliguri

In addition to passenger rail, Sitharaman announced a dedicated east-west freight corridor connecting Dankuni in the east with Surat in the west. This initiative, along with the operationalisation of 22 new national waterways over the next five years, is intended to enhance multimodal transport and reduce logistics costs.

“These initiatives will strengthen freight movement and support sustainable cargo transportation,” the Finance Minister said.

The Budget also emphasizes infrastructure development in cities with populations over five lakh (Tier II and Tier III), which have emerged as key growth centres. Sitharaman further proposed a public capital expenditure of Rs 12.2 lakh crore for the financial year 2026-27.

She outlined that the Union Budget is guided by three core responsibilities—accelerating economic growth, fulfilling aspirations, and ensuring equitable access to resources for families, communities, and regions.

Describing the plans as part of a broader reform agenda, she added, “The ‘Reform Express’ is on its way.”

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India announces Rs 40,000 crore boost for semiconductor sector in Union Budget 2026

Union Budget 2026 unveils a Rs 40,000 crore allocation for semiconductor production and research under India Semiconductor Mission 2.0.

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2 hours ago

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February 1, 2026

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union budget 2026

Presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget today, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 40,000 crore allocation for the semiconductor industry under the newly launched India Semiconductor Mission 2.0. The move aims to build on the momentum of the first semiconductor mission initiated in January 2022.

Sitharaman highlighted that the mission will focus on industry-led research and training centres, as well as the production of equipment and materials for full-stack Indian intellectual property (IP).

“Semiconductor Mission 2.0 will focus on producing equipment and materials designed for full-stack Indian IP,” she said.

The Finance Minister also emphasised that the Budget follows a path of reforms over rhetoric, aiming to position India on the trajectory toward becoming a Viksit Bharat.

Earlier this month, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that India is on track to begin commercial semiconductor chip production in 2026, in line with the timeline of the original semiconductor mission. Pilot production has already started at three plants in 2025, with four plants expected to begin operations this year.

Analysts note that India, as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, is expected to continue prioritising defence, infrastructure, capital expenditure, power, and affordable housing in fiscal year 2026–27.

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Union Budget 2026 live updates: Nirmala Sitharaman Raises Capex to ₹12.2 Lakh Cr, West Bengal Gets Major Allocation

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is presenting the Union Budget 2026 in Parliament today. Follow this space for live updates, key announcements, and policy insights.

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3 hours ago

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February 1, 2026

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman arrives to present Union Budget 2026

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will shortly present the Union Budget 2026 in the Lok Sabha, marking her ninth consecutive Budget. The annual financial statement is expected to outline the government’s policy priorities, reform agenda and spending plans for the coming year. Stay tuned for live updates, key announcements and immediate reactions as the Budget speech unfolds.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled her ninth Union Budget today, beginning her speech at 11 am.

Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present her ninth Union Budget today, with the finance minister scheduled to begin her speech at 11 am.

Budget 2026 live updates: Presenting the Union Budget for 2026–27, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the occasion coincided with Magh Purnima and the birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas. She noted that over the past 12 years, India’s economic journey has been defined by stability, fiscal discipline, sustained growth and moderate inflation.

The budgeted fiscal deficit for fiscal 2026 is estimated at 4.4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP)

Planned capital expenditure this fiscal year Rs 11.2 lakh crore

Rare earth corrdiors in Odisha and Kerala

Hi-tech tool rooms to be set up by PSUs

Construction equipment scheme to be launched

Container manufacturing scheme for Rs 10,000 crore over 5 years

Rs 10,000 crore SME Growth Fund

Semi-conductor mission to get Rs 40,000 crore

Rs 12.2 lakh crores for infrastructure development

Dedicated RITES to repurpose land of Central PSUs

20 new waterways over next 5 years to be connected

7 high-speed corridors on rail

High-level committee on banking for next phase of Viksit Bharat

Capital expenditure hike of to ₹12.2 lakh crore in Budget 2026, with West Bengal receiving a significant share of allocations.

Mahatma Gandhi Gram Swaraj Initiative aimed at boosting the khadi, handloom, and handicrafts sectors.

High-speed rail corridors: Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Chennai-Bengaluru, Delhi-Varanasi, Varanasi-Siliguri, Pune-Hyderabad

Five university campuses to be established near industrial corridors

Lakpati Didi program expanded in Budget 2026 to reach more beneficiaries across India.

Fiscal deficit for FY26 revised to 4.4%; Budget Estimate for FY27 set at 4.3%.

TCS on overseas tour packages cut to 2% to ease travel costs

Tax holiday to foreign companies that provide cloud services by setting up data centres in India till 2047

17 cancer drugs exempted from import duties

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