Waltair Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra announced a permanant increase in the number of Vande Bharat (Visakhapatnam–Secunderabad) coaches from 16 to 20 to meet high the demand, during his 77th Republic Day speech on Monday.
Mr. Bohra said that the Waltair Division has solidified its position as one of the top five money-earning divisions for the Indian Railways. The division moved 66.7 million tonnes of freight, marking a 13% growth. It’s total earnings reached a massive ₹9,147 crore, which is 17.5% higher than the previous year. It ranked number one in India for the fastest growth in freight income, adding an extra ₹1,220 crore to its earnings this year, he added.
Further, he shared that passenger travel saw a major boost, with earnings hitting an all-time high of ₹703 crore.
“A major highlight was the implementation of Kavach, an automatic train protection system in 175 locomotives. To help passengers at the station, the division introduced “ASC Arjun,” an AI-powered robot that monitors safety at the Visakhapatnam railway station. Additionally, 90 tunnels were fitted with lights, and 185 km of track was renewed to ensure smoother and safer journeys,” he said.
Published – January 26, 2026 08:30 pm IST
