Waltair Railway Division Posts Record ₹11,598 Crore Revenue In FY 2025–26

Addressing a press conference in Visakhapatnam, Divisional Railway Manager Lalit Bohra said freight earnings crossed ₹ 10,000 crore for the first time, rising 18.75 per cent to ₹ 10,422.56 crore. As a result, the department ranked fifth nationally in both earnings and caseload.

Passenger traffic increased by 6.6 percent to 33.42 million; It earned revenue of ₹881.37 crore, the highest in 21 years. Additional revenues include ₹9.81 crore from food services, ₹11.14 crore from non-fare sources, ₹26.21 crore from ticket checking, ₹4.26 crore from parking and ₹27.63 crore from other sources.

Freight loading during the year exceeded 85.1 million tons, while total goods handled exceeded 150 million tons, and a growth of over 17 percent was recorded in both categories.

In infrastructure, allocations included ₹ 10,134 crore for Andhra Pradesh, ₹ 10,928 crore for Odisha and ₹ 7,470 crore for Chhattisgarh. Fifteen stations have been selected under the Amrit Bharat Station Programme. Facilities such as railway officers housing complex in Visakhapatnam and RPF police station in Bobbili have been commissioned.

Passenger amenities have been expanded with dormitories at Vizianagaram, sleeping quarters and vending systems at Visakhapatnam, and One Station One Product stalls featuring Araku and Koraput coffee.

The department has deployed an AI-enabled railway robocop “ASC ARJUN” at Visakhapatnam station for surveillance and passenger assistance.

Bohra said Visakhapatnam station has received Platinum-rated Green Railway Station certification. In addition, Waltair division received the Overall Productivity Shield and 14 departments received the productivity shield, while its employees were honored with the Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar and Rail Seva Puraskar awards. Six Bharat Scouts and Guide students received the President’s Award.

Focus on attracting investment: Vizag’s new collector

M. Abhishikth Kishore took over as Visakhapatnam district collector on Wednesday and promised balanced development and effective administration.

He said the focus will be on accelerating ongoing projects and attracting IT, industrial and tourism investments, while ensuring the benefits reach both urban and rural areas. He emphasized that projects like Bhogapuram International Airport are key to growth and employment.

Kishore assured transparent management and direct public participation to address grievances and ensure welfare.

On this occasion, senior officials welcomed him.

Andhra University gears up for centenary celebrations

Andhra University, Vice-Chancellor Prof. It is stepping up preparations for the centenary celebrations, with GP Rajasekhar leading a review meeting attended by university principals, committee members and administrative officials. There was a significant focus on the Centenary Special Commemoration; Prof. Rajasekhar encouraged the committee to highlight the rich history of the university by taking inspiration from previous jubilees. He proposed issuing a commemorative postage stamp and coin to celebrate this milestone and asked for updates on necessary administrative processes. Additionally, he emphasized the need for a systematic program of localized activities and close coordination between committees to ensure timely execution of all initiatives. The participation of other important officials in the meeting strengthened the collaborative approach for a successful celebration.

RINL reports 52% increase in steel production in FY26

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited reported strong growth in FY26; Significant increases were recorded in production and sales.

While hot metal production increased by 52% to 5.95 million tons, crude steel production increased by 51% to 5.43 million tons. Turnover rose 22% to ₹22,311 crore and sales volumes rose 27% to 4.42 million tonnes.

The company attributed the performance to increased efficiency and higher capacity utilization and aims to continue growth through better quality and expanded market access.