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Ashwini Vaishnaw

Ashwini Vaishnaw

Union Minister of Railways of India

Appears in 2 stories

Born: 1970 (age 55 years), Jodhpur, India
Height: 5′ 9″
Party: Bharatiya Janata Party
Office: Member of Rajya Sabha
Previous campaign: 2024 Biennial Election in Council of State-Orissa-India
Education: Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (1994), M.B.M. University (1991), University of Pennsylvania, and more
Previous offices: Minister of Communications of India (2021–2024) and Deputy Secretary in Prime Minister's Office of India (2003–2004)

Notable Quotes

Gazette Notification for the creation of South Coastal Railway Zone will be issued, with 1 June 2026 being notified as the effective date. — Press statement, April 28, 2026

On technical parameters, Vande Bharat matches the best in the world. It accelerates from 0 to 100 kmph in 52 seconds—faster than several premium trains in Japan and Europe.

PM Modi has always considered railway development in West Bengal to be of great importance, allocating a budget of ₹13,000 crore for this purpose.

Stories

India's South Coast Railway zone begins operations after 12 years

Built World

Issued the operationalisation notification on April 28, 2026

Indian Railways had not added a new zone since 2003. On June 1, the South Coast Railway began operations from Visakhapatnam, becoming the 18th, with 3,532 km of track and 385 stations carved out of two existing zones.

Updated Jun 1

India's 170-year-old railway gets its first high-speed sleeper

Built World

Leading modernization push, overseeing Kavach and Vande Bharat expansion

India's railways date to 1853, when the first train ran 21 miles from Bombay to Thane under British colonial rule. For 170 years, long-distance overnight travel meant cramped, aging coaches.

Updated May 21