THE 2012-13 railway budget, presented by railway minister Mr Dinesh Trivedi in the Indian parliament today, calls for total spending of Rs 601bn ($US 12.3bn), which Trivedi says is the highest ever. But capital investment during the 12th five-year plan, which runs from this year to 2017, will more than treble from Rs 1.92 trillion during the 11th five-year plan to Rs 7.35 trillion.

India's Western Railway (WR) completed the conversion of its dc suburban network in Mumbai to ac on February 4, bringing to an end 84 years of dc operation.

THE man who has managed the construction and expansion of Delhi's successful metro network for the last 16 years, Dr E Sreedharan, will retire as managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) tomorrow at the age of 79 and hand over to his chosen successor Mr Mangu Singh. Sreedharan, who joined DMRC in 1995, is a career railwayman and has been in Indian government service for 58 years.

CHINA's minister of railways Mr Sheng Guangzu says Yuan 400bn ($US 63.1bn) will be invested in railway infrastructure construction in 2012, which is 15% less than the Yuan 469bn spent this year, and a 42% reduction compared with the Yuan 700bn invested in 2010. Total fixed asset railway investment will be around Yuan 500bn next year.

Mumbai is one of the world's largest cities and India's commercial core, but it has trailed behind Delhi in terms of metro development. However, the finishing touches are now being added to the first line and work is progressing rapidly on two more, as Jagdish Kumar explains.

INDIAN Railways (IR) is inviting international bids to set up two locomotive factories at Marhaura and Madhepura in Bihar state.

HITACHI is reportedly seeking a domestic partner to set up a joint venture assembly plant in India.

THE first 6.7km section of the Bangalore metro was officially opened today by India's minister for urban development Mr S K Nath and the chief minister Karnataka state Mr S Gowd.

INDIA's Ministry of Railways has approved plans for a Rs 14.12bn ($US 289m) line from Nerul in Navi Mumbai to Uran, with a short branch to Belapur.

THE first two contracts for India's two new dedicated freight corridors have been awarded, Mr K H Muniyappa, minister of state at the Ministry of Railways confirmed in a written address to the Indian parliament.