Indian Railways operates longest freight train ‘Rudrastra’, setting new national record
New Delhi: The Indian Railways have successful operated country’s longest goods train, named Rudrastra, a new benchmark in freight transportation. The train which was 4.5 kilometers long and ran from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Division to Dhanbad Division.
According to Divisional Railway Manager Uday Singh Meena, the trial was designed to explore faster and more effective freight operations in order to save time and resources.The train was formed by coupling six box rakes and powered by seven locomotives.
The train comprises of 354 wagons, each carrying 72 tonnes of goods. Rudrastra is not only the longest freight train ever run by Indian Railways, but also the largest in Asia, according to officials. Rudrastra began its experimental journey from Ganjkhwaja railway station in Chandauli. It ended in Garhwa, Jharkhand covering 209 kilometers in over five hours at an average speed of 40.5 kilometers per hour.
The train had two locomotives at the front and one after every 59 wagons. Railway officials have called the successful run a crucial step towards optimising bulk goods transportation across the network.
#WATCH | Chandauli, Uttar Pradesh | For the first time in the entire Indian Railways, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Division ran 4.5 km long 'Rudrastra', a 354 wagon freight train made by joining 6 box rakes together, was run by 7 engines.
— ANI (@ANI) August 9, 2025
'Rudrastra' was successfully run from… pic.twitter.com/tk83MgfU7F
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Women BJP MLAs protest against opposition in UP assembly premises
Lucknow (PTI): Women BJP MLAs held a protest in the Vidhan Bhawan complex before the one-day special session of Uttar Pradesh assembly, slamming the opposition for defeating the passage of a bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Law, in the Lok Sabha.
This followed another demonstration by Samajwadi Party MLAs, who alleged that the BJP was misleading public in the name of women's reservation.
The women BJP legislators assembled in front of Chaudhary Charan Singh's statue in the assembly premises, holding banners inscribed with the slogan "Insult to Matrushakti (women's power), India will not tolerate it". The protesting members entered the main hall of Vidhan Bhawan carrying the banners.
Participating in the protest, the state Minister for Women Welfare and Child Development, Baby Rani Maurya, told reporters that all opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, had opposed the women's reservation, a stance for which they would have to pay a heavy political price.
"On this issue, all of us women stand united. We will ensure that we secure our reservation," she said.
BJP MLA Ketki Singh remarked that their protest represents the collective outrage of millions of women across the state.
Singh asserted that the opposition has betrayed women by creating hurdles in the path of women's reservation. The current demonstration is merely the beginning, and very soon, women from every street, intersection and household will join the protest movement, she said.
Minister Vijaylakshmi Gautam said, "We strongly condemn the despicable act committed by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in an attempt to hold back 'half the population' (women). Their action was directed against the very bill that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced to empower and strengthen Nari Shakti (women's power), and which he strived to pass expeditiously."
Uttar Pradesh assembly is holding a one-day special session on Thursday. During the session, the government is set to move a censure motion against the opposition parties over their failure to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, in the Lok Sabha.
