TUNNEL NO.35 BREAKTHROUGH MARKS KEY MILESTONE IN KORAPUT-SINGAPUR ROAD DOUBLING PROJECT A major milestone has been achieved in the Koraput-Singapur Road Doubling Project with the successful breakthrough of Tunnel No. 35. Located between Sikarpai (SKPI) and Keutguda (KTGA) stations in the Waltair Division, the 630-meter-long tunnel has been completed with 100% alignment accuracy. The tunnel, constructed on a 5-degree curve with a horseshoe shape, stretches from chainage Km 148.12 to Km 148.75. The project falls under the jurisdiction of the Chief Engineer, Construction-II, Visakhapatnam, and was closely monitored by engineering officials from the Waltair Division, who were present to witness this significant achievement. This breakthrough marks a pivotal step in improving rail connectivity and expanding capacity on the Koraput-Singapur Road section. The completion of Tunnel No. 35 underscores the commitment of East Coast Railway to advancing infrastructure development with high precision and maintaining top-quality construction standards. Once completed, the doubling of the track will significantly enhance regional rail connectivity and support broader developmental goals for the region.

STEEL MINISTRY OFFICIALS EMPHASIZED THE NEED FOR INCREASED PRODUCTION AT VISAKHAPATNAM STEEL PLANT The survival and viability of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) depends critically on increasing production levels, stated Shri Abhijit Narendra and Shri Daya Nidhan Pandey, Joint Secretaries of the Ministry of Steel. Shri Abhijit Narendra and Shri Daya Nidhan Pandey during their visit of RINL interacted with a cross section of the employees in three sessions at the Learning & Development Centre (L&DC) Auditorium along with RINL CMD(Addl Charge) Sri Ajit Kumar Saxena. Around 1000 employees participated in the interactive sessions in total. A powerpoint presentation was given during the sessions about the current operational and financial status of the RINL. Shri Abhijit Narendra and Shri Daya Nidhan Pandey indicated that VSP had earlier operated with only one Blast furnace, achieving around 30% production until September last year. With support from the Central Government’s financial package, two Blast furnaces were revived, bringing the plant on a recovery path. They emphasized that the plant must achieve 19,000 tonnes of hot metal production per day, ensuring 92.5% capacity utilization. The Joint Secretaries and CMD reiterated that further financial support from the Centre may not be feasible and underlined that achieving production targets are essential for the plant’s sustenance. However, they expressed concern that production has not improved after the restart of the third blast furnace and in fact, declined in the current month. Production is not stabilizing at the required levels and repeated conveyor breakdowns were the points of concern. They expressed concern over the repeated breakdowns of the critical conveyor belts during the last 10 days. Upon observation of the breakdown nature, it is felt that breakdowns do not appear as exclusively due to poor maintenance or due to poor workmanship but the possibility of the miscreants also cannot be ruled out. The officials stressed that intentional damage to the equipment, if any, would not be tolerated and urged employees to work more vigilantly and any suspicious movement to be brought to the notice of the respective departments immediately. Employees should own the equipment and proper care must be taken to avoid such incidents. CC cameras are being installed at all the necessary points, illumination will be improved and surveillance will be strengthened to avoid such incidents. In a separate development, the incident was reported to the Police Department that the recent conveyor belt failures might be deliberate, prompting an investigation. Later a site visit was made by Joint Secretaries, CMD along with the senior officials. Visakhapatnam District Magistrate Sri Harendhira Prasad, IAS, and Commissioner of Police Sri Shankhabratha Bagchi, IPS were also present during the site visit.

POSTER UNVEILED FOR DRM CUP ALL INDIA INVITATION FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT The East Coast Railway Sports Association (ECoRSA) Waltair is set to host the 72nd Men’s and 11th Women’s All India Railway Weightlifting Championship for the 2025-26 season, scheduled from 3rd to 6th December 2025 at the Waltair Railway Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The tournament poster was officially released on 28th November 2025 by Divisional Railway Manager & President of ECoRSA, Shri Lalit Bohra, in the esteemed presence of ADRM (Infra) Shri E Santharam, Shri M. Haranath, Sports Officer & Sr. DFM, Shri Sumit Varma, Sports Officer, Smt. N. Usha, General Secretary, Shri Suresh, Weightlifting Secretary, Shri G Venkata Rama, Incharge-Weightlifting, and other dignitaries. This prestigious event will feature 12 teams representing various states and railway organizations, competing for top honors. The tournament will officially kick off with the inaugural ceremony on 3rd December 2025, and the closing ceremony will take place on 6th December 2025. The matches will be held at the Waltair Sports Stadium, ensuring an exciting competition for weightlifting enthusiasts and sports fans alike.

DRM COMMENDS RAILWAY DOCTOR FOR PROMPT ACTION IN DELIVERING BABY ON TRAIN On the night of November 27, 2025, a 24-year-old pregnant passenger, 33-34 weeks into her pregnancy, suffering from preeclampsia (gestational hypertension), was successfully delivered of a healthy baby at Visakhapatnam Railway Station. The incident occurred on train No. 22838, where the passenger, traveling in seat No. 72, experienced severe abdominal pain and was found to be in active labor. Upon examination, it was determined that the passenger had dangerously high blood pressure (180/100 mmHg), and the fetal heart rate was recorded at 148 beats per minute. Upon reaching Visakhapatnam station at 11:40 PM, the patient was immediately transferred to an ambulance stationed at Gate 1. Under the expert care of Dr. Bhashini Priyanka, Divisional Medical Officer at Waltair Division, and her team, the passenger underwent a successful normal vaginal delivery (NVD) inside the ambulance at 11:57 PM. The newborn cried immediately after birth and is reported to be in good health. Both mother and child were then provided further treatment at the Railway Hospital in Visakhapatnam, where their condition was closely monitored under the supervision of Chief Medical Superintendent Dr. D Sharath Babu. Following the successful delivery, both mother and child were transferred to King George Hospital (KGH) for continued observation and medical care. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Shri Lalit Bohra praised the quick and efficient response of Dr. Bhashini Priyanka and the medical team for their professionalism in ensuring the safe delivery of the baby under challenging circumstances.

''TARAGIRI'' JOINS INDIAN NAVY A MAJOR MILESTONE IN SELF RELIANT WARSHIP CONSTRUCTION ‘Taragiri’, the fourth ship of the Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) and the third to be built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilding Ltd (MDL), was officially delivered to the Indian Navy at the MDL shipyard in Mumbai. This delivery marks a significant milestone in India’s journey toward self-reliance in warship design and construction. The Taragiri is a modern reincarnation of the earlier INS Taragiri, a Leander-class frigate that served the Indian Navy for 33 years, from May 1980 until its decommissioning in June 2013. The new Taragiri stands as a testament to India’s evolving naval capabilities, boasting cutting-edge stealth technology, enhanced firepower, and state-of-the-art automation and survivability features. Designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and closely supervised by the Warship Overseeing Team (Mumbai), the Project 17A frigates represent a major leap forward in indigenous warship design. With its Integrated Construction philosophy, Taragiri was delivered on schedule, showcasing India’s growing shipbuilding expertise. The ship is equipped with an advanced suite of weapons and sensors, including the BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missile (SSM), MFSTAR Radar, MRSAM, a 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM), and a mix of 30mm and 12.7mm Close-in Weapon Systems (CIWS). Additionally, Taragiri is armed with rockets and torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare, making it a formidable multi-role platform capable of meeting current and future maritime challenges. The delivery of Taragiri follows the successful delivery of the first three P17A ships and reflects the Indian Navy’s continued commitment to indigenization and modernization. The ship’s construction timeline was reduced to 81 months—a significant improvement compared to the 93 months required for the first ship, Nilgiri—demonstrating enhanced efficiency in shipbuilding processes. With an indigenization content of 75%, the Project 17A program has involved the participation of over 200 MSMEs, contributing to the creation of 4,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs. The delivery of Taragiri is a key step in strengthening the Indian Navy''s capabilities and reflects India’s steadfast focus on Aatmanirbharta in defense technology and shipbuilding. The remaining ships of Project 17A, with one being built at MDL and two at GRSE, are expected to be delivered progressively by August 2026.