Vineet Abhishek

My two bits on Western Railway securing two awards at the Build India Infra Awards 2026.

Western Railway replaced a 129-year-old bridge span near Kandivali during a 21-hour mega block; the structure, built in 1897, reflected early railway engineering and colonial-era infrastructure. Fabricated by the same firm as the Jubilee Bridge, the historic span stood through Mumbai’s plague years, and its original plaque was preserved to honour its legacy. ✍🏻: @rajtoday 📸: Special Arrangements

#WATCH | Mumbai | Western Railway has installed more than 4,500 cameras equipped with Facial Recognition System (FRS) technology at key locations across its jurisdiction to strenghten passenger safety and improve surveillance across its network Western Railway CPRO says, "Western Railway is one of the first zones of Indian Railways to install CCTV cameras with FRS. So far, we have installed over 4,500 CCTV cameras at various stations, and in the future, we will install approximately 3,500 more. In total, we will have over 7,000 CCTV cameras, monitoring every area of ​​the station, be it platforms, circulating areas, entry and exit points.... We had several incidents where we were looking for specific criminals, and through FRS-equipped CCTV cameras, we were able to apprehend them and identify them in collaboration with investigating agencies. Furthermore, for other purposes, such as when someone is lost or needs help, we use FRS cameras and other cameras for many other purposes..."

#WATCH | Surat, Gujarat: The first phase of Surat railway station’s redevelopment, designed as a Multimodal Transportation Hub (MMTH), is already over 50% complete and is expected to be ready by the end of 2027.

#WATCH | Surat, Gujarat: CPRO of Western Railway, Vineet Abhishek says, "... Surat station’s redevelopment, one of Indian Railways’ key projects, is being developed as a Multimodal Transportation Hub (MMTH) to serve future needs for the next 50–60 years. The project, costing about Rs 1,500 crore in two phases, is already 50% complete and expected to finish by the end of 2027. It will feature new platforms, a large passenger deck for over 2,000 people, 35 lifts, 60 escalators, and an elevated ring road to ease congestion and passenger safety..."

Fact Check: Misleading Claims vs Actual Situation at Udhna Station In view of misleading reports pertaining to alleged overcrowding at Udhna Railway Station, Railways hereby places the factual on-ground situation on record. Time-stamped videos of Udhna Railway Station are being shared to provide a clear and factual representation. These visuals clearly establish that passenger movement remains normal, orderly, and well-regulated. There is no cause for concern. Passenger volumes over the past few days reflect routine operational patterns with regular and adequate arrangements in place for crowd management, staff deployment, and passenger facilitation. The marginal and anticipated increase in passenger turnout is in line with seasonal travel patterns, owing to the forthcoming festivals of Eid and Ram Navami, along with school vacation-related travel. Passengers and the general public are advised to rely only on official communications issued by Railways and to refrain from circulating or acting upon unverified and misleading content. Railways remains committed to ensuring safe, efficient, and well-managed operations at all times. #udhnastation #factcheck

Fact Check: Misleading Claims vs Actual Situation at Udhna Station In view of misleading reports pertaining to alleged overcrowding at Udhna Railway Station, Railways hereby places the factual on-ground situation on record. Time-stamped videos of Udhna Railway Station are being shared to provide a clear and factual representation. These visuals clearly establish that passenger movement remains normal, orderly, and well-regulated. There is no cause for concern. Passenger volumes over the past few days reflect routine operational patterns with regular and adequate arrangements in place for crowd management, staff deployment, and passenger facilitation. The marginal and anticipated increase in passenger turnout is in line with seasonal travel patterns, owing to the forthcoming festivals of Eid and Ram Navami, along with school vacation-related travel. Passengers and the general public are advised to rely only on official communications issued by Railways and to refrain from circulating or acting upon unverified and misleading content. Railways remains committed to ensuring safe, efficient, and well-managed operations at all times. #udhnastation #factcheck

Fact Check: Misleading Claims vs Actual Situation at Udhna Station In view of misleading reports pertaining to alleged overcrowding at Udhna Railway Station, Railways hereby places the factual on-ground situation on record. Time-stamped videos of Udhna Railway Station are being shared to provide a clear and factual representation. These visuals clearly establish that passenger movement remains normal, orderly, and well-regulated. There is no cause for concern. Passenger volumes over the past few days reflect routine operational patterns with regular and adequate arrangements in place for crowd management, staff deployment, and passenger facilitation. The marginal and anticipated increase in passenger turnout is in line with seasonal travel patterns, owing to the forthcoming festivals of Eid and Ram Navami, along with school vacation-related travel. Passengers and the general public are advised to rely only on official communications issued by Railways and to refrain from circulating or acting upon unverified and misleading content. Railways remains committed to ensuring safe, efficient, and well-managed operations at all times. @PIBAhmedabad @PIBFactCheck @PIB_India #pibfactcheck #wrupdates #udhna #factcheck

Fact Check: Misleading Claims vs Actual Situation at Udhna Station In view of misleading reports pertaining to alleged overcrowding at Udhna Railway Station, Railways hereby places the factual on-ground situation on record. Time-stamped videos of Udhna Railway Station are being shared to provide a clear and factual representation. These visuals clearly establish that passenger movement remains normal, orderly, and well-regulated. There is no cause for concern. Passenger volumes over the past few days reflect routine operational patterns with regular and adequate arrangements in place for crowd management, staff deployment, and passenger facilitation. The marginal and anticipated increase in passenger turnout is in line with seasonal travel patterns, owing to the forthcoming festivals of Eid and Ram Navami, along with school vacation-related travel. Passengers and the general public are advised to rely only on official communications issued by Railways and to refrain from circulating or acting upon unverified and misleading content. Railways remains committed to ensuring safe, efficient, and well-managed operations at all times. #udhnastation #factcheck

Map of the Western Railway Mumbai suburban network from the October 1968 time table, showing picnic spots. The railways needed to market these stations back in the day when trains were more than half empty after Bandra and went empty on Sundays. It was common for families from the mainland to go for picnics to many of the spots mentioned in this map right from Vehar lake to ‘Bassein’ fort by train They were lush green spaces dotted with palms all the way from Santa Cruz up to Virar #IndianRailways #OldMumbai

Clarification on Misleading Video Circulating About Udhna Station 🚆 A video circulating on social media alleging overcrowding at Udhna Railway Station is misleading and does not represent the actual ground situation. Western Railway would like to inform that the situation at Udhna station is orderly and under full control, with passenger movement being regular, expected, and well-managed. On 17th March, the following trains operated from Udhna with routine passenger volumes: • Train No. 09097 (UDN–AYC) | 06:45 hrs – approx. 1800 passengers • Train No. 20961 (UDN–BSBS) | 07:25 hrs – approx. 1600–1700 passengers • Train No. 20933 (UDN–DNR) | 08:35 hrs – approx. 1800–1900 passengers • Train No. 22947 (UDN–BGP) | 10:21 hrs – approx. 2000–2100 passengers • Train No. 04156 (UDN–SFG) – approx. 1600–1700 passengers These numbers are well within normal operating patterns for originating trains at Udhna station. As usual, adequate arrangements, including crowd management, staff deployment, and passenger facilitation, were in place to ensure smooth operations. Passengers are advised not to rely on unverified or misleading content and to refer only to official Western Railway platforms for accurate information. Western Railway remains committed to ensuring safe, efficient, and hassle-free travel for all. Photographs depicting the current on-ground situation at Udhna station are attached for reference. #WRUpdates | @drmbct | @RailMinIndia

पश्चिम रेलवे के महाप्रबंधक श्री प्रदीप कुमार द्वारा चर्चगेट स्थित प्रधान कार्यालय में पश्चिम रेलवे की द्वैमासिक पत्रिका ‘रेल दर्पण’ के 51वें अंक, जनवरी–फरवरी 2026 का विमोचन किया गया। @RailMinIndia #RailDarpan

An explanatory video of the Mumbai suburban railway by Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer Dr Swapnil D. Nila.

What happens inside WR's secret room that runs local trains? A visit to the Train Management System control room explains how Mumbai locals don't run by timetable, but by signals and decisions every minute. And the latest update is that this software will soon get integration with AI to have a better system (under tendering) which will colour-code trains, ring alarm for delays, be more robust and help smoother and faster train operations.

VIDEO | Mumbai Local Train Mega Block: Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Vineet Abhishek says, "We are undertaking infrastructure upgrades to increase local train capacity. As part of this, the Kandivali-Borivali Sixth Line extension is underway from 20 December to 18 January. During this period, 70-80 local trains per day will be cancelled on average, with higher cancellations on 27 December (296 trains) and 28 December (235 trains) due to major technical works, including line linking and electronic interlocking at Borivali. These blocks are planned over the weekend to minimise inconvenience. Once completed, the project will provide a dedicated track for Mail/Express trains and enable more frequent and punctual local services." (Full video available on PTI Videos - ptivideos.com)

Rail ki Dhadkan — now officially on track. 🚆🎙️ An impactful collaboration between Western Railway and Radio City, bringing you real stories of our frontline stars, straight from the platform to your playlists. #RadioCity #Podcaat #RailkiDhadkan #WRPodcast #WesternRailway #IndianRailways

We facilitated over 36,000 passengers at Udhna Station on 19th October 2025, which is about 50% increase compared to the same day in 2024. All passengers boarded trains by 4 PM on 19th October and reached their home on Diwali day to celebrate Diwali with their families and loved ones. The coordinated efforts are taken to avoid unregulated crowd. A dedicated holding area was created and a large number of ticket counters are provided for the convenience of passengers. More than 1.2 lakh passengers travelled from Udhna in the last five days. The current status of platforms and the holding area is shown in following images

Mumbai, Maharashtra: Western Railway CPRO Vineet Abhishek says, "The Delhi–Mumbai route experiences heavy traffic as it is a key national corridor. Today, the Cabinet approved a major project on the Vadodara–Ratlam section, adding a third and fourth line. This 259 km project is estimated to cost ₹8,885 crore. Once completed, it will significantly benefit the region, particularly in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh..."

Behind every smooth train journey are the unsung heroes—our Station Masters. 🎙️ In our latest Western Railway podcast episode, I spoke with Mr. Rajesh Mhatre, Stn Manager of Virar, on their challenges, dedication & vital role in keeping millions moving. youtu.be/gQMr-1WwnNc?si…

BIG FOR MUMBAI RAILWAY. Finally. New AC EMU trains for Mumbai take a step ahead. Tenders floated. Termed as Vande Metro, 2,856 coaches in configuration of 12/15 /18, along with two new maintenance depots at Bhivpuri and Vangaon.