Railway ministry rejects report of Train-18 delay due to dept feud

The railway ministry on Wednesday described as factually incorrect and speculative in nature a report that the indigenously built trainset, the Train-18, is stuck due to a bitter departmental fight within the Railways.

A ministry spokesperson said that Train 18 is under procedural evaluation right now and to attribute the ongoing evaluation of the interdepartmental rivalry is "factually incorrect and speculative in nature".

The spokesperson was reacting to a report which said that a fight between the electrical and mechanical wings of the Railways is so intense that, despite a conditional clearance from the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety (CCRS) on December 21, the Railway Board is again planning to send it back to the CCRS to resolve the contentious issue of the Electrical Inspector General (EIG) safety certificate.

(With inputs from agencies.)