Ahmedabad: Passengers travelling on long-distance trains under the Ahmedabad division will soon get improved comfort, as Western Railway has decided to permanently add one additional AC 3-tier coach to 12 trains. The decision has been taken in view of the growing demand for AC class travel. From May 21, trains that will get the extra coach include Bandra Terminus–Gandhidham Express, Ahmedabad–Prayagraj Express, Sabarmati–Varanasi Express, and Sabarmati–Thawe Express. From May 22, the D...Read More

Ahmedabad: To provide earlier passport appointment dates and strengthen last-mile delivery of passport services, the Regional Passport Office (RPO), Ahmedabad, under an initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs, will station a Passport Seva Mobile Van in Gandhinagar on March 30, April 1 and April 2. The mobile van will be stationed at the Head Post Office, Sector-11, GH Road, near the New Collector Office, Gandhinagar, where applicants can submit passport applications. Citizens will also h...Read More

Surat: Travel between Surat and Navsari via Sachin is set to become faster with the construction of a new high-speed elevated corridor on the Surat–Sachin–Navsari road. The bridge project on the four-lane highway will be taken up by the Gujarat government’s Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department at an estimated cost of ₹221.59 crore. As per the tender document, the proposed elevated corridor will be built between km 13/4 and km 21/4, covering a stretch of around 8 km on the busy Surat...Read More

Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has directed the Regional Passport Office (RPO) to issue a fresh passport to a six-year-old boy whose earlier passport was impounded after his mother failed to disclose details about her estranged husband’s consent. The court also imposed a fine of ₹25,000 on the child’s maternal grandfather for suppressing material facts while filing the petition. Justice Hemant Prachchhak ordered that the passport authority should process the pending application and iss...Read More

Surat: The new Ena (Surat)–Bharuch section of the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway has come under criticism after frequent incidents of tyre bursts and damage to the road surface were reported within two months of its opening. However, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has started repair work at multiple locations to address the issue. It is learnt that cracks and gaps developed at several points on the cement concrete (CC) stretch between Kim and Bharuch, prompting NHAI officials to i...Read More

Mandvi: Local residents and motorists staged a protest against the newly opened toll plaza on the Mandvi–Kim state highway. The controversy began after toll collection started near Zhab village on the highway, which was constructed at an estimated cost of around ₹200 crore. Locals launched a road blockade agitation from 11 am, resulting in disruption of traffic movement on the route. The main allegation of the protesters is that the government has started collecting toll from farmers and r...Read More

Mehsana: Gujarat’s first cashless claim under the PM-RAHAT (Prime Minister Road Accident Victim Hospitalization and Assured Treatment) scheme has been registered in Mehsana district, the district health department said. The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in coordination with the National Health Authority, Government of India, to provide immediate and free treatment to road accident victims. According to officials, a 35-year-old man, Amaratbhai Lababhai fr...Read More

Ahmedabad: An Ahmedabad–Dubai flight was forced to turn back mid-air and return to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport early Monday after operations at Dubai airport were briefly disrupted due to rising tensions in the Gulf region. Emirates flight EK539, carrying more than 250 passengers, departed at around 5.11 am but was instructed to return after Dubai temporarily suspended flight operations. The aircraft landed safely in Ahmedabad at 7.55 am. The flight remained cancelle...Read More

Vadodara: The long wait of people in the region ended as the Vadodara Division of Western Railway formally started DEMU train services from Pratapnagar to Miyagam Karjan via Dabhoi after completion of broad-gauge conversion works. The service was inaugurated in the presence of Dabhoi MLA Shailesh Mehta (Sotta), Vadodara Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Raju Bhadke, other railway officials and local leaders, who flagged off the train. The new service has been introduced after converting the deca...Read More