Defence wagons are specially designed coaches to transport defence personnel, equipment and other supplies. (Representative image)
Credit: iStock Photo
New Delhi: During a post-operation Sindoor exercise to ascertain the exact number of defence wagons, the Railway Board found inaccuracies between the online wagon management system and physical records, following which it has decided to conduct a census on July 15 and 16.
Defence wagons are specially designed coaches to transport defence personnel, equipment and other supplies.
Officials said that almost a fortnight after the Operation Sindoor, RailMil (which is a specialised wing of the Railway Ministry that sits at Army Headquarters) and Ministry officials held a meeting to ascertain the total number of defence wagons kept at various locations across the country.
“During meeting held with ED (Executive Director) MilRail on 23.05.2025, at Railway Board, it was observed that there is a mismatch between the data available in IRFMM (Indian Railways Freight Maintenance Management) and that available with MilRail office, pertaining to population of MilRail wagons,” a Railway Ministry’s circular dated July 10, 2025, addressed to all its zones, said.
“It has therefore been decided to conduct a physical census of MilRail wagons over Indian Railways and Defence Sidings to reconcile this data,” it added.
The census will commence on 15th July 2025 and should be completed by 16th July 2025, the circular said.
Elaborating on the census exercise, the Ministry has said, “This exercise would include, inter-alia, sick wagons on roadside/sick lines/workshops, unconnected wagons lying in yards/sidings or other piecemeal wagons which have not been offered for examination over a long period of time.” “This procedure order is meant for a joint drive (by Operating/Carriage & Wagons for Indian Railway premises and by MilRail for defence sidings) to locate, identify and update the wagon particulars (including photograph) of wagons through a specially designed module (Wagon census) within the IRFMM application for updating the active wagon master,” it added.
The Ministry has urged each rail division to form multiple joint teams consisting of officials from the Operating and Carriage & Wagons departments to visit all stations, yards, workshops, sidings and any other locations where wagons may be lying.
“MilRail shall arrange for verification of the wagons lying in the defence sidings, where access to railway staff is not permitted,” the circular said, adding the process to download the IRFMM app and register to upload the details of the defence wagons.
The Ministry has advised the team members to add details of wagons that are not part of the wagon master, and if some wagon details are incorrect, they can correct them.