India’s first Railway University in Vadodara
Vadodara (BRC): Railways is speedily working on setting up the first Railway university of the country. The university will come up at Vadodara in Gujarat. The Educational Consultants India Limited (EdCIL), a public sector unit of the Human Resource Development ministry is finalising the project.
The proposed university will have its main campus at the National Academy of Indian Railways at Vadodara.
The academy is considered as the alma mater for the officers of the Railways. It is situated in a sprawling campus of 55 acres of the Pratap Vilas Palace at Lalbaug in Vadodara. It provides training to all levels of Indian Railway officers, from probationers to general managers.
The academy was founded in 1930 at Dehradun and then shifted to its present regal sylvan surroundings at Vadodara, in 1952.
“We will have satellite centres of the proposed university at Secunderabad (Telangana), Jamalpur (Bihar) and Pune (Maharashtra),” said a high official of Ministry of Railway.
“The idea is to promote study and research related to railways. We will be collaborating with Indian as well as foreign universities. We are in touch with a Chinese university situated in Beijing,” said the official.
“The Chinese university has specialisation in railway research. We are also in the process of collaborating with the Urbana University in USA. The university is pioneer in railway related research,” he added. The project for establishing centres for railway research is also in its advanced stage.
Here’s the verified and comprehensive update on India’s first Railway University in Vadodara—now known as Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV):
🎓 Origins & Evolution
- In 2017, the Union Cabinet approved the creation of India’s first dedicated Railway University, to be established at the National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR) in Vadodara, with land and infrastructure earmarked for expansion. No firm timeline was set initially.
- By September 2025, it officially launched as the National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI)—a “deemed-to-be university”—operating from the historic Pratap Vilas Palace campus within NAIR.
🚀 Establishment of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV)
- In July 2025, NRTI was elevated to Central University status and renamed Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) under a new Act of Parliament.
- Today, GSV is India’s first transportation and logistics-focused central university, funded and backed by the Ministry of Railways.
🏛️ Campus & Infrastructure
- Initially housed in NAIR’s 55-acre Pratap Vilas Palace campus, with plans for a new 100–110 acre greenfield smart campus in Vadodara’s Waghodiya/Piparia region. Design includes solar energy, mobility labs, high-speed rail labs, and GRIHA 5‑star standards.
🎯 Academic Programs & Partnerships
- The inaugural 2018 batch comprised 103 students enrolled in:
- BSc in Transportation Technology
- BBA in Transport Management
- International collaborations included UC Berkeley and Cornell, with visiting faculty from institutions such as XLRI and IIT Madras. Plans included MSc, MBA, and PhD programs in subsequent years.
- Current offerings via Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya include:
- BTech specializations (e.g. Rail Engineering, AI & Data Science, Aviation)
- MTech programs (e.g. Intelligent Transport Systems, Railway Engineering)
- MBA and PhD options in logistics, supply chain, metro rail, aviation, and more.
✅ Status & Impact Summary
| Aspect | What’s Happening |
|---|---|
| Origin | Launched as NRTI in Sep 2025 from NAIR campus |
| Transformation | Became Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya—a Central University—in July 2025 |
| Specialization | India’s first transport and logistics university |
| Programs | BSc, BBA (2025); subsequently BTech, MTech, MBA, PhD streams |
| Campus Facility | Operating from Pratap Vilas Palace; new smart campus underway |
| Industry-Academia Network | Partnered with UC Berkeley, Cornell, XLRI, others |
🗣️ Community Perspective
Reddit discussions highlight growing awareness of GSV as a transport-focused university:
“Gati Shakti university, recently Railways ne bnaya tha…” reflecting recognition of its specialisation.
🌟 Final Takeaway
- Vadodara hosts India’s first Railway University, evolving from NRTI to Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, a central institution dedicated to transportation, logistics, and rail sciences.
- Academic operations began in 2025 at NAIR’s campus, while development continues on a dedicated smart campus.
- With multidisciplinary programs, international partnerships, and industry-aligned curricula, GSV represents a pioneering academic institution in railway education and research.
Would you like insights into GSV’s admission process, scholarships, placement outcomes, or information on the upcoming campus location and facilities?
