New Delhi, Dec. 26 -- Railway stocks continue to rise for the fifth straight session on Friday, December 26. Today's rally is being driven by a mix of pre-Budget positioning, optimism around policy measures, and fresh sector rotation.

RVNL stood among the biggest gainers as the railway stock rallied 12.30% to Rs.388.20 on Friday. Meanwhile, RailTel and IRFC shares surged up to 9% in Friday's trading session. On the other hand, IRCTC share price also rose nearly 5% to Rs.704 apiece.

A major catalyst for today's movement is growing optimism ahead of the Union Budget 2026. Railway stocks typically attract buying interest in the run-up to the Budget, as investors factor in the likelihood of increased capital spending on infrastructure, roll...