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20
new railway projects on PPP model mooted
BANGALORE, December 30, 2009: Union Minister of State for
Railways KH Muniyappa on Tuesday said that the state
government was preparing a draft for getting 20 new railway
projects, on private public partnership (PPP) basis, sanctioned for
the state. The proposal will be placed before Parliament after it is
approved by the Railway Board. Muniyappa told reporters, “For the
first time in the history of the Indian Railways we are
mooting laying of new lines on a PPP mode. At present, there are
63,000 kilometres of railway lines in the country and there is a
demand for laying 50,000 kilomet res of new lines. We are not able
to meet this demand due to financial constraints. If the PPP mode is
approved, it will help us meet the demands at the earliest”.
Banerjee to flag off new trains from Ko lkata on Dec 30
Dankuni (West Bengal, December 27, 2009 (IANS) : Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee will flag off a bouquet of express trains from major Kolkata stations to Amritsar, Bangalore, Bikaner and Delhi
Dec. 30, an official said. The new trains are the Howrah-Delhi Yuva express, the Howrah-Bangalore Duranto Express, the Sealdah-Amritsar Express and the Howrah-Bikaner express. Sixty percent of the Yuva express seats will be reserved for people upto the age of 45 with the tickets ranging from Rs.299 for 1,000 km to Rs.399 for 2,500 km. The Duranto express - a non-stop train that is a brainchild of
Banerjee - will ferry passengers from Howrah to Bangalore in less than one-and-half days.
Speaking at a programme here, Banerjee said she would lay the foundation for the proposed Metro Rail project from Dakhineshwar to DumDum on January 2. 'We will also lay the foundation stone of
Dakhineshwar to Dum Dum metro rail project on Dec 2. It will provide a more comfortable journey to the devotees of the goddess Kali temple at
Dakhineshwar,' Banerjee said after laying the foundation for two railway factories in this Hooghly district town.
Farooq Abdullah urges Mamata to show Railways ‘green’
New Delhi. December 26, 2009: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah
has made his strongest pitch for shifting from conventional energy to renewable
sources by targeting the country’s biggest conglomerate — the Indian Railways.
On Monday, Farooq wrote to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, urging her to make
a policy shift to solar and other forms of non-fossil-based energy. Pointing out
that the Railways was among the major consumers of conventional power, he said
the changeover would not only save fossil energy but significantly cut carbon
emission in the country. “This major transformational initiative will contribute
to India's long-term energy security as well as its ecological security,” he
said in the letter.
Rail
e-tickets grow in popularity
Ludhiana, December 22, 2009: The increasing internet traffic
seems to have sounded the death knell for long queues, especially
those for reserving railway tickets. Figures collected from Indian
Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation reveal that the revenue
collected from e-tickets is on the rise. For instance, the
income generated from these stands at nearly Rs 76 crore from the
beginning of the year. Last year, the amount was Rs 68 crore.
While close to one lakh e-tickets used to be sold in one day
during the last year, the figure has almost doubled this time,
leading to a handsome revenue for the department. This year, IRCTC
claims to have generated Rs 670 crore from various other sources. -
The Times of India
Railways
cutting carbon footprint
New Delhi, December 21, 2009(DNA): The Indian Railways is
doing its bit for the environment. Betting big on clean technology,
the Railways has come out with a project design document for
registration under the clean development mechanism (CDM) monitored
by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The document has been developed in association with the World
Bank. The project is expected to result in annual reduction of
approximately 1 lakh tonnes of carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Through a number of initiatives, the Railways is looking at a good
stream of revenue through carbon credits.
Going forward, the Railways plans to initiate the use of compact
fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in employee quarters and has distributed 26
million CFLs at the rate of 4 per family. It believes this move will
help reduce 0.14 million tonnes (1.4 lakh tonnes) of CO2 emissions
annually. The project is financed with the carbon credits earned
under CDM framework. The Railways plans to save up to 15% of energy
through improved energy efficiency in both, traction (which accounts
for 87% of energy consumption) as well as non-traction use. It also
plans to source at least 10% of energy from renewable sources such
as solar power and biomass. The Railways will also undertake a
massive plantation drive along the railway tracks and within the
railway colonies, and use grass turfing as an anti-erosion measure
on the slopes of the banks along the tracks.
Mamata's white paper on Railways paints Lalu black
New Delhi, December 18, 2009: The actual position of the
state of finances of the Indian Railways does not endorse the claims
of turnaround during the five-year tenure of Lalu Prasad as
minister, says an official report released on Friday.
The white paper, tabled in parliament by Railway Minister
Mamata Banerjee, says changes were made in the accounting procedures
during her predecessor's tenure to show some questionable cash
surpluses, which were also not stacked away but spent. Tabled amid
furore by some members, along with a "Vision 2020"
document on short-to-long-term targets, the white paper also says
excessive money was charged for schemes such as "tatkal"
even as punctuality took a beating during the period. "The
traffic growth performance has been below par for the entire
period," says the report, while dealing with the record of
Indian Railways over the past five years ended March 31, 2009.
"There were two accounting changes and these have
contributed significantly in inflating the figures of 'cash before
surplus dividend' - a new way of portraying surpluses generated,
introduced in 2007- 08," the report says. Some other changes in
the procedures inflated the figure for cash surplus before
dividend by Rs 17,006 crore (some $3.5 billion), even as proper
treatment of the Pay Commission report would have reduced the
surplus by another Rs 26,206 crore ($5.25 billion), it says. This
apart, but for the introduction of another new concept called "investible
surplus", the cash surplus would have been further eroded by
Rs.23,584 crore ($4.7 billion), it adds. Source: IBNLive
Railways to
provide free quality drinking water round the clock
December 16, 2009 (ANI): Railways Ministry has approved a new
scheme to make available free quality drinking water round the clock
at railway stations through the Reverse Osmosis (RO) process.
The new scheme would run under the public -private partnership (PPP)
model. According to the Indian Railways, the scheme would allow
private parties to install and operate water vending machines
through commercial advertising route.
The machines shall be required to dispense only RO processed
drinking water and the machine provider would be allowed to
advertise on the machines or on the frame used for covering the
machines as per the approved guidelines with respect to aesthetics,
public morale etc, the Railways said. The Ministry in a statement
further said the water provided through these machines would not be
allowed to be packaged and no charge shall be levied either from the
passenger or from the Railway. The Railway Ministry would provide
only electricity and water supply free for the processing of water.
The arrangements under this scheme will be in addition to the
existing arrangements for providing drinking water.
Indian
Railways asks for land for coach factory at Singur
December 13, 2009: Indian Railways has written to the West
Bengal Government saying that it has agreed in principle to set up a
coach factory at Singur when the land is made available to it
although it requires cabinet approval before going ahead with the
project. As per report Indian Railways has asked West Bengal
Government to handover details of the land that can be made
available to the Railways. But the Railways has also said that it
wants to set up a world class coach factory at Singur, within the
total area, after returning 400 acres to the unwilling farmers and
land owners.
On Monday, the West Bengal government had written to the
railway ministry stating that the state government is agreeable
“in-principle” to handover the entire land at Singur to the
railways for setting up a manufacturing factory. Earlier over 600
acres of land was leased out to TATA Motors Ltd and about 355 acres
of land was allotted to different auto component manufacturing
units.
Source: Business Line
SC Railway
launches first in-train magazine
HYDERABAD, December 12, 2009: In the coming days, all
Multi Modal Transport System (MMTS) stations will have improved
public announcement system and security facilities.South Central
Railway (SCR) General Manager M S Jayanth announced this during the
launch of an in-train magazine, SHADES of Life, at the Secunderabad
railway station today. Designed on the lines of in-flight magazines,
SCR’s SHADES has become the first in-train magazine of Indian
Railways. The magazine will be available for travellers on all
airconditioned coaches. The content of the magazine includes health,
business, realty, sports, entertainment, travel, special interviews,
gadgets and other special features besides rail information. In its
first issue the monthly gives its readers a profile on Hyderabad’s
history, culture and tradition as its cover story. - Express News
World Bank looks to India to bring transport infrastructure to African
countries
New Delhi, December 7 2009: The World Bank and New Delhi are
in talks about financing the international expansion of Indian
Railways, to bring transport infrastructure to African countries and
other developing nations. Robert Zoellick, World Bank
president, said the Washington-based multilateral lender wanted to
build on a $2bn commitment to strengthen India's rail system by
helping state-owned Indian Railways to grow beyond its borders.
Indian Railways, which has revenues of about $18bn, carries 20m
passengers a day on about 18,000 trains and employs 1.4m people. It
is one of the few mixed traffic systems, carrying both passengers
and freight, in the world that generates a cash surplus.
Indian Railways has a growing business in Africa. It has
supplied locomotives to Mozambique, Tanzania, Mali and Senegal, and
coaches to Angola. It has also rehabilitated stretches of track in
Mozambique and Liberia, countries both recovering from conflict.
Status
of train tickets through mobile phones
Rajya Sabha, December 04, 2009 (PIB) : A pilot project on
“SMS alert service for e-ticket customers” has been launched by
Indian Railways. In this service, “Ticket Booking Confirmation”
irrespective of the status of booking is given to e-ticket
customers. This service has since become available from the 2nd week
of November 2009. This information was given by the Minister of
State in the Ministry of Railways, Shri E. Ahamed in a written
reply in Rajya Sabha today.
Red Ribbon Express begins AIDS awareness journey
New Delhi, December 01, 2009: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday flagged off an AIDS
awareness train that take information about the disease to 10,000 villages in 141
districts across the country and will also provide on-board counselling.
The Red Ribbon Express will halt at 152 stations in high prevalence areas and
disseminate information about the disease among the masses and try to unite
people by dispelling existing misconceptions during its year-long journey.
“Last train (Red Ribbon Express-Phase I) was a tremendous success. This train is
taking its message to far flung areas of our country. It will help containing
the disease from spreading,” Gandhi said before flagging off the train at the
Safdarjung Railway station in the Capital. The eight-coach train with both doctors and volunteers on board will also
strengthen people’s knowledge about general health as well.
Railway
Perishable Cargo Centre at Singur
November 30, 2009 (PIB) The Minister of Railways,
Kumari Mamata Banerjee has laid the foundation for Perishable Cargo
Centre at Singur in West Bengal today. In the Railway Budget 2009–10
speech, Kumari Mamata Banerjee, announced that Railways would
encourage creation of facilities of cold storage and temperature
controlled perishable cargo centers. Accordingly, it has been
decided to build a perishable cargo, which will be first such
rail-linked facility in India. The perishable cargo centre at Singur
will be built at an estimated cost of Rs.3 crore. This centre will
provide transit storage to perishable commodities with a capacity of
storing 1500 metric tonnes. When made functional, this will usher in
a new dimension in the socio-economic upliftment of the people,
especially farmers of this area.
Indian
Railways introduces OBHS scheme
Lok Sabha, November 28, 2009 (PIB): K H Muniyappa,
Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways, in a written reply to
the Lok Sabha recently said that to improve upon the standards of
cleanliness and hygiene in coaches on Indian Railways, On Board
Housekeeping Services (OBHS) scheme has been envisaged in all
Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Duronto and important long distance Mail/ Express
trains for frequent cleaning of toilets, doorways, aisles and
passenger compartments during the run of the trains. The scheme has
so far been introduced in 110 pairs of trains on Indian Railways.
Another 280 pairs of trains have been identified for introduction of
this scheme.
Thousands
of visitors visting railway pavillion at ITF2009
New Delhi, November 25, 2009 (PIB) Thousands of
visitors are showing keen interest in the Railway Pavillion at the
India International Trade Fair 2009 in New Delhi. Indian Railways
has been participating in the India International Trade Fairs every
year for the past several years. This year also, Indian Railways has
fabricated and put up a Railway Pavillion. The theme of the
Pavillion is “Atit se Adhunikta Tak”, highlighting the progress
made by the Railways from the past to the present day’s
technological up-gradation and modernization attained by Railways.
In tune with the theme, the visitors are getting a complete glimpse
of the period when the first train was introduced in 1853 to
our modern day’s “Duronto”.
Jindal Rail to set up wagon manufacturing plant near Karjan
Vadodara, November 23, 2009: Chief Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a new rail wagon
manufacturing facility near Karjan, on Sunday. The Jindal Rail Infrastructure Limited (JRIL) facility will be available to
Indian Railways and other private sectors, and have the capacity to manufacture
3,000 wagons a year. Jindal has five other manufacturing units in Kutch, but this will be its first
rail coach- manufacturing unit.
The factory will manufacture Open Type Freight Wagons for Coal and Iron Ore,
Container Flat Wagons (BLC), and Covered (BCN) Wagons for cement and food grain
among others. The factory, in its second phase, will be expanded to manufacture Electric and
Diesel Multiple Units for the suburban railway. The Rs 2,700 crore-project is expected to generate employment for about 4,500
people. The factory will come up near the Karjan railway station. - Express News Service
Report of Railway’s Expert Committee
Rajya Sabha, November 20, 2009 (PIB) : The first set of
recommendations of the Expert Committee headed by Dr. Amit Mitra has
been received. These recommendations inter alia relate to setting up
of multi-functional complexes across Indian Railways by bringing in
appropriate Private Equity, development of world class stations over
Indian Railways through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, and
setting up of locomotive and rail coach factories through Joint
Venture/Private Equity models. Recommendations of the Expert
Committee have been accepted and action for the implementation of the same has been initiated. This information was given by the Minister of State in the
Ministry of Railways, Shri E. Ahamed in a written reply in Rajya
Sabha today.
Railways launch new timetable
PATNA, November 16, 2009: The railways has launched its
new timetable with effect from November 1 to fulfil the needs of
people across the country. The new timetable mentions each new train
either introduced or likely to be introduced in each railway zone in
the current fiscal. According to a Railway Board official, the new
timetable has special colour coding system for each class of
passengers for different class and trains. The Board official maintained that while pink has been chosen
for Rajdhani Express, Shatabdi Express, Jan Shatabdi, Garib Rath and
Duronto Express, yellow is the colour for other superfast trains.
The blue and white colours have been chosen for other mail and
express trains.
Train derails near Jaipur; 6 dead, 21 injured
Jaipur, November 14, 2009: Six people were killed and 21
injured after the Mandore Express, travelling between Jodhpur and
Delhi, crashed at a village near Jaipur early on Saturday morning.
All 15 bogeys, including five AC coaches, seven sleeper and three
general compartments, of the train were derailed.
Four bogies were badly damaged including an AC sleeper
coach where rail tracks pierced into the coach. Over 400 railway
personnel are now working on a war footing to restore the track on
the section of North Western railway. The Railways have ordered an
enquiry into the reasons for the accident, the third major rail
mishap in the past one month.
Railways'
Jan Ahar outlets at stations soon
New Jalpaiguri, November 11, 2009: To provide food to
passengers at reasonable rates, Indian Railways is launching special
outlets in stations across the country. To begin with, four Jan Ahar
outlets are going to be operational at Howrah, Bangalore, Chennai
and Secunderabad stations this month. Seven more will be launched at
different stations, including Patna, New Jalpaiguri, Lucknow
and Mysore next month. An initiative of the Railway Passenger
Services Committee, the food prices at the Jan Ahar outlets will be
in the range of Rs 10 to Rs 35. "These outlets will not be outsourced to private
contractors. It will be run by IRCTC itself under the strict
monitoring of the committee," said Derek O'brien, chairman of
the passenger services committee. The committee was constituted by
railway minister Mamata Banerjee to suggest ways for improving food
service at stations and trains as there were A large number of
complaints against the quality of the food available. Source:
Rediff.com
Railways
posts 8 per cent growth in earnings
New Delhi, November 9, 2009 (PTI): Indian Railways have
posted a eight per cent growth in earnings between April and October
this year as compared to the same period last year, thanks to robust
growth witnessed in freight and passenger sectors. The total
approximate earnings between April and October stood at Rs 48,322.23
crore compared to Rs 44,614.15 crore during the same period last
year, thereby showing an increase of 8.31 per cent, said a Railways
spokesperson. Of this, he said total goods earnings went up to Rs
32,452.79 crore and passenger revenue earnings went up to Rs
13,626.74 crore.
The revenue earnings from other departments was Rs
1317.72 crore during this period, the spokesperson said. In this
period, 4318.23 million passengers bought tickets compared to
4119.89 million during the same period last year. Similarly, in
the suburban and non-suburban sectors, the numbers of passengers
booked during April-October 2009 was 2216.08 million and 2102
Yuva trains to have double decker AC coaches
New Delhi, November 8, 2009 (PTI): With a view to cater to the needs of students in the
country, Indian Railways is planning to introduce AC double decker coaches in
the new 'Yuva' trains, which would run at the speed of 150 km per hour.
Preparations are afoot to start the Howrah-New Delhi Yuva Express and Bandra
Terminus-Hazrat Nizamuddin Yuva Express shortly on a pilot basis, said a senior
Rail Ministry official. While the Howrah Yuva will leave from New Delhi station at 4.10 pm on Sunday and
arrive in Howrah the next day at 10.40 am, the Mumbai Yuva will depart from
Nizamuddin station on Saturday at 3.50 pm and reach Bandra Terminus the next day at 8.20 am.
The modalities of the Yuva train are being worked out, he said.
Express train kills six near Delhi
Delhi, November 4, 2009: Six people were run over by a
passenger train while trying to cross a railway track near Delhi.
The accident, involving the Delhi-Ajmer Shatabdi Express, took place
in the town of Pataudi, rail officials said. The train's engine
failed due to the impact and it came to a halt. Angry locals
then protested, surrounding the train and demanding compensation.
According to reports, the protesters dispersed after the government
of the northern state of Haryana agreed to pay 500,000 rupees each
to the families of the dead.
Indian Railways mulls on adding exclusive luxury coaches
Mumbai, November 03, 2009: (IANS) Indian Railways is mulling
over a plan to attract foreign tourists by adding exclusive luxury
coaches to all its major trains. As per an official from the Indian
Railways, the Public Amenities Committee (PAC) recently recommended
that exclusive ‘specially designed coaches’ be added to trains
for the benefit of foreign tourists. On the Committee’s proposal,
many domestic travellers feel that the ability to pay, and not the
nationality, should determine who is taken on board. However, the
Committee’s recommendations are not final.
In order to attract foreign travellers, the select coaches
will be designed to have more leg room, better designed seats and
toilets, wider sleeping berths and aesthetic interiors. Tourists can
currently enjoy lavish facilities only on board Palace On Wheels,
Deccan Odyssey, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, Fairy Queen and The
Golden Chariot - all luxury tourist trains run by the Indian Railway
Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC).
Fire diverts trains at Jaipur
JAIPUR, November 1, 2009: Passengers at Jaipur railway station
had to face a tough time after three trains were cancelled and eight
others were diverted to different routes due to the fire at IOC's
Sitapura depot. Major trouble was faced by the Sawai Madhopur-bound
passengers as the railway authorities declared the services on
Jaipur-Sawai Madhopur section would remain suspended till
further orders. Public relation officer, NWR, Jaipur said the trains
cancelled include Bayana-Jaipur Passenger (Train No. 195/1769),
Sawai Madhopur-Jaipur Holiday Special (0993) and Jaipur-Sawai
Madhopur Holiday Special (0994)
Indian Railways to connect Bhutan, Bangladesh
Cooch Behar (WB), October 29, 2009 (PTI): Indian
Railways would connect Bhutan with Sikkim and Bangladesh through
north Bengal, Railway minister Mamata Banerjee said today. One
survey for the Bhutan project was complete and three other surveys
were now on for it, the minister, who will lay the foundation
stone of the Rs-1,335 crore Sevoke-Rangpo railway project to connect
Sikkim with rest of the country tomorrow, told newsmen here.
"Tomorrow, we will begin a historic project to connect Sikkim
with the rest of the country," she said.
Location survey tender for the 52.7 km Sevoke-Rangpo
railway project has been floated and Rs 10 crore allotted for it in
this year's railway budget. The project is scheduled for completion
by 2015. Stating that the project on doubling of railway tracks
between Changrabandha-Malbazar was on, she said it would help Bhutan
in freight movement.
Detention of the Rajdhani Express and taking its two drivers hostage
Kolkata, October 28, 2009 : The detention of the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express and taking
its two drivers "hostage" leading to a five-hour crisis today was carefully
planned by the Naxals, a senior security official claimed. "This is not a sudden reaction by agitators but was very carefully planned with 25 armed Naxals guiding the agitators to block the tracks forcing the Rajdhani
to halt at Banstala halt in West Midnapore district," the senior CRPF officer,
who was involved in anti-Naxal operations in West Midnapore district, said.
Around 2,000 supporters of the People's Committee Against Police Atrocities
gathered at Pirakati just beside Banstala on the instruction of Naxals, he said.
At around 1400 hrs IST, the agitators stopped a goods train blocking the down
line. Forty-five minutes later when the Rajdhani Express came into sight, they
waved red flags.
A technology to harness wind pressure by a moving train
NAGPUR, October 25, 2009: A city-based entrepreneur
claims to have developed a technology to harness wind pressure
generated by a moving train and convert it into electricity. Santosh
Pradhan, who has even obtained 22 national and international patents
for the concept, is sure that his eco- friendly way of generating
power was the answer to country's electricity crisis and to global
warming.
"The technique has the potential to generate 14.81 lakh
megawatt (MW) power in India alone, with its 63,000 route kilometres
of railways and 14,300 trains operating every day," said
Pradhan. A CEO of an engineering company which is a vendor of
Mahindra and Mahindra Limited (M&M), Pradhan says his
calculations show that every single kilometre of the network of the
Indian Railways can generate 20.89 MW of power every day. "In
fact, nearly 10,000 MW of electricity can be generated in Mumbai
alone, on the suburban train network of the metropolis," he
said.
"Wind pressure is created on the front surface of the
engine of a moving train. This pressure can be harnessed using a
system of turbo-chargers and impellers to generate a huge quantity
of compressed air. A system of pipes and impellers can transmit this
compressed air to the roof of the train. From there, it can be
transferred to a matching system of impellers and pipes suspended
from the fixtures of the overhead equipment above the track," Pradhan explained. The Times of India |
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Mamata to seek CBI enquiry into train collision
Mathura, October 22, 2009 (PTI): With conflicting reports on the cause of the train
accident near here, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has decided to go for a CBI
enquiry into the mishap. "Realising the gravity of the accident, I have decided that it is better to go
for a CBI probe," Bannerjee told reporters last night during a visit to the site
of the accident involving Goa Samparkranti Express and Mewar Express.
22
killed as one train rams into another in Mathura
Mathura, October 21, 2009 (PTI): At least 22 people
were killed and as many injured when Delhi- bound Goa Express rammed
into stationary Mewar Express near here early today. The Goa Express
hit the Udaipur city-Hazrat Nizamuddin Mewar Express from behind
between Mathura and Vrindavan at around 4.30 AM, apparently after
its driver ignored signal, railway officials said.
At least 22 people, including the guard of Mewar
Express and two staff members of the pantry car of Goa Express, were
killed and 22 others injured, they said. The unreserved compartment,
which was a second class cum luggage rake at the end of the Mewar
Express, bore the maximum brunt of the accident. The pantry car of
the Goa Express was also damaged. Senior Superintendent of Police of
Mathura, B D Paulson, said 18 people were rescued from the coach
which was packed with women passengers and children.
Luxury
trains to add a new dimension to India's tourism
NEW DELHI, October 19, 2009: Luxury trains will add a
new dimension to the country’s tourism landscape when two such
trains with private participation are launched in the next three
months, charging up to Rs 3.7 lakh per person in a presidential
suite for a week’s travel. Travel firms Thomas Cook’s subsidiary
Travel Corporation (India) and Cox & Kings will soon launch
luxury trains on the tourist circuits of the country.
Travel Corporation (India) will launch The Indian
Maharaja-Deccan Odyssey, the country’s first privately- operated
luxury tourist train, on November 18 from Mumbai on a seven
night-eight day trip on Mumbai- Aurangabad-Ahmedabad-Udaipur-Sawai
Madhopur-Jaipur-Bharatpur-Agra-Delhi circuit. The itinerary includes
visit to Ellora Temple Caves, Ajanta Caves, City Palace, Lake
Pichola, Jag Mandir Palace, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and National Park, Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.
The Indian Maharaja’s in-house hospitality will be
managed by Taj Hotels and Resorts. The 21-coach Deccan Odyssey —
which is owned by Maharashtra Tourism and has been leased by the
travel firm — can accommodate 96 passengers.
The luxury train offers Silver Class at $525 per person
per night on twin-sharing basis, Platinum Class at $950 per person
on twin-sharing basis that offers luxury of the presidential suite,
and single occupancy with tariff up to $1,120 (Rs 53,000) per person
per night. Thomas Cook claims to have booked 70% of its inventory
through 16 departures for the winter season starting November 18.
Rival Cox & Kings is rolling out its luxury train in a tie up
with the Indian Railways Catering & Tourism Corp (IRCTC) in
January next year. News-The Economic Times
Railways to
build links with Nepal & Bhutan to counter China
PATNA, October 17, 2009: Indian Railways has chalked out a comprehensive plan to build rail links with Nepal and Bhutan in an apparent bid to counter the recent Chinese move to build rail links in South Asia. The Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) has been asked to submit a feasibility report on this soon. According to a Railway Board official, the railways has taken a serious note of the fact that China has been building a 1,956-kilometre-long rail route connecting Qinghai province and Tibet with Kathmandu across the Tibetan plateau.
Besides, China intends to build an internal railway network in Nepal linking it to Pakistan via the
Karakoram Highway and Bangladesh via Myanmar. Indian Railways proposes to build six rail links with Nepal and three with Bhutan on a priority basis, he said. - The Times of India
Railways
could soon have its own dedicated TV channel
New Delhi, October 15, 2009 (PTI): Indian Railways
could soon have its own dedicated television channel, broadcasting
passenger related information and highlighting various other facets
of the PSU behemoth, if the suggestion of a railway committee is accepted.
"The channel could be run on the lines of Lok Sabha and
Rajya Sabha channels and content developed to bring out various
facets of Indian Railways," the Passenger Amenities Committee
of Railways has recommended. It said the channel should also act as
a medium in promoting tourism and culture across the country and
bring out programmes in association with tourism departments and
tour operators. Its recommendations are being currently studied by the Railway Board.
AIDS
patients yet to get 75% concession on train tickets
BANGALORE, October 13, 2009: The Indian Railways will now
call HIV/AIDS patients as "people with immune deficiency".
Following a Supreme Court order recently, the railway ministry
mulled over giving 75% concession in some classes of tickets for HIV
positive and AIDS patients. Currently, patients suffering from
cancer, thalassemia, haemophilia, heart and kidney conditions and
mental illnesses are eligible for up to 75% concession in all
classes of tickets.
Booking rail tickets on mobile postponed further
MUMBAI, October 12, 2009: The Indian Railways ’
mobile ticket scheme, which has already been delayed for almost a
year now, is likely to be postponed further. Once launched, this
scheme—the first of its kind—will come as a boon for suburban
commuters, who will no longer have to wait in queues to buy tickets.
They can purchase their passes simply by sending a text message from
their cellphones. According to a source, the railway board approved
of the scheme in December and it was supposed to be launched on the
Western Railway (WR) at the end of this month. However , it will now
take more time as the mandatory clearance from the RBI has not come
in yet.
Railway
revenue earnings up by 6.65 per cent
Ministry of Railways, October 07, 2009: The total
approximate earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis
during 1st April – 30th September 2009 were Rs. 40910.49 crore
compared to Rs. 38358.16 crore during the same period last year,
registering an increase of 6.65 per cent.
The total goods earnings have gone up from Rs. 26106.68
crore during 1st April – 30th September 2008 to Rs. 27631.32 crore
during 1st April – 30th September, an increase of 5.84 per cent. The
total passenger revenue earnings during first six months of the
financial year 2009-10 were Rs. 11573.91 crore compared to Rs.
10755.10 crore during the same period last year, registering an
increase of 7.61 per cent.
The revenue earnings from other coaching amounted to Rs.
1115.81 crore during April-September 2009 compared to Rs. 956.97
crore during the same period last year, an increase of 16.60 per
cent. The total approximate numbers of passengers booked during
April- September 2009 were 3685.03 million compared to 3526.31
million during the same period last year, showing an increase of
4.50 per cent. In the suburban and non-suburban sectors, the numbers
of passengers booked during April- September 2009 were 1888.51
million and 1796.52 million compared to 1879.87 million and 1646.44
million during the same period last year, an increase of 0.46 per
cent and 9.12 per cent respectively.
West
Bengal gets new hills-to-coast train
Siliguri (West Bengal), October 4, 2009 (IANS) Railway
Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday announced a new train service
between this northern West Bengal town and the coastal tourist
destination of Digha in East Midnapore from Monday. ‘We’ll flag
off a new train from Siliguri to Digha tomorrow (Monday), which will
connect two tourist spots of the state. The train service will
enhance connectivity between the hills and the coastal tourism
belt in the state,’ Banerjee said while laying the
foundation stone of a multifunctional complex at Siliguri railway station.
‘We also have plans to run small rail buses from
Siliguri to Bagdogra station. A railway museum will also be set up
at Cooch Behar soon,’ she said, spelling out other plans of her
ministry. Banerjee flagged off a super-fast train from New
Jalpaiguri to Sealdah that will run thrice a week.
‘Science Express’ train will travel to 55 locations
Ministry of Railways: October 03, 2009: The Phase-III of the 'Science Express' which was inaugurated by Chairman, Railway Board Shri S. S. Khurana on 2 October 2009 at Gandhinagar will travel to 55
locations, mostly not covered earlier, covering about 18,000 kms in seven months of its journey. It is covering the entire length and breadth of the country. At each of the locations, it would halt for 3-5 days, during which students and general public would visit the exhibition. The 55 locations will include
Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Madgaon, Hubli, Bangalore Cantt. Mysore,
Calicut, Thirvanthapuram, Salem Town, Balasur, Dimapur, Darbhanga, Chhapra, Amethi, Jammu
Tawi, Kapurthala, Delhi Cantt, Agra Cantt, Jhansi and Ujain.
The sparkling white fully air conditioned train with 16 coaches was custom made and specially
fabricated at Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala. In the first two completed phases of the run, the train was successfully taken to 108 stations of the country.
No tatkal schemes or concessions for Duronto trains
Mumbai, October 01, 2009 (PTI): The Indian Railways have decided not to offer tickets for Duronto trains under the Tatkal scheme and have also kept aside various concessions.Concessions on tickets will not be available under the scheme for patients, students, artistes, physically challenged and others in Duronto trains. A senior Ministry of Railways official informed that except benefits for senior citizens, no other provisions will be applicable in Duronto trains.
Non-availability of Tatkal scheme has created confusion among passengers including those belonging to the business community as the scheme was of much help to them. The non-stop AC Duronto Express has all the facilities including food, bedrolls like Rajdhani trains.The official added that since the railways are providing so many facilities in Duronto trains, on par with Rajdhani trains and has also kept the fares low, it is not considering any other concessions for the train.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in her Railway Budget 2009-10 had mentioned that 12 Duronto trains will be launched. Four Duronto Express trains have already been launched for Kolkata,
Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Delhi. Banerjee said that all the Duronto trains would begin operations during the next two months. According to the official, the Indian Railways is also contemplating on introducing few more such services between other cities.
Railways
to open reservation booths at airports
New Delhi, September 29, 2009: In a bid to cash in on the
ongoing disruption of Air India flights in wake of the agitation
launched by the carrier’s executive pilots, Indian Railways has
decided to open temporary “Passenger Reservation” booths and
“May I Help You” booths at all major airports across the
country. The Railways ministry has also directed its officials to
coordinate with Air India officials asking them to guide passengers
affected by the agitation about using the railway travelling option. Railways
has also asked the Zonal Railways to publicize the vacant berths
available in various trains.
Railways launch drive to curb malpractices
PUNE, September 24, 2009: The Pune division of Central railways has launched a drive to curb
unauthorised sale of tickets and provision of seats in trains for a charge. The drive will be carried out at places such as unreserved coaches of trains and places inside stations like the unreserved ticketing
system (UTS) machines, reservation centres and the counters of
railway travel service agents.
A railway official said complaints about such malpractices are received often. "We have observed that these incidents usually take place during the rush season," he said. "According to the Indian Railways Act, it's illegal to sell or use tickets booked in another person's name. We appeal to passengers to buy tickets in the correct manner. The division is also creating awareness about this," another official stated.
Railways
speeding up safety drive
New Delhi, September 22, 2009 (PTI) Aiming at making rail
travel accident-free, Indian Railways plans to introduce a slew of
safety measures including ways to bring down human error that
account for 86 per cent of rail mishaps. "Railways is speeding
up safety drive including frequent inspections and safety audits to
improve safety performances," said Railway Board Chairman SS
Khurana while inaugurating Safety Convention 2009 organized by
Safety and Quality Forum of Institute of Engineers here today.
"We are recruiting more people and plan to cover up 5000
unmanned level crossings in the country in the first phase out
of total 17,000 unmanned crossings," he said.
Advocating investment in safety, he said, "it helps
raise productivity significantly." Giving details, he said,
"In 2000-01, the incidence of train accidents stood at 0.65 per
million train kms and railways was on the verge of going into red.
Mamata
Banerjee brings colour to Indian rail
Kolkata, Sept. 18, 2009: For the first time in Indian Railways’ 150-year history, a train with
many- coloured splashes rolled today. The Sealdah-New Delhi Duronto Express, flagged off by railway
minister Mamata Banerjee, has been painted in the primary colours that erupted out of its body, garlanded for the first run. A railway official said: “The design was primarily conceived by the minister herself. Such colours have never been seen in the railways and she wanted this new train to be bright and colourful which would go along with its speed.”
Japanese ODA assistance to Indian Railways
Ministry of Railways, September 17, 2009 (PIB): The Union Cabinet today approved the proposal for availing Japanese ODA assistance for implementation of the Western Corridor of the DFC project, the first phase of the assistance being estimated at
Rs.17,700 crores for the Rewari-Vadodara Section and to start with an engineering services loan of approximately Rs.130
crores. The Japanese ODA loan is a soft loan with very low interest of 0.2% per annum (0.01% p.a. for consulting services), long repayment period of 30/40 years and a moratorium of 10 years. Approval has also been given for the terms and conditions of the tied loan.
In order to augment the rail transport capacity to meet the growing requirement of
movement of freight traffic, Indian Railways have decided to develop Freight
Corridors along its busy trunk routes. The Dedicated Freight Project on the Western and Eastern routes is one of the most ambitious project but Indian Railway has ever taken up and once completed would meet the transport requirement of the two busy trunk routes for the next 15 to 20 years.
Railways
introducing the Economy AC-3 Class, with 3-tiered side berths
New Delhi: September 16, 2009: Railways launch a new class of
AC travel — the Economy AC-3 — on its Duronto non-stop superfast
trains. The first of the Durontos, to be flagged off between Sealdah
and Delhi on September 18, will have five Economy AC-3 coaches in
addition to one AC-1, three AC-2 and four AC-3 coaches. This
fully air-conditioned biweekly train is to cover the 1,454 km
distance between Sealdah and Delhi in 16-and-half hours, one-and-half hours less than a Rajdhani on the same route. The
Railways are positioning the Economy AC-3 as a new AC Class,
offering travel at fares lesser than the normal AC-3. The extra
berths are being squeezed in to increase coach capacity from 64 to
72 berths — it will, however, reduce the comfort level. A ticket
in Economy AC-3 may cost up to Rs 50 less than an AC-3 ticket.
Railways
to start special train to promote Games
New Delhi, September 14, 2009: Indian Railways will launch a
special train to promote the Commonwealth Games 2010, Railways
Minister Mamata Banerjee said in New Delhi on Monday. The Ministry
of Railways will join hands with the Ministries of Communication and
IT and Youth Affairs and Sports to launch the train, which will
travel across the country to "glorify" the Games and
promote sportsmanship among the youth, Banerjee told reporters.
"We will start a train which will be dedicated purely to
glorifying the Commonwealth Games and to promote sportsmanship in
the country," she said, adding: "The train will start in
November this year and travel to each and every state during the
next 12 months." The Games will be held in India in
October 2010. "The purpose of the train will be not only to
promote sports and Commonwealth Games, but also to spread IT
education and hold exhibitions across the country," the
minister said.
Pak
approves Indian proposal to launch SA train
Islamabad, September 13, 2009 (PTI): Pakistan's
railways ministry has "technically approved" an Indian
proposal to launch a South Asian train service linking Bangladesh,
India and Pakistan and forwarded it to the ministries of Foreign
Affairs and Commerce for further evaluation. The proposal was
floated by the Indian railways two weeks ago, the Dawn newspaper quoted officials as saying.
Experts had acknowledged the potential of the South
Asian route and they see it as "more easy to operate", the
officials said. The three countries have broad gauge railway tracks
and their operating systems are similar as they were established by
the erstwhile British rulers of the region. Officials of the
railways ministry said experts had suggested that the
Dhaka-Delhi-Lahore train service is "viable in all
respects". The service could be extended to Karachi or
Islamabad if the need arose, they said
Railways to launch historic non-stop trains
Ministry of Railways, September 11, 2009 (PIB): Indian
Railways will add one more feather to its cap when it launches its
new class of passenger carrying ‘Duronto’ trains on the next
Friday, September 18, 2009. ‘Duronto’ will be the first ever
non-stop superfast passenger carrying train in the history of the
Railways and will herald a new era of rail travel in the country
ensuring better speed, comfort and security for passengers.
‘Duronto’ trains will be non-stop and take passenger from end to
end. It means that passengers will not be allowed to embark or
disembark at the intermediate stations. ‘Duronto’ will be of two
types, one is fully air-conditioned reserved train and other is air-
conditioned and non air –conditioned combo reserved train.
The fare of both the ‘Duronto’ trains will include the cost
of meals.
The introduction of this class of trains was announced
for the first time in the Railway Budget 2009-10 speech delivered in
the Parliament by the Minister of Railways Kumari Mamata Banerjee in
July this year. Kumari Mamata Banerjee will flag-off the first train
in this series at Sealdah station in West Bengal on September 18,
2009 which will reach its destination, New Delhi Railway Station,
the next day i.e. on September 19, 2009. The second ‘Duronto’
train will be flagged-off by the Minister of Home Affairs, Shri
P.Chidambram from Chennai on 18th September, 2009 which will reach
Nizamuddin Railway Station, the next day i.e. on September 19, 2009.
The Sealdah-Delhi ‘Duronto’ will be fully air-conditioned and a
fully reserved train and will cover the distance of 1,454 kms.
between Sealdah and New Delhi in around 1630 hours which will be
around 1.30 hours less than the corresponding Rajdhani running on
the same route.
Railways to install biometric identification system
New Delhi, September 9, 2009: Close on the heels of the Home Ministry installing biometric
identification system in North Block, Railways have decided to install the same
at its vital installations across the country. "We have sanctioned a pilot project at an estimated cost of Rs 4.4 crores for
installing biometric identification at vital installation and offices of Indian
Railways," said a senior Railway Ministry official involved in the project.
The project is aimed at enhancing the protection of major IT installations and
PRS (Passenger Reservation Service) data centres in view of the threat of
attacks which could disrupt train operations and damage data base.
Zonal railways are to identify vital installation and offices where biometric
identification system is to be provided, he said, adding all server centres and
control offices have to be covered under the system and later the system would be extended to all production centres.
- (Agencies) Sep 09, 2009
Railways
to start two Duronto trains before Durga Puja
NEW DELHI, September 7th, 2009 (IANS): Railway Minister
Mamata Banerjee will flag off two non- stop Duronto Sewa trains
before the Durga Puja festival begins Sep 25. “Indian Railways
will be starting at least two Duronto Sewa trains, from New Delhi to
Sealdah and New Delhi to Chennai,” a senior ministry official
said. “The New Delhi-Chennai Duronto service is likely to start in
the second week of September,” the official added.
The service to Sealdah is expected to start a week
later. Both trains will be bi-weekly with only two or three
technical stoppages, and will have both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned coaches. The New Delhi-Sealdah will take 16
hours to cover the journey, as against 17 hours taken by Rajdhani Express.
Eco-friendly LED based lights in Railways to save energy
ALLAHABAD, September 5, 2009: In another step towards energy conservation, Indian Railways has decided to install special types of eco-friendly LED (Light Emitting Diode) based lights in the coaches of trains. Presently, small bulbs, CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights) are used for lighting purpose in the coaches of trains. Though these lights provide efficient lighting but they consume comparatively more energy than the LED lights. Further, they are also burden on the alternator and the batteries of the coaches. Pointedly, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a semiconductor device which converts electricity into light. Each diode is about 1/4 inch in diameter and uses about ten milliamperes to operate at about one-tenth of a watt. LEDs are small in size, but can be grouped together for higher intensity applications. LED lights are more rugged and damage-resistant than compact fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. LED lights don't flicker.
LED based Luminaire are more efficient, compact, quick light up in micro-seconds, ideal for use in applications that are subject to frequent on and off cycle, dimming feature, cool long life, more than 50 thousand hours, shock resistant, maintenance free and having no toxicity. There will be reduction of power consumption by 30-35 per cent on account of implementation of LED based coach lighting scheme. It would also reduce the burden on alternator and batteries of the coach which are being fitted in the lower part of the coach.
Source: The Times of India
Enjoy a McMeal on trains & in stations
New Delhi, September 4, 2009 : Tuck into McDonald's
burgers at railway stations. Or order dirt cheap thalis on phone
from your train and your order will be delivered to your seat at no
extra cost. It might sound too good to be true, but passengers of
the Indian Railways can relish traditional dishes at hygienic
conditions and cheap prices. Northern Railway general manager Vivek
Sahai inaugurated the first McDonald's outlet, christened as Cell
kitchen, at Old Delhi railway station on Thursday. The kiosk will
also house an outlet serving janata meals ( Indian thali s) at
affordable rates. The same model may be replicated at 42 other
stations across the country. "McDonald's has been allowed to
operate on railway premises on the condition that they will ensure
common people are served quality food at affordable prices and
drinking water free of cost. The customers will enjoy a
comfortable meal in a clean environment."
Source: India Today
Govt
not to impose service tax on goods sent by rail
NEW DELHI, September 2, 2009 (Reuters) - The government has
withdrawn a proposal to impose a 10 percent service tax on goods
transported by rail, to check price increases of products such as
steel, cement and coal, a government official said on Tuesday. In
his budget for 2009/10, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced
levy of service tax on a host of new services including
transport of goods through railways. The tax was to come into effect
from September 1. "The "government has decided to exempt
transport of goods in containers by rail from service tax, scheduled
from Sept 1," Hemambika R. Priya, spokeswoman for Central Board
of Excise and Customs, told Reuters.
Shatabdi
runs on bio-fuel
LUDHIANA. September 1, 2009: To cut down on the emission of
pollutants in the environment and to reduce the huge amount being
spent to buy diesel, the railway authorities are conducting
experiments by using bio-fuel and compressed natural gas (CNG) to
run trains. The bio-fuel has already been tested successfully on
super-fast trains like the Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express. If the
authorities expand it throughout the country, it will reduce the use
of diesel up to 15%, which means the expenditure will come down to
Rs 5,100 crore.
According to information, as around Rs 6,000 crore is spent
on diesel every year, the authorities are making use of bio-fuel
which is collected from Jatropa seeds. For this, they plan to sow
Jatropa plants on acres of land lying vacant. Officials say Jatropa
oil is mixed with diesel when a train starts moving or climbing a
steep path, while oil is only used when the train has to roll. They
also said the Lucknow-based Research Designs and Standards
Organization (RDSO) of the Indian railways was working on a project to run CNG trains.
Source: The Times of India
SAIL develops corrosion-resistant rails
KOLKATA, August 31, 2009: A unique collaborative alliance
formed between IIT-Kanpur, Indian Railways’ arm, Research Design
and Standards Organisation (RDSO), and Steel Authority of India
(SAIL) has developed cost-effective corrosion-resistant rails for
the first time in the country. The Railways has already sourced the
first batch of some 500 tonnes of these nickel-copper-chromium (NCC)
rails for its Jharsuguda division. This is part of a 10,000-tonne
order for corrosion-resistant rails in 2009-10 bagged by SAIL’s
Bhilai steel plant, which also developed the rails recently. For
starters, such rails are being used in coastal areas which are
typically exposed to adverse weather elements. The new NCC rails
were put to rigorous field trials recently, following which the
Railway Board has instructed all railway zones to directly source
these rails from Bhilai. -ET
Patna
Junction to be developed as disabled-friendly station
PATNA, August 30, 2009: Patna Junction has been selected to
be developed as a disabled-friendly station of the Indian Railways.
The railways has plans to provide more special facilities for the
physically challenged persons at all major stations across the
country. According to senior divisional commercial manager
(senior DCM) of Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR) Om
Prakash, the railways has so far provided facilities like
separate booking counter, parking, waiting hall and toilets for the
disabled persons at Patna Junction. Even access ramps have been
provided at Patna Junction for them while boarding trains from here
to far off places, he said.
Under the new plan approved by the Railway Board, the
railways has selected about 1,500 stations which would be developed
as disabled-friendly stations at the country level for the
convenience of disabled persons travelling by trains, the senior DCM
said.
Indian
Railways switches to green track
NEW DELHI, August 25, 2009: The railways is going green. In a
bid to cut down on carbon emissions and rising fuel costs, Indian
Railways is trying to channelise its vast resources into turning
eco-friendly. From designing bio-toilets, using bio-diesel and
gravity valve technique to cutting down on water wastage, the
projects are on show at the ongoing 8th International Railway
Equipment Exhibition at Pragati Maidan. According to V Nagrajan,
senior engineer of Southern Railway, the division is now using
bio-diesel to run four trains on the Tiruchy-Thanjavur sector.
"We began our project in 2005 and saw considerable
success. We use the B-5 to B-20 variant on trains, meaning 20% of
the diesel is bio-fuel. We are aiming for a 100% variety. This
bio-fuel has been tested on super-fast trains like the Delhi-Amritsar
Shatabdi Express too,'' he said.
Railways exhibition starts in Delhi
New Delhi, August 23, 2009: Over 150 railway equipment companies, including those from the US, the UK and China, will showcase products and latest technologies tomorrow at an exhibition here. The
three-day exhibition, to be jointly organised by Railways Ministry and industry body CII, will support the modernisation plans of the Indian Railways.
The 8th International Railway Equipment Exhibition ( IREE 2009) is expected to be participated by over 150 companies from 12 countries, including the US, the UK, Australia, China, France and Germany, CII said in a statement. "The Indian Railways, this time, will specially focusing on Railway equipment manufacturers, electrification, energy conservation, locomotives, maintenance and service equipment, mass rapid transport systems, safety and security systems,"it said. Indian Railways is continuously focusing on modernisation of its entire railway system particularly stations and trains, in view of the
Commonwealth Games, to be held in Delhi in 2010.
There
will be no privatisation or commercialisation of the railways
KOLKATA, August 20, 2009: Rubbishing talk that efforts are on
to privatise the Indian Railways, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee
Thursday said she would be the last person to do so. There will be
no privatisation or commercialisation of the railways, Banerjee said
at the 54th Annual Railways National Award Function here.
"We'll make the railways so strong that no one can undermine
this organisation. We'll ensure nobody can touch our employees as
well. We are passing through an important stage. "It's the
railway employees who take care of the safety and security of this
huge organisation," she said.
Reiterating her oft-repeated stand, Banerjee said:
"Indian Railways is just not a transport organisation, it has
social obligations too. Whenever there's a natural calamity, we
always reach there to help out people in distress. She said the
railways had already identified 112,000 acres of land which would be
used for development work in the coming days.
Railways to directly monitor food quality
KOLKATA, August 17, 2009: The next time a rail passenger
complains about poor quality of food supplied by private catering
services in long distance trains, a team of inspectors team led by
the concerned chief commercial manager (CCM) will inspect it and
take stern action if food quality is found to be poor. The licence
of the catering service agencies could be rejected permanently after
CCM's recommendation. In a bid to improve the quality of food served
on trains, the Indian railways has decided to give priority to the
food quality checking drive and as such the new additional
responsibility was given to the chief commercial managers of various
zones.
Senior railway officials said the Indian Railway Catering and
Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) that used to look after the catering
services do not have sufficient officers to check the quality of the
food regularly. Earlier, when a passenger complained about poor
quality of food, the IRCTC used to look into the matter. But
passengers allege that despite their repeated complaints, the
quality of food on trains did not improve. A railway spokesperson
said that CCMs would monitor the catering service to improve the quality of food services.
Source: The Statesman
CAG finds fault with Rajdhani, Shatabdi
New Delhi, August 13, 2009 : The Railways might take pride in operating the Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains, but the Comptroller and Auditor General of India
(CAG) has said that in more than 50 per cent of occasions, these prestigious trains have not reached their destinations on time.
“If measured from a passenger’s perspective—arrival at destination at the time given in the time table— trains were late on 54 per cent of occasions, while prestigious trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi were late on 53 per cent of occasions,” the CAG report said. The report maintained that, now, the Indian Railways address punctuality purely from an operational point of view, where trains handed over late by one zone to another were recorded as being punctual so long as they do not get delayed further.
In addition, the zones reported wrong data in order to show that trains were punctual on 95 per cent of the occasions, the CAG report said.An independent assessment of 568 trains disclosed that as many as 79,122 runs out of 1,45,886 runs, which constituted 54.24 per cent of the total runs, the trains had reached the destinations beyond their scheduled time of arrival. Out of these, on 30,487 occasions, the delays were for more than one hour.
Moreover, the delays were due to factors like engineering delay, signal failure, loco failure and miscellaneous reasons than due to external factors or untoward incidents.
The delayed runs of super fast trains accounted for 23,247 out of 79,122 runs, which included prestigious trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Jan Shatabdi and Sampark Kranti.
During 2007-08, the 37 Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains that were reviewed reached the destinations late on 53 per cent (4,956 out of 9,378 runs) of the occasions. Even while considering the engine hour cost of a
diesel loco, the delayed runs reviewed involved an extra expenditure of Rs 47.41 crore on fuel consumption alone.
Source: DH News Service
Railways take measures to prevent accidents
Lok Sabha, August 06, 2009 : As a result of safety measures taken by the Railways to prevent accidents, there has been
a declining trend in the number of train accidents from 415 in year 2001-02 to 194 in 2007-08 and further to 177 in the year 2008-09.
Measures taken include timely replacement of over-aged assets,
adoption of suitable technologies for upgradation and maintenance of
track, measurement of overstressing of track and bridges,
rolling stock, signaling and interlocking systems, safety drives and
inspections at regular intervals to monitor and educate staff for
observance of safe practices.
Each and every train accident is inquired either by a
committee of railway officers or by the Commission of Railway
Safety depending upon the seriousness of the accident. During the
years 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and in the current year from April
to July 2009, a total of 613 consequential train accidents took
place on Indian Railways. Out of which, 80 were inquired into by the
Commission of Railway Safety and balance 533 were inquired into by
the Departmental committees. This information was given by the
Minister of State for Ministry of Railways, Shri K. H.
Muniyappa in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Indian Railways to set up 1000 MW power plant in Bihar
Monday, August 03, 2009: Indian Railways would set up a
1000 MW capacity power plant at Nabinagar in Bihar to meet its power
requirements. Mr E Ahamed minister of state for railways told the
Rajya Sabha that the plant will be set up under a joint venture
with NTPC. Railways have already formed Bharatiya Bijlee Company Limited for initiating power projects for it.
In a written reply in the House, Mr Ahamed said that
the upcoming plant will feed 164 traction sub-stations located in
Eastern and Western region of the country. Railways consumed more
than 14,096 million KWH in 2007-08 for operational (traction) and
non operational (non traction) purposes.
Railways' Tatkal scheme a hit among
travellers; earns Rs 600 cr
New Delhi, August 2, 2009 (PTI): Indian Railways have earned over Rs 600 crore during the
last fiscal from tatkal tickets, with Northern Railways topping other zones with
the best earning from this scheme.
Of the Railways' total earning of Rs 605.48 crore, the Northern Railway shared
Rs 144.50 crore, which was 13 per cent of the total tickets sold, official
sources said.
They said earnings this fiscal is expected to cross the figures of the last
financial year, expecting a good response from the revised tatkal scheme, which
came into effect from August 1, 2009 with more relaxations. "Boarding at intermediate stations, which hitherto was non-existent, will
further boost income from this scheme," a source said.
Bangladesh wants to broaden rail links with India
Dhaka, July 23, 2009 (PTI): Bangladesh has asked India to broaden (rpt) broaden rail links between the two countries, which got snapped due to the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her country wants broader rail links with India restored and this she has conveyed to Indian
Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Rail links were snapped following the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, six years before the sovereign state of Bangladesh was born. "The railway connection was disconnected after war ...now we want to open it ... we want to develop our railways," Ms. Hasina told a 50-member business delegation, led by FICCI.
"Our government has already sent a request to Indian Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in this regard," she said. Bangladesh Commerce Minister Mohammad Faruk Khan said good connectivity was needed in order to improve relations between the two countries.
Earlier, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FICCI) Vice-Chairman Harsh Mariwala, leading the Indian delegation, had said, "... We need a definitive improvement in the infrastructure for movement of goods and people between the two countries
."If the Bangladesh government can open up the Chittagong port for Indian cargo, then this would have a huge multiplier effect on our bilateral relations."
Wi-Fi
on Indian Railway
Mumbai, July 22, 2009: The Indian Railways is contemplating to introduce Wi-Fi in select Indian trains according
to the minister of state for ministry of railways, E.Ahamed. The facility of Internet services by using Wi-Fi system was demonstrated
on trial basis in Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express train from Jan.
11-24 and this was found successful, says a press release published
on a government website. Following this, the proposal is under consideration to provide this facility in select trains. However,
when exactly will this commence is not specified.
Indian Railways to reduce running train sound
Kottayam, Kerala, July 16, 2009: To reduce the rhythm
(sound) Indian Railways are welding the rails with alumino thermit
process without use of fish plates. However the welding is done for
a set of five or six rails and at that point the noise is inevitable
but yet rhythmic. Passengers travelling on trunk routes would experience smooth running of the train.
Indian Railways are also experimenting with the rails
that have their ends cut at 45 degrees angles. In this when the
coach is on the move from one rail to the other (the next one) there
is no sound since the wheel is already on the next rail, before
leaving the earlier one. In this the fish plates have to be used
instead of welding the joints. - The Hindu
Setting
up of Budget Hotels by Indian Railways
Ministry of Railways, July 11, 2009: The Indian
Railways has entrusted Indian Railway Catering & Tourism
Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) with setting up of Budget Hotels in the
vicinity of major railway stations either directly or through
Public Private Participation. IRCTC follows two packet open
competitive bidding system to grant licenses. Tender for each site
is separately issued by IRCTC. Indian Railways gives the land on
license to IRCTC for a period of 30 years with a revenue sharing
ration of 40:60 between Indian Railways & IRCTC besides a
nominal land license fee such that the total earnings to the
Railways is not less than 2.5 per cent of the market value of the
land. The detailed contract conditions with the licensee are framed by IRCTC. This information was given by the Minister of State for
Ministry of Railways, Shri E. Ahamed in a written reply in
Rajya Sabha today.
Railways has over 1.7 lakh vacancies: Mamata Banerjee
Delhi, July 10, 2009 (ANI): Indian Railways has over
1.7 lakh vacancies for various grades, which will be filled in after
reviving the existing recruitment process, Railway Minister Mamata
Banerjee informed the Rajya Sabha today. Replying to a question,
Banerjee said the review of the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB)
would also examine regional aspirations and problems raised during
the railway recruitment process in Maharashtra, Assam, and
Karnataka.The fresh recruitment process will resume only after
reviewing the entire process, Mamata said.
She informed the house that, of the 1,72,444 vacancies,
1,12,566 posts are vacant in Group C, 58,329 are in Group D and
1,549 vacancies in Group A and B. Replying to a separate question,
Mamata said there was a backlog of 1,814 vacancies of SCs in Group C
and 1,688 for STs. There is no backlog of vacancies of SC and ST in
Group A and B. A special recruitment drive will be launched to fill
SC and ST vacancies at the earliest, Mamata informed the house.
Mamata also informed the members that Railway Ministry is launching
its own catering service, the pilot project will assume in
Rajadhani and Shatabdi trains. (ANI)
Railways take steps to curb menace of touts
Ministry of Railways, July 08, 2009 (PIB): In a drive to curb
menace of touts on Indian Railways, a total number of 2521 touts
buying tickets in fictitious names were apprehended and prosecuted,
whereas a total number of 20240 cases of passengers travelling
on transferred tickets were detected during the year
2008-09. During the first two months of the current financial year
i.e. April and May 2009, a total number
of 298 touts were apprehended and 4226 passengers travelling on
transferred tickets were detected. This
has happened during the internal checks undertaken by Indian
Railways on regular basis.
Indian Railways have been taking several steps to
prevent such activities. These include: i) Intensive checks
conducted by Railways’ Commercial and Vigilance Departments at
reservation offices, stations and in trains, ii) Campaigns to
educate the public to desist from purchasing tickets from
unauthorized persons, iii) Bridging the demand-supply gap through
running special trains, introducing new trains, augmenting existing
trains, etc., and iv) Providing the facility of e-ticketing for
easier access to booking reserved tickets.
Indian Railways plans acquisition of 18,000 wagons
New Delhi July 4, 2009 (PTI): The government today said Indian Railways proposes to acquire 18,000 wagons in 2009-10,under rolling stock programme during the current fiscal against 11,000 in the previous financial year. The announcement made by
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to benefit
domestic wagon making firms – BEML, Texmaco and Titagarh Wagons."There is a growing demand for wagons in railways. We propose to initiate the process for taking over wagon units of Burn
Standard and Braithwaite," Banerjee said in Parliament while presenting the Railway Budget 2009-10.
Banerjee said talks have already been started with concerned Ministries for waiver of accumulated liabilities. "Efforts will be made to complete all action at the earliest as the units are PSUs under the Ministry of Heavy Industries," she said. |
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Railway budget 2009-10 focuses on fares, services
NEW DELHI, July 3, 2009: Railway minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled a mix of populist measures, including cheap tickets for the poor and no increase in freight or passenger fares, as well as steps to boost the sprawling system's efficiency and finances.
Banerjee, looking to take advantage of the railway's vast property holdings, said land along the new freight corridor would be put to productive use, and also said the railway operator will resume issuance of tax-free bonds. Over the five years through March 2009, Railways generated a cash surplus of about $18.8 billion.
She also said the group will build a 1,000 megawatt electricity plant -- India suffers from a severe energy deficit -- to power electric locomotives. She said the system would look to introduce double-decker trains, and take advantage of its
fibre-optic communications network. "I visualise an eastern industrial corridor developing alongside the eastern dedicated freight corridor," she said in the ministry's annual budget address. |
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Now, know your railway ticket status through texting
LUDHIANA, July 1, 2009: The railway authorities have started the SMS alert facility for the convenience of passengers to get Passenger Name Record
(PNR) status before travelling in the trains. According to information, passengers can send an SMS to railway enquiry number 139 and know the status of their tickets. Earlier, they used to call at the enquiry number for the same, which usually remained busy. It is worth mentioning that the authorities had forwarded a proposal to the railway board around a month back for its approval, so that they could launch the service to facilitate the general passengers. The Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation
(IRCTC) will take care of the service.
Sources said passengers have to type PNR and the PNR number and send it to 139. And, they will get the status of their tickets within a few minutes. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a railway
employee, said, "Passengers had always been demanding to provide them an alternative for the enquiry of their seats because it becomes difficult to get any information through a phone call."
He further said passengers were a harried lot after the railway authorities wrapped up their local enquiry number 131, which somehow was proving helpful to the local passengers.
"The authorities hope that the new service will definitely bring reform in the system and bring respite to the commuters," he added.
Discussing the issue, Naveen Malhotra, a commuter, said, "We can get our PNR status from the website as well, but the service will prove beneficial when one cannot access the internet."
He informed that it has been around 15 days that the service has become functional and now passengers need not to wait for their calls to be received because the SMS service would prove more
beneficial to them. Source: The Times of India |
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