PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/398843_Railways-to-come-up-with-time-table-for-freight-trains)
New Delhi, Nov 29 (PTI) Facing complaints from container operators, Indian Railways have decided to come up with a time table, the first of its kind, for freight trains, giving an assured transit time.

However, the Railways will charge an extra fee for offering the assured transit time in freight service.

According to a new proposal, the container freight trains will run at an average speed of 100 kmph to reach their destinations faster.

"We are in the process of finalising a time table, specifically for container trains, the first of its kind exercise, as part of the proposed premier freight service," said a senior Rail Ministry official.

With the increase in speed and an assured track, the travel time for container freight will also be reduced.

Though the Railways publishes time tables regularly for passenger services, there is no time table for freight services.

Source (http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/detailNews.aspx?aid=6842&sid=1)
According to a PIB release, 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.

Source (http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=85596)
Member countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) have agreed in principle to establish road and railway links with the territories of each other to bolster the regional economic cooperation, officials in the ministries of commerce and communication said.

The decision has recently been taken at the first meeting of the 'Expert Group to Negotiate Draft Regional Agreements on Motor Vehicles and Railways', held in the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, Nepal.

Official representatives of eight member countries of SAARC attended the meeting.

An inter-ministerial meeting, held in the communication ministry in third week of November, discussed in detail the pros and cons of the proposed agreement. The meeting, presided over by Ali Kabir, secretary, Ministry of Communications decided in favour of striking the regional vehicle and railway agreements, sources said.

The meeting has also discussed the possible road routes, particularly to and from Bangladesh to its neighbouring countries, an official, who attended the meeting said.

Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, the Maldives and Afghanistan are the members of SAARC.

According to sources, both passenger and cargo transportation will come under the purview of the agreement. The transportation will take place only through authorized operator, the agreement added.

The draft agreement has proposed to provide the Maldives and Sri Lanka with facilities of sea route and ferry services in the territories of member countries under the agreement to facilitate their regional transportation.

'The vehicles carrying passengers or goods to/from the Maldives and Sri Lanka shall partly use sea route and ferry services or any other means of transport to complete sea journey through the specified port, in accordance with the customs laws of the respective member states,' reads the draft agreement.

The permission for regular passenger transportation has been proposed for multiple entries, valid for one year and renewable every year subject to a maximum period of five years, said the agreement.

According to the draft, the appropriate authorities of the Member States shall provide international road signs and signals along the specified route, wherever required. Vehicles of one country are required to observe the laws pertaining to traffic, vehicle emission, etc., and all other regulations of the other country whenever the vehicles are plying in the territory of the other country.

The State Governor or local authorities have been barred from imposing any restrictions or changes inconsistent with the provisions of the agreement, officials said.

The agreement has proposed not to impose any additional or new charges except those taxes/charges which are equally applicable to vehicles of the destination country.

The authorized operators shall be permitted to open bank accounts in the other country for remittance of funds generated by sale of bus tickets and receipt of money as a result of transportation of goods, the agreement elaborated.

The next meeting of the Expert Group is expected to be held in last of December, 2009 to finalise routes for motor vehicles and railways, officials in the communication ministry said.

India has prepared the draft of regional agreements on motor vehicles and railways, a source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

As far as links and routes for regional railway connectivity, the draft agreement has proposed five routes. These are-Lahore-Delhi-Kolkata-Dhaka-Imphal, Karachi-Khokhrapar-Munabao-Jodhpur, Birgunj-Raxaul-Kolkata Port/Haldia, Birgunj-Katinar-Chittagong Port and Colombo-Chennai.

The member countries will develop the railway networks and establish rail routes of missing portions to connect the proposed five routes, the draft proposed.

Every member countries will have at least one border station as an inter exchange point through mutual consultation, a top official of the communication ministry said.

"It is a must to integrate eight member countries of SAARC with each other in the area of regional connectivity to speed up the economic growth of the region,'' the official said.

The Indian Railways has saved Rs 5 crore in seven months by drawing energy from the windmills commissioned in Tirunelveli for the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Perambur, Chennai. This is according to data provided in Parliament by Mr E. Ahamed, Minister of State for Railways.

The Railways commissioned the windmills to generate 10.5 MW on March 30, 2009, in Kasturirangapuram and Urumangalam village, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.
The windmill farm was set up at a cost of Rs 66.05 crore.

The Minister informed the House that till November 10, the farm had generated about 16.3 million units and helped achieve savings of Rs 5 crore. But, the Minister did not provide details on how the savings had been calculated.

Additionally, on other steps taken to harness renewable energy, the Minister said that the Railways has provided solar-based water heating systems of different capacities for some training institutes, running rooms and rest houses.

The Railways has also completed electrification of more than 1,200 manned level crossings with solar-based lighting system.Also, in the current fiscal, 29.12 lakh jatropha saplings have been planted.

Source: The Hindu Businessline

Over 2,200 committed suicide on railway tracks in Delhi (http://www.ptinews.com/news/401964_Over-2-200-committed-suicide-on-railway-tracks-in-Delhi)


New Delhi, Dec 1 (PTI) Over 2,200 people committed suicides on railway tracks across the national capital in the last five years, the highest among the metro cities.

According to official data, out of a total of 2,713 suicide deaths in four metros -- Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Madras -- a highest of 2,247 were reported in the national capital.

According to an RTI reply by Railway Ministry, all deaths have occurred between 2004-2008.

Kolkata reported a total of 296 suicides on tracks followed by 139 in Mumbai and 31 in Chennai.

Exercising his Right to Information, Chetan Kothari had sought details of railways earning from all its 16 zones spread across the country and number of suicides on railway tracks in four metros.

"It is surprising that such large number of suicides were committed on just one railway track - the northern railways," Kothari said.

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.

Over 2,200 committed suicide on railway tracks in Delhi (http://www.ptinews.com/news/401964_Over-2-200-committed-suicide-on-railway-tracks-in-Delhi)

New Delhi, Dec 1 (PTI) Over 2,200 people committed suicides on railway tracks across the national capital in the last five years, the highest among the metro cities.

According to official data, out of a total of 2,713 suicide deaths in four metros -- Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Madras -- a highest of 2,247 were reported in the national capital...


Another example of dumbass reporting by the press. The quality of journalism and editing is truly going down the toilet.

South Eastern Railway is preparing to handle an additional 150 mn tonne of cargo by the end of the next decade.
A K Jain, who retired as general manager of SER on Monday, said this demand may arise as more steel plants come up in the region and existing ones augment their capacities.
“The Tatas are planning to augment their capacity to 10 mn tonne. When this happens, SER will have to move an estimated 30 mn tonne for the Tatas alone. Preparations have already started to meet this demand,” Jain said.
SER has already made plans for a new line from Chakulia towards Adra. In some sections, such as between Sini-Raj Kharsawa-Tatanagar — where freight movement is heavy — plans are on to lay a third line. SER has witnessed a steep rise in originating freight loading and earnings under Jain.
From 100 mn tonne in 2006-07, SER has moved to 118.51 mn tonne in 2008-09. Originating freight earnings has gone upto Rs 6,857 crore from Rs 4,877 crore in the same period. Jain says that this has been possible through better monitoring and making better utilisation of assets. According to estimates, SER has managed to save nearly Rs 10,000 crore through such measures.
“We succeeded in loading 12% more with 30% less rolling stock. We ensured that failures came down and maintenance was increased. Wagon turn round time went down from 2.19 days upto October 2007 to 1.4 days in October 2009. Asset failures were brought down by nearly 30%. Signal failures dropped from 9,114 in 2007-08 to 4,977 in 2009-10 (upto October). We also laid stress on completion of line capacity work,” Jain said. Officers said customers like Tata Steel and Sail have expressed satisfaction on how things have changed in last few years.

Source: TOI

Source (http://trak.in/news/chandigarh-gets-weekly-train-to-dibrugarh/31041/)
Chandigarh, Dec 3 (IANS) In a bid to meet the increasing passenger rush to Assam, the union territory has got a weekly train to Dibrugarh.

The first train was flagged off Thursday by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who is also the MP from Chandigarh.


‘This new train will cover a distance of around 2,500 km in 35 hours. Earlier, only a summer special train was being run on this route, as an experiment. There is a huge rush, especially of defence personnel, who travel on this route,’ a railway official said.

Source (http://trak.in/news/chandigarh-gets-weekly-train-to-dibrugarh/31041/)
Chandigarh, Dec 3 (IANS) In a bid to meet the increasing passenger rush to Assam, the union territory has got a weekly train to Dibrugarh.

The first train was flagged off Thursday by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who is also the MP from Chandigarh.


‘This new train will cover a distance of around 2,500 km in 35 hours. Earlier, only a summer special train was being run on this route, as an experiment. There is a huge rush, especially of defence personnel, who travel on this route,’ a railway official said.

Just out of curiosity....why is there a surge in passenger traffic to Assam from Chandigarh?

Source (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/Govt-plans-anti-collision-devices-throughout-rail-network/articleshow/5297964.cms)
NEW DELHI: The government will soon come out with a vision document to make railways accident free and is looking at installing anti-collision
devices throughout the railways network.

“Whenever there is an accident, we talk about anti-collision devices and other safety measures...We have decided this time that we have to go ahead in terms of short-term vision and long-term vision,” said Railway minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament during the Question Hour.

She said the approach towards accidents will be of “zero tolerance” in the next 10 years. “If we plan for it now, we can certainly do it,” she added.

She also added that about Rs 13,000 crore would be required to install anti-collision devices throughout the rail network and sought finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s support for allocation of funds towards this end.
To a member’s remark that thousands of people had died in accidents in past six months, the minister said the number of accidents have decreased, “but if there is even one death, then also it is unfortunate”.

“...In case of big railway accidents, the loss of lives is somewhere in the range of 700-800 people. But if there is even one death because of rail accidents, then we are sorry for it and we apologise for that,” she said. The minister said railways reviewed safety measures time to time.

“Every 15 days, we hold the meeting of Safety Review Committee...We have also decided to appoint a ‘special officer’ for this purpose,” she said.

The anti-collision devices have been installed so far only in the Konkan Railways, and the same is likely to be extended to other places. Railways is in the process of installing similar devices in South Central, Southern and Western Railways. The minister said the department would look at the prevailing “train protection mechanism” in other developed countries, before coming out with a comprehensive policy.

Source (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_mamata-to-take-up-immigration-clearance-issue-with-bangladesh-pm_1320525)
Bongaon (WB): Railway minister Mamata Banerjee today said she would take up with Bangaldesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who is scheduled to visit India later this month, the issue of reducing the time taken for immigration clearance on both sides of the Indo-Bangladesh border.

"Hasina is coming possibly on December 19, when the issue of inordinate delay taken at land customs on both sides of the India-Bangladesh border will be taken up," Banerjee said, adding she had already spoken to finance minister Pranab Mukherjee about it.

Her statement came in the wake of complaints by passengers of the Kolkata-Dhaka train about excessive delay in immigration clearance both at Petrapole on Indian side and at Benapole in Bangladesh.

Banerjee was speaking at a function organised for laying the foundation of a new railway track between Bongaon, near here and Chandabazar which is close to India-Bangladesh border.

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee has some interesting though ambitious plans to improve connectivity in Kolkata and the surroundings. While inaugurating a computerised reservation centre at Thakurpukur on Sunday, Mamata said that Railways is conducting a survey to connect Howrah and Sealdah. She also said that double-deck tracks may be a solution at places where land is not available.
The Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation already has plans to build a tunnel under the Hooghly to connect the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata by rail. It will be a double delight for people of the city if the Railways start looking into another option to connect the terminal stations of Howrah and Sealdah.
“Even small things can help people a lot. There already exists a computerised reservation system in Behala. But this new PRS will ensure that people do not have to rely on touts for their tickets,” the minister said.
There was a time when there were railway tracks on James Long Sarani. But the land there belongs to the state government. We do not want to plan railway projects on land belonging to others. However, if we are allowed to erect posts, a rail bus or monorail service can start between Majerhat and Joka,” Mamata said.
Kindling hope for the Majerhat terminal project, Mamata said this project would help reducing congestion in the city. If a terminal comes up at Majerhat, areas like Taratala, Maheshtala and Garden Reach can be connected by rail, she said.
Mamata believes that this may also help the setting up of new industrial zones in these parts of South 24-Parganas. There have been plans to build a terminal at Majerhat for quite some time now. One of the major hurdles is a bridge across the Hooghly to connect the existing railway network in Howrah to Majerhat.
“The new 12-coach rakes for the Circular Railway are expected to arrive by February. We have plans to connect Garia to Dakshineswar by metro. Once that happens, congestion on the city roads will be reduced a lot. There are also plans to connect Joynagar to Raidighi and Gokulnagar to Midnapore by rail. The foundation stones of these projects will be laid next week. We also have plans to connect remote parts of Sunderbans beyond Namkhana,” she said
Announcing computerise reservation offices for the high court and Alipore court, the railway minister said that her Mushkil Aasan project will be launched soon. Under this, mobile vans will be used to sell train tickets to people in far flung areas. Tickets will also become available from post offices, she said.

Source: TNN

Construction work on commercial complexes at 66 railway stations across the country is expected to begin by December 2009, it is learnt. The complexes will provide rail users with facilities like shopping and food courts.
The business plans for setting up multi-functional complexes, as they are called, are reportedly ready. A typical MFC entailing a cost of around Rs 8 crore is likely to provide facilities like shopping, food stalls and restaurants, book stalls, telephone booths, medicalstores, budget hotels, and underground parking.
Ircon International Ltd and Rail Land Development Authority have drawn up an action plan for development of business models, architectural and structural designs suiting local architecture and local ethos.

Source: Projects Monitor

Source (http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=12583)
KATHMANDU, Dec 6: RITES Ltd (India) -- an Indian consultant firm -- has proposed six cross-border links for connecting the proposed Mechi-Mahakali railway line with the Indian railways system.

The firm, which has been entrusted to conduct feasibility study of the ambitious project, has also sketched out preliminary alignments of both Mechi-Mahakali and Kathmandu-Pokhara electrical railway lines.

Presenting its work-plan for the study to Nepali authorities and stakeholders, representatives from RITES formally proposed to link the track of Mechi-Mahakali railway line with Indian railways network along Kakarbhitta-New Jalpaiguri, Biratnagar-Jogbani, Janakpur and Bardibas-Jainagar, Birgunj-Raxaul, Bhairahawa-Sunauli and Nepalgunj-Rupaidiya points.

“We have incorporated a plan to connect six bordering towns of the two countries under our feasibility study," PK Gupta, representative from RITES, said at a program in the capital. He stated that connection between Mechi-Mahakali 1100-km line and Kathmandu-Pokhara 190-km line will also be established to increase wider connectivity in the catchment areas of both the lines.

According to RITES, the total length of the railway lines will be around 1400 km. RITES has also said initially three alternatives alignments would be studied. As per the study plan, one optimum alignment will be finalized -- based on the result of traffic demand survey and forecast -- before plan and profile of finally selected alignment is prepared.

“Environment, social and geological studies will also be carried out simultaneously and their output will be used to modify the alignment wherever considered necessary,” said Gupta.

RITES has also outlined the objectives of feasibility study. The objectives include selecting of alignment and preliminary engineering designs for the railway system, traffic survey and determining the existing and future transport demand, formulation of train operation plan, electrification, signaling and telecom system.

Similarly, estimation of cost for track, bridges, power supply arrangement, overhead electrical lines, signaling and telecommunication stations, assessment of technical and economic feasibility, assessment of environment and social-economic impacts and recommendation of impact management plans are also involved under the study.

The study will involve national and international experts. Gupta said international experts will be mainly involved to work as team leader, alignment design engineers, train operation analysts, coaches and wagons experts, economic and financial analyst and tunnel engineers among others. Nepali experts will be deputed as deputy team leader, transport engineer, structure bridge engineer, economic and financial analyst, social expert, quantity survey engineers, mapping experts and geotechnical engineers for the project.

RITES also presented a projected timeline for the feasibility study. As per the program, the study commenced on November 16 and final study report will be presented by 15 July, 2010. RITES will provide Inception Report within one month of the commencement of study, while Mid-Term Review Report will be submitted three month after the submission of inception report. Draft final feasibility report will be prepared by June 15, 2010 - one month before the final report is expected.

Union Minister of State for Railways E Ahmed informed the Rajya Sabha that the Indian Railways owns approximately 10.65 lakh acre of land.

In a written reply Ahmed said, about 90 per cent of this land is under Railway's operational and allied usages. The total vacant land, at present is about 1.13-lakh acre.

He also informed the Parliament that in order to mobilize additional financial resources, Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has been set up to undertake commercial development of vacant railway land and air-space which is not required by Railways for its immediate future operational needs.

"So far, 133 sites of such vacant land measuring 3744 acre have been entrusted to RLDA on various Zonal Railways for commercial development. RLDA has taken up studies for ascertaining revenue potential of these sites," he said.

Ahmed also said the Railways has also planned o utilize its 1.13 lakh acre vacant land, wherever feasible, for setting up of various infrastructural projects, which include Rail Coach and Component factories, Multi-Modal Logistic Parks, Auto hubs, Cold Storage and Perishable Cargo Centres, and others through innovative financing models in order to earn more revenue for the railways, create additional railway infrastructure, and also generate employment opportunities. (ANI)

Whats the latest on High Speed Railway in India? What lines are proposed and what stage are they in?
Thank you

nothing concrete as of now..
and the future looks bleak as well..
don't expect much on that front..

nothing concrete as of now..
and the future looks bleak as well..
don't expect much on that front..

:) Thanks. I was getting a little emotional when I saw the Chinese high speed railway thread in the China forum. Why not India why? :) (I am aware of the several factors/reasons). It is high time that India stopped playing slow poke and did some fast catch up. I am more of a positive person and so I think we are getting there slowly but surely. It took us decades to get our act together first it was the highways, free ways, expressways, then private airways, then it was the metros/suburban railways, light railways - monorails, trams etc., freight railways, express trains. Hopefully in the next decade High speed Railway and Maglev Trains. We have been discussing high speed railway for over a decade now. So another decade now and we might be there. We are behind China by 10-15yrs. So you see we will get there. (I am keeping my fingers crossed:))

This is what I found on Wikipedia:

As of 2009, India does not have any high-speed rail lines. The fastest existing Shatabdi-class trains can reach a maximum speed of 140 km/h (88 mph), thus higher speed but not "high speed rail".

Some projects have been developed within medium and long-term time frames. They include lines radiating from New Delhi to Amritsar, Jaipur, Agra, Lucknow and Kanpur; Mumbai to Ahmedabad; Calcutta to Dhanbad; Chennai to Bangalore and Mysore; and Chennai to Hyderabad, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam. Japan's trade minister has pledged Japan's cooperation with India to create a high speed link in India between New Delhi and Mumbai.[1] This was agreed during the Indian Prime Minister's visit to Japan in December, 2006.

India has also invited global bidding for construction of bullet trains on Amritsar to Delhi via Chandigarh/Mohali, Ambala, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. Besides Delhi-Amritsar route, the Railways have decided to conduct pre-feasibility studies for four more high speed passenger routes. They are Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad, Hyderabad-Dornakal-Vijaywada-Chennai, Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulam and Howrah-Haldia.

On 18 February 2008, the Chief Minister, of Karnataka B. S. Yeddyurappa, said that the Bullet train as “not in the state’s best interest”. He also said that his government will participate in the project only if the Chennai-Bangalore High Speed Rail Link is extended to Mumbai via Hubli, with an additional link to Mysore, both being single tracks on the Normal Broad Gauge track. He also stated that “Such projects will help only the people of Tamil Nadu and Kerala come to Bangalore and not the people of Karnataka. If our suggestions are not taken into consideration, it would be difficult for Karnataka to support the projects envisaged by the Railways.’’[2]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Mamata-launches-three-intercity-Express-trains/articleshow/5316540.cms

Mamata launches three intercity Express trainsTNN 9 December 2009, 02:43am

BANGALORE: Railway minister Mamata Banerjee brought a bagful of gifts for Karnataka's passengers.

On Tuesday, she flagged off three major intercity expresses here -- Bangalore-Shimoga Intercity Express, Yeshwantpur-Mysore Express and Yeshwantpur-Solapur Golgumbaz Tri-weekly Express. She inaugurated the renovated Tumkur and Dharmapuri stations and introduced the solid-state interlocking system at Bangalore City station.

And the icing on the cake was a surprise -- a Duronto (non-stop superfast express) from Bangalore to Howrah to be introduced soon.

Promises galore

During the holiday season, 2,872 special trains will be introduced for students to go home and 4,326 additional coaches to manage the holiday rush.

She announced four extensions for towns not connected properly. Bangalore - Hubli Intercity Express will go to Dharwad, Tirupati-Mysore Express will connect Chamarajanagar and will be announced shortly, Yeshwantpur-Mangalore Express will connect Kannur and Mumbai-Karwar, a Konkan railway train, will connect Mangalore.

Mamata, seemingly impressed by the scenic beauty of Karnataka, said "Bangalore is the air-conditioned city, very environment friendly and clean. I like Bangalore very much and am delighted to be here." Mamata said three new trains which were part of the budget have been announced, but three to four more are still left to be implemented. About 21 stations are currently being developed by South Western Railway. These include Hubli, Yelahanka, Hindupur, Hassan, Tiptur, Vasco da Gama, Belgaum, Dharwad and Ranebennur.

"We have a responsibility towards students. They should go home during their holidays, which are as short as 15 days. All the 2,872 trains are especially for them and will reduce the holiday rush," she added. Karnataka shares the maximum cost for speedy completion of projects, which sometimes goes up to 75% of the project budget, and appreciated the state for this.

Automobile hub

The Automobile Hub Association proposed 10 automobile hubs in the country, one of them already launched in Howrah on railway land. "Nine more will be built on railway land. Two can be in Bangalore and Mangalore. They have agreed to this," said Mamata.

PPP model

"The port, the coal belt and the industrial belt need to be connected. It is helpful for the masses and the industry," Mamata said. Karnataka will do a feasibility study and submit the proposal by January 2010, according to chief minister, B S Yedyurappa who was present at the event.

Mamata said that she was open to rail connectivity between Kolkata and Bangladesh because as neighbours they are close and have many similarities. However, the proposal needs to be developed and scrutinized.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s officials claim she has been able to create magic, like her predecessor Lalu Prasad. (Though, after he left, we were told it was nothing of the sort). Riding on strong growth in revenues from traffic operations, the ministry is looking at revising upwards the traffic receipts it had outlined in the Budget this financial year.

A senior official at the ministry said: “Our revenue earnings have been better than the 7 per cent growth we had estimated. Revenue from freight traffic has registered a strong growth rate. If the trend persists, we are likely to earn more than the revenues estimated earlier this year.”

He, however, clarified expenditure had been proportionately higher than that estimated in the Budget, on account of higher wages paid under the sixth Pay Commission. The additional expenses would be met by the increase in earnings. “Targets will definitely be achieved,” the official said, adding “if the cost-cutting measures take effect, there is likely to be a surplus as well”.

The railways are making efforts to achieve operational efficiency by better utilisation of existing resources, rolling stock and increasing traffic volumes. The ministry is going to conduct an exercise later this month to gauge additional revenues the railways is set to earn from traffic operations.

The gross traffic receipts of the railways is estimated at Rs 90,626 crore in 2009-10, against the 84,233 crore garnered last financial year. The total expenditure for the year has been pegged at Rs 77,119.7 crore, compared to Rs 66,108.7 crore spent in 2008-09.

The railways intend to generate Rs 88,419 crore from traffic operations (freight + passenger) in 2009-10, Rs 58,525 crore, or over 65 per cent, of which is to come from freight earnings.

Till October this financial year, the railways earned Rs 48,322 crore, an increase of 8.3 per cent over the Rs 44,614 crore earned during the same period last financial year. Of this, Rs 32,216 crore has come from commodity-wise freight traffic, which has grown by nine per cent over the Rs 29,555 crore earned last year. Passenger revenues, too, have shown an increase —from Rs 12,575 crore to Rs 13,626.7 crore. If the growth rates persist, industry experts say, the railways may make another Rs 1,000 crore from traffic operations over the initial estimates.

Source: Business Standard

Whats the latest on High Speed Railway in India? What lines are proposed and what stage are they in?
Thank you

The chances of India putting a man on the moon are higher than High Speed Railways in India. High Speed as high speed by general standards and not the "HIGH" standards of Indian Railways. :lol::lol:

LOL your right Subeesh.

Any news on the Railways modernisation of the major Stations?

Delhi has been made a mess in the name of revamp..
no news about the others..

The chances of India putting a man on the moon are higher than High Speed Railways in India. High Speed as high speed by general standards and not the "HIGH" standards of Indian Railways. :lol::lol:

That's actually right !! ISRO is planning to land man on moon by 2020 and we can definitely trust ISRO. And I am confident in saying that we will not have any high speed rail in India by 2020. I think you should replace moon by mars in your statement.

I think the Railways has particularly suffered in the era of coalition governments. Most recent Railway ministers have been from regional parties with no pan-India aspirations and even more unfortunately have been from the non-progressive parts of the country. Given the fact that most concerns in these areas are about getting the infrastructure up to 20th century standards (and rightly so), 21st century infrastructure projects are not exactly their focus :( Given how 'lucrative' the Railways are from a political perspective, our only hope is that India moves away from the era of coalition governments. We need two strong national levels parties, then maybe the right national level motivations will enter the heads of our leaders.

^^

Even if we get an pan-india aspiration party ministers, the great Indian railways will function like this because of its mass administration.

I think the Railways has particularly suffered in the era of coalition governments. Most recent Railway ministers have been from regional parties with no pan-India aspirations and even more unfortunately have been from the non-progressive parts of the country. Given the fact that most concerns in these areas are about getting the infrastructure up to 20th century standards (and rightly so), 21st century infrastructure projects are not exactly their focus :( Given how 'lucrative' the Railways are from a political perspective, our only hope is that India moves away from the era of coalition governments. We need two strong national levels parties, then maybe the right national level motivations will enter the heads of our leaders.

^^ Problem definition

Solution - Have a Rly Minister form each state for 3 year tenors. In 90 years we will catch up with early 21st century level railway infrastructure. Else no chance :ohno: QED

New LHB rakes for Sealdah-New Delhi Duronto Express

http://img694.imageshack.us/img694/3484/duronto.jpg (http://img694.imageshack.us/i/duronto.jpg/)

To be noted, there will be no economy Ac class in this train.

The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/2009/12/10/stories/2009121057632200.htm)


Superfast train between Howrah, Bangalore

Special Correspondent
Bangalore: A Bangalore-Howrah Duranto superfast train will soon be introduced to meet the needs of students travelling between Karnataka and West Bengal.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has made this announcement after flagging off three inaugural specials — the Bangalore-Shimoga Intercity Express (6201/6202), the Yeshwantpur-Mysore Express (7303/7304) and the Yeshwantpur-Solapur Gol Gumbaz triweekly Express (6535/6536) at the Bangalore City station .A senior Railway Ministry official from New Delhi said the Duranto train was likely to be introduced in a month or two.

Union Minister of State for Railways E Ahmed informed the Rajya Sabha that the Indian Railways owns approximately 10.65 lakh acre of land.

In a written reply Ahmed said, about 90 per cent of this land is under Railway's operational and allied usages. The total vacant land, at present is about 1.13-lakh acre.

He also informed the Parliament that in order to mobilize additional financial resources, Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has been set up to undertake commercial development of vacant railway land and air-space which is not required by Railways for its immediate future operational needs.

"So far, 133 sites of such vacant land measuring 3744 acre have been entrusted to RLDA on various Zonal Railways for commercial development. RLDA has taken up studies for ascertaining revenue potential of these sites," he said.

Ahmed also said the Railways has also planned o utilize its 1.13 lakh acre vacant land, wherever feasible, for setting up of various infrastructural projects, which include Rail Coach and Component factories, Multi-Modal Logistic Parks, Auto hubs, Cold Storage and Perishable Cargo Centres, and others through innovative financing models in order to earn more revenue for the railways, create additional railway infrastructure, and also generate employment opportunities. (ANI)

How much of that is free from encroachment?

Source (http://trak.in/news/railways-initiates-sevok-to-rangpo-line-in-sikkim/34436/)
New Delhi, Dec 11 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Railways E Ahmed informed the Rajya Sabha on Friday that the Railways has taken up the lining work of 52.7 kilometre long Sevok to Rangpo line in Sikkim.

In a written reply Ahmed said the cost as per the initial survey is estimated to be Rs. 1339.48 crore.

He also informed the Rajya Sabha that the final location survey is in progress and the work has been entrusted to M/s IRCON, a public sector undertaking, under the railway ministry for execution.

While replying to another question Ahmed informed the house that the gauge conversion project of Lumding-Silchar-Jiribam, Badarpur-Kumarghat line in Assam has also been initiated,

In the first phase the earthwork, construction of major and minor bridges, tunneling and ballasting etc. have been taken up, Ahmed said.

“Overall physical progress is about 45 per cent. The progress is adversely affected due to law and order problems in the region,” he added. (ANI)

Economic Times (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/petrochem/WB-govt-asks-Railways-to-inspect-Tata-Nano-factory-site/articleshow/5328026.cms)
KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has requested the Railways to send a team of officials to inspect the abandoned Tata Nano factory site in
Singur for a proposed rail coach factory. This follows the Railways wish to undertake a survey of the land. The state government was responding to a letter sent by chairman Railway Board S S Khurana saying the Railways had taken an in-principle decision to set up a world class factory at Singur.

Railway ministry spokesperson in Delhi confirmed receipt of the letter from the West Bengal government on Friday. He, however, refused to divulge any further details.

A source in the Railways added that this was a logical step forward in any project. Anyone interested in setting up a project would be keen to do a survey of land to get a first hand idea about its suitability. "In any project, one needs do a recee of the proposed site of the factory," he added.

Sources in the ministry added that the railway ministry is yet to form a concerete proposal on such a coach factory. "A number of things need to be decided. All we can say at this point is that we plan to set up a modern factory to produce good quality LHB coaches," they said. The ministry has to prepare a detailed proposal on the factory which will then have to be cleared by the Railway Board.

How much of that is free from encroachment?

Just read your signature and user title. You have some grudge against mods ?

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Hindustan Times

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8119/85201087.jpg

Hindustan Times

Nice that it is 15 mins faster and it consumes 30% less power - but Big deal! Another case of pushing the peanut. What this sector needs is that oft promised super-fast. There is enough traffic and movement of goods and people between the 2 cities to make it commercially viable. I am not even suggesting it be a bullet train - but something that can at least do 160-180 km/hr from Kalyan to Pune - with only a stop at Lonavla in between. Now, if you could announce savings of 1 - 1.5 hour between the 2 cities for the journey - that would be newsworthy.

Nice that it is 15 mins faster and it consumes 30% less power - but Big deal! Another case of pushing the peanut. What this sector needs is that oft promised super-fast. There is enough traffic and movement of goods and people between the 2 cities to make it commercially viable. I am not even suggesting it be a bullet train - but something that can at least do 160-180 km/hr from Kalyan to Pune - with only a stop at Lonavla in between. Now, if you could announce savings of 1 - 1.5 hour between the 2 cities for the journey - that would be newsworthy.

Exactly...pushing the peanut. Makes me think those railways chaps think we average Indians should appreciate the peanut they give us. Besides, many prefer to use the bus service on this route.

The ghats between Karjat and Lonavala make the section very speed restricted. To increase the speed in this section would require new infrastructure. :cheers:

As usual media has gone overboard. There will be very negligible savings in time due to the conversion. Trains will accelerate faster, but since the maximum allowed speed remains the same at 105 kph, there will be no significant decrease in running times.

Yes, unless you compare the time savings of 1 to 2 hour of the trip. I still remember the media making a big fuss about the Duronto trains arriving 15 minutes earlier than the Rajdhani. Big deal.

^^That much more time to enjoy the traffic outside the station :)

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.

Source: Express News

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/blnus/27171201.htm

The railways has decided to throw open the Anand Vihar mega railway terminal to passengers on December 21, a move which will help decongest New Delhi railway station ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year.

According to railway sources, the Railway Minister, Ms Mamata Banerjee, is likely to inaugurate the station.

The terminal will be integrated with the inter-state bus terminus, located close by, and the Anand Vihar Delhi Metro station which is expected to be inaugurated by month-end, thus transforming the area into a major transportation hub.

By the time of the commencement of the Commonwealth Games in October 2010, several trains to East would have been shifted to the Anand Vihar terminal.

The Rs 240-crore station, complete with modern amenities like ATM, foreign exchange counters and touch-screen enquiry system, will be opened with three platforms and a latest coach maintenance yard in the first phase.

The terminal, being developed as a greenfield project, will be the only station in the country having a station yard for loading and unloading parcels

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.

Mamata rejects demands for new trains

Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI: Striking a different note from her predecessor on the demands for new trains, Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday told Rajya Sabha that her priority would be to deliver on the budgetary promises. She will place before Parliament on Friday a white paper on the financial condition of the railways and a ‘Vision Document’ outlining the long-term vision and short-term plans.

Rejecting demands from members for new trains and railway lines during a debate on supplementary demand for grants, 2009-10, the Minister said her priority would be to complete ongoing projects for which Rs. one lakh crore would be required.

Not typical

When Ms. Banerjee sought cooperation of members for sanction of such a large fund, some CPI-M and Bahujan Samaj Party members interrupted her saying the solution was with the Cabinet. “Don’t shout. I am not that type of a typical Minister. I am transparent and I am accountable,” she responded.

She said it was not possible to take up new projects as no new coaches, wagons and rakes were available. Even if orders were placed now, it would take time for delivery. “I am not accusing anybody. But this is the truth.” Ms. Banerjee’s predecessor Lalu Prasad was famous for accepting every demand for a new train made in the house.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/18/stories/2009121850470100.htm

The Telegraph (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091219/jsp/nation/story_11885253.jsp)
- White paper shows ‘inflated’ surplus

New Delhi, Dec. 18: Mamata Banerjee today tabled a white paper on the railways that rejected Lalu Prasad’s claims of a turnaround during his tenure as minister, say- ing the accounts were tweaked to show “inflated” sur- pluses.

A concept of cash surplus before dividend payments was introduced to make the numbers “look good”, the paper, presented in the Lok Sabha, said.

“If these presentation changes had not been done, the accumulated surplus of Rs 89,000 crore during the five-year period (from 2004- 05 to 2008-09) would come down to Rs 39,500 crore,” the report said, triggering protests from MPs of Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

The railways’ performance was “below par” in the five years, the paper said, adding that the best period financially in the past 20 years was 1991-96.

The Congress’s C.K. Jaffer Sharief was minister then.

Lalu Prasad, present in the House, denounced the dossier as “a black paper and no paper at all”.

“My tenure was the best period and there was no dispute on my earnings… some officers appear to have misled Mamata Banerjee and she should find out who they are,” the RJD chief said.

Mamata refused to be drawn into the war of words, telling reporters later: “I will say nothing against anybody.”

Lalu Prasad’s rival in Bihar, chief minister Nitish Kumar, said the document had “exposed the hoax behind the turnaround claims”.

“The white paper has proved Lalu Prasad was resorting to white lies in the context of the railways’ profit,” Nitish said in Patna.

Rail officials said the surplus numbers presented during Lalu Prasad’s tenure also did not take into account arrears paid to staff under the Sixth Pay Commi- ssion proposals. If it had, the surplus would have come down further, they added.

Former railway officials appeared to agree with the paper’s conclusions.

“(Accounting) norms must be changed in consultation with the Comptroller and Auditor General. Obviously, no such change was approved (by the CAG),” former Railway Board chairman J.P. Batra said.

Officials said the changes aimed at presenting a rosier set of numbers were made from 2007-08 to impress international lenders and get loans for projects like the freight corridor.

The turnaround claims had prompted B-schools like Harvard Business School and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and industry chambers to laud Lalu Prasad as a new-age guru.

The Telegraph (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091219/jsp/frontpage/story_11885252.jsp)

New Delhi, Dec. 18: Bullet trains running at up to 350km an hour, a railway-run TV channel, multi-lingual magazines for passengers, punctuality and zero accidents — they could all become reality by 2020, according to the railways.

Bullet trains running at 250-350kmph between Howrah and Haldia, Pune and Ahmedabad, Delhi and Amritsar, Delhi and Patna, and Hyderabad and Chennai are part of the Vision 2020 document tabled in Parliament today.

The railways also aim to raise the speed of regular passenger trains to 160-200kmph from 110-130kmph. If this happens, the document says, “Delhi-Calcutta and Delhi-Mumbai will become an overnight service”.

It looks at the possibility of increasing advertising revenues “using freight and passenger trains (both inside and outside), multi-lingual magazines for passengers and merchandising opportunities for… ticket to foodstuff and other materials served on trains”.

A new ultra-modern railway terminal at Anand Vihar in East Delhi was inaugurated by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit here this evening.
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The terminal, designed to decongest the New Delhi railway station, will cater mainly to trains bound for destinations in Eastern India.

Ms Banerjee said the terminal would be integrated with the Delhi Metro's Anand Vihar station, which is adjacent to it and is due to be thrown open to the public by the end of this month.

Built at an estimated cost of Rs 85 crore, the Anand Vihar station covers an area of 6000 sq metres with modern passenger amenities, including facilities for the physically handicapped.

It will have separate arrival and departure areas for speedy entry and exit, in an attempt to make the station congestion-free.


Other facilities include subways for easy mobility within the station, current booking counters, a booking hall, waiting halls, cloak rooms, three high level platforms and so on.

The Northern Railway said Anand Vihar is the most disabled-friendly railway station in India. An organisation working for physically challenged people was consulted at each stage of implementation of the project, from the design to the final construction, it said.

Facilities such as coach guide systems on the platforms, coach indication boards on the foot overbridges, ATMs, food plazas, foreign exchange counters, touch-screen enquiry systems and water vending machines will be provided at the station soon.


http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8161/20091219anandvihar2.jpg
A view of the new Anand Vihar Railway Terminal in East Delhi.

Ms Banerjee flagged off a ladies special train between Ghaziabad and New Delhi after the success of the first such train launched some time ago. She also flagged off a winter special train from Anand Vihar to Luckow. A 12-coach EMU between Delhi and Panipat has been augmented to a 15-coach train and was flagged through a remote switch.

The Minister said there would be many more ladies special trains in different aprts of India and said they would be called "Matrubhumi Specials".

She said the Railways would use their surplus land to develop auto hubs in the country as well as multi-functional complexes. She said the Railways could provide the best services in the world if they got just ten per cent of the support that the aviation and road transport sector were given.

Railway Board Chairman S S Khurana, Member Engineering Rakesh Chopra, Northern General Manager Vivek Sahai and Divisional Railway Manager B D Garg were amongst those prsent on the occasion.

Ms Banerjee also announced an award of Rs 15 lakhs for the Railway officials who contributed to the prestigious project

Economic Times (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Economy/Govt-proposes-to-set-up-suburban-rail-co/articleshow/5357448.cms)
NEW DELHI: The daily commuters between Delhi and some of its nearby towns like Meerut, Panipat and Alwar may have a much easy ride if the
government’s proposal to run faster trains to cities not being covered by the Delhi Metro has its way.

The cabinet will consider a proposal of setting up a suburban rail company jointly by urban development ministry, the ministry of railways and governments of four concerned states— Delhi, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan, a senior urban development ministry official told SundayET.

Significantly, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), which is a joint venture between Delhi government and the Central government is unlikely to expand beyond suburbs like Gurgaon and Ghaziabad.

Urban development secretary M Ramachandran confirmed to SundayET that such a proposal was mooted. “It’s at a proposal stage which has to be accepted at a higher level. The idea is to lay new tracks and run faster trains between Delhi and some of the towns beyond Gurgaon or Noida for which there will be no metro trains.

We should finally be able to connect all cities near Delhi though preliminary studies suggest there could be three routes including Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut,” he said.

The proposed rail company which may ultimately run suburban trains around Delhi may have six stakeholders out of which the ministry of urban development and railways will have 25% each. State governments of Delhi, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan may have a stake of 12.5% each.

An urban development ministry official on the condition of anonymity said that raising money from various financial institutions and multilateral agencies such as the World Bank would not be a problem once the proposal gets a go-ahead. “It’s proposed that there would be new tracks and new trains altogether. Also, the idea is to have less number of stops too,” he said.

An Indian Railways spokesperson could not confirm whether such a proposal has been discussed in the railways as yet.

In fact, there were a number of occasions in the past when there were disputes whether urban development ministry or Indian Railways should own urban rail system in India. Whereas Kolkata metro rail is a part of Indian Railways, the Delhi Metro and proposed Chennai metro are joint ventures between the Centre and state governments.

Source (http://www.livemint.com/2009/12/15215825/Bengal-villagers8217-wait-f.html)
Railways had acquired land for the project in Hooghly district in 1981 and had promised jobs to the affected families

Sankrail, West Bengal: Even as the Union railway ministry prepares to take over at least 900 acres of troubled land in Singur in West Bengal’s Hooghly district to build a coach factory, farmers in Sankrail, some 50km away, from whom 700 acres of land was forcibly acquired in 1981, wait for the railways to honour its commitment to build a goods terminal there, employing at least one person from each of the 500 displaced families.

Sankrail in Howrah district is closer to Kolkata than Singur. The 700-acre plot is a few minutes walk from the National Highway 6, and there are at least two railway stations within 2km of Sankrail. There was no political resistance to the proposed project there, but the railway ministry seems to have forgotten Sankrail and the commitments it had made to the local people 28 years ago when the land was acquired.

Today the plot lies vacant. The railways has only built a small shed, which is used “once or twice a month” by private companies to park or for emptying wagons, according to locals.

Around 50km away in Singur, where Tata Motors Ltd had almost finished building its small-car factory, the railway ministry wants to set up a coach manufacturing facility despite legal complexities arising from railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s stance on forcible land acquisition in Singur.

The Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress—West Bengal’s main opposition party, which protested the land acquisition and forced Tata Motors to move its small-car factory from Singur a little over a year ago—maintains that 400 acres of land must be returned to farmers who did not agree to sell land.

Returning land wouldn’t be easy and could lead to legal wrangling between the state and the erstwhile owners of the acquired plot, according to state government officials.

“What is more, the state hasn’t yet terminated the lease agreements with Tata Motors or any of its component suppliers,” said a state government official, who did not want to be identified. “So the coach factory in Singur, if at all it materializes, is years away.”

Banerjee was extremely vocal in Parliament and outside it about the still-born Sankrail project when Laloo Prasad was the railway minister, recall locals, but now Sankrail doesn’t feature in the long list of things that she has promised to do in and for her home state, alleges Ajoy Bar, a member of Sankrail gram panchayat, or village council.

“In fact, recently she was to visit Sankrail and address the people here on her way to Shalimar railway yard, only 12km away, but she changed her plan in the 11th hour and didn’t turn up at all,” he added.

In 1981, the local people sold their land for the goods terminal project for as little as Rs4,000 a bigha, which is one-third of an acre; the current price is around Rs40 lakh a bigha. “Yet, we gave our land because the railways had promised to offer job to at least one person in each affected family,” said Ganesh Chandra Bar, who sold close to two acres of land.

Bar, 70, now works as a security guard at the small railway shed at Sankrail when it has a wagon parked inside, earning Rs60 a day. “The shed isn’t used more than a couple of times a month, whereas what the railways had promised was one of the biggest goods terminals in the country,” he added.

Spokespersons for the railways, both in Delhi and Kolkata, refused to comment on the Sankrail project.

Let down by Banerjee, the residents of Sankrail have formed a forum to pressure the railways to immediately start construction of the proposed terminal. The forum, which isn’t affiliated to any political party, has been petitioning key government officials seeking intervention, and has even written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Ambika Banerjee, local Trinamool Congress leader and member of Parliament from Howrah, said he had discussed the Sankrail goods terminal with the railway minister. “We are trying to figure out what could be done… Our minister is abreast of the situation. However, I wouldn’t be able to comment on why nothing has been done for so many years.”

Crossposting from other thread.

Bulletin # 1 - City to get new rail terminal at Anand Vihar Dec. 19 '09
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Anand Vihar Station opened for public
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:applause: It will help, now just one airport needed close by.

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/New-catering-policy-to-end-monopoly-of-pantry-car-contractors/Article1-488602.aspx)
Come January 2010, Railways will not allow a caterer to serve in more than 10 trains.

"A contractor will not be given contract for more than 10 pantry cars as per the new catering policy to be announced next month," said a senior Railway Ministry official.

The new policy is aimed at ending monopoly of a few contractors who are cornering majority of the pantry car contracts, he said.

Currently, there are 400 trains including Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express which have pantry car facilities.

The move comes in the wake of widespread complaints regarding quality of food served in trains. Though Railways have initiated several steps, situation has remained more or less the same.

"Currently a contractor can handle more than 30 pantry cars. The aim of the new policy is to improve the efficiency of service providers by restricting it to only 10," said the official.

IRCTC, responsible for catering management in Railway premises, has introduced toll free number and SMS facilities for registering complaints against catering services in trains and stations.

"We have terminated contracts of seven contractors and imposed penalties of Rs 60 lakh on about 30 contractors on the basis of passenger complaints," the official said, adding the complaints vary from bad service, overcharging, poor quality and less quantity of food.

Got this in my email. Perhaps it is time to complain about the railways and its infrastructure/service.


New Initiative of Govt. of INDIA


Government of India has an online Grievance forum at http://www.pgportal.gov.in

Can you imagine this is happening in INDIA ?

The govt. wants people to use this tool to highlight the problems they faced while dealing with Government officials or departments like

1) Railways
2) Posts
3) Telecom (incl. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) & Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL )
4) Urban Development ( Delhi Development Authority (DDA) , Land & Development Office (L&DO) , Central Public Works Department (CPWD) , etc)
5) Petroleum & Natural Gas
6) Civil Aviation ( Air India , Airports Authority of India , etc)
7) Shipping , Road Transport & Highways
8) Tourism
9) Public Sector Banks
Allahabad Bank Andhra Bank Bank of Baroda Bank of India Bank of Maharashtra Canara Bank Central Bank of India Corporation Bank Dena Bank Indian Bank Indian Overseas Bank Industrial Development Bank of India Ltd National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Oriental Bank of Commerce Punjab & Sind Bank Punjab National Bank Small Industries Development Bank of India State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur State Bank of Hyderabad State Bank of India State Bank of Indore State Bank of Mysore State Bank of Patiala State Bank of Travancore Syndicate Bank UCO Bank Union Bank of India United Bank of India Vijaya Bank
10) Public Sector Insurance Companies
GIC of India Life Insurance Corporation of India National Insurance Company Ltd. The New India Assurance Company Ltd. The Oriental Insurance Company Ltd. United India Insurance Company Ltd.
11) National Saving Scheme of Ministry of Finance
12) Employees' Provident Fund Organization
13) Regional Passport Authorities
Regional Passport Office, Ahemadabad Regional Passport Office, Amritsar Regional Passport Office, Bangalore Regional Passport Office, Bareilly Regional Passport Office, Bhopal Regional Passport Office, Bhubaneswar Regional Passport Office, Chandigarh Regional Passport Office, Chennai Regional Passport Office, Cochin Regional Passport Office, Coimbatore Regional Passport Office, Dehradun Regional Passport Office, Delhi Regional Passport Office, Ghaziabad Regional Passport Office, Goa Regional Passport Office, Guwahati Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad Regional Passport Office, Jaipur Regional Passport Office, Jalandhar Regional Passport Office, Jammu Regional Passport Office, Kolkata Regional Passport Office, Kozhikode Regional Passport Office, Lucknow Regional Passport Office, Madurai Regional Passport Office, Malappuram Regional Passport Office, Mumbai Regional Passport Office, Nagpur Regional Passport Office, Patna Regional Passport Office, Pune Regional Passport Office, Raipur Regional Passport Office, Ranchi Regional Passport Office, Shimla Regional Passport Office, Srinagar Regional Passport Office, Surat Regional Passport Office, Thane Regional Passport Office, Trichy Regional Passport Office, Trivandrum Regional Passport Office, Visakhapatnam
14) Central Government Health Scheme
15) Central Board of Secondary Education
16) Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan
17) National Institute of Open Schooling
18) Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti
19) Central Universities
20) ESI Hospitals and Dispensaries directly controlled by ESI Corporation under Ministry of Labour

Many of us say that these things don't work in India .

Couple of months back, the Faridabad Municipal Corporation laid new roads in his area and the residents were very happy about it. But 2 weeks later, BSNL dug up the newly laid roads to install new cables which annoyed all the residents. A resident used the above listed grievance forum to highlight his concern. To his surprise, BSNL and Municipal Corporation of Faridabad were served a show cause notice and the guy received a copy of the notice in one week. Government has asked the MC and BSNL about the goof up as it's clear that both the government departments were not in sync at all.

So use this grievance forum and educate others who don't know about this facility. This way we can at least raise our concerns instead of just talking about the 'System' in India .

Invite your friends to contribute for many such happenings.

This news is 2 months old , not sure if it was posted ...

Source (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/manalileh-rail-link-crucial-for-combat-eventuality-with-china/524081/0)

After a review of the manifestation of concentration on the eastern border and the fresh threat perception from China, the Indian Army is looking at the Manali-Leh rail link as a crucial advantage point in the scenario of any combat operation.

The new General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC), Shimla, Lieutenant General A S Lamba, said: “The proposed Manali-Leh rail link can act as a vital alternative route for the Army and combat equipment transit in case of eventuality.” He said besides build-up of troupes on the eastern border, existence of such an alternative route would support the logistic capability of India, since China already had its rail infrastructure in Tibet.

Lamba took over as the GOC-in-C of ARTRAC on Thursday and was given a ceremonial guard of honour at the Annadale ground. The event coincided with 19th Raising Day of ARTRAC.

Lamba explained that earlier there used to be ample time cushion available to predict the warning signals of any threat from China, since a build-up on the east meant an exercise spread over two seasons from their side. “But with heavy infrastructure such as rail and road network coming up on their side, an attack could be a matter of a few hours for them,” he said.

Chief of Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor had earlier endorsed the proposal for an “all-weather rail link from security point of view” during one of his meetings with the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh at Shimla.

Talking to media about the shift from a Pakistan-centric approach on the front of preparedness, Lt Gen Lamba said: “After a review, it was felt that our preparedness cannot be complete in a scenario where the threats to developing nations are graduating from bi-polar to multi-polar. Just a look at Pakistan would not give us combat superiority, but if we look east (China) we would be able to take care of other possible threats too.”

He, however, added that threats from China were usually blown out of proportion and projected as larger than life, though it was not as difficult for the Indian Army to tackle it.

Source (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/shipping-/-transport/Only-way-to-grow-Railways-is-to-split-it/articleshow/5364065.cms)
Indian Railways’ vision document for the next decade envisages a cumulative investment of Rs 13.87 lakh crore by 2020 to achieve an annual revenue
growth of 10% over this period. An investment of this magnitude looks difficult unless there is a decisive break from the funding and level of investments made by the Railways.

The annual Plan of the Railways for 2009-10 amounted to Rs 40,745 crore. This would have to increase 25% every year for the Railways to achieve the investment target of Rs 13.87 lakh crore over the next 10 years. Considering that only about 40% of the annual Plan for 2009-10 is funded through internal resources, the Railways would have to rely extensively on external funds to meet the investment needs.

The Railways has sought Rs 5 lakh crore from the government via an Accelerated Rail Development Fund to meet 36% funding for this ambitious plan. It expects to raise the balance 64% through internal surplus, prudent borrowing and public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives.

To provide this kind of support is going to be difficult for the government that is already running a fiscal deficit of 6.8% of GDP and needs to tighten its belt. Borrowings are not feasible either, given the low surplus the Railways earns. The bulk of the funds have to, therefore, come from private investments. However, attracting such investment has not been easy because of the way the Railways operates.

Passenger services corner the bulk of the resources, but the Railways ends up making losses on it, which are subsidised by the freight business.

The way out is to corporatise the Railways and split it into three separate companies—infrastructure operator, freight operator and passenger services operator. The infrastructure company could focus on creating the infrastructure for running trains and charge a fee to the passenger and freight companies for using its network.

Such an arrangement would allow the infrastructure company to raise both equity and debt funds as clarity over revenues would help attract private investors. Some projects could even be executed on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

Meanwhile, a separate passenger business would allow more transparent delivery of subsidy. The government would then be free to fix tariffs taking into consideration the need for affordable travel to a vast section of the population. The losses on account of tariffs being below cost could then be met directly from the budget. The transparency in subsidy will also serve to keep a check on it.

The arrangement will free up the freight business, allowing it to be run on commercial consideration. Because of the need to subsidise passenger business, freight rates cannot be brought down, leaving the Railways to focus on commodities where it has less competition from road transport, coal for one.

Once that constraint is gone, the freight entity will be able to plan its operations better. Since freight is already viable business, attracting private investments would become even easier. The investment requirement that look huge can be broken down this way into parts and tackled more easily.

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.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Rail-e-tickets-grow-in-popularity/articleshow/5367063.cms)
Ludhiana: 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.

A railway employee said earlier commuters used to hesitate from buying e-tickets because the identity proof used to book the pass was required to be presented while travelling. However, the department later loosened up a bit by allowing commuters to present other ID proofs as well. “Now it’s so easy to plan the journey over the internet. There are no long queues and rude clerks. Moreover, it has put an end to the menace of touts,” said a regular train traveller.

Chief regional manager of IRCTC Aneet Dullat said, “Passengers have shown a clear preference for e-booking. There has been a 40% increase in the number of tickets sold per day.”

Another commuter, Harmeet, added, “It’s not practical to visit the reservation centre every time. Thus, the net is such a boon.” He asked authorities to nip the problem of fraudulent agents in the bud, saying this problem was often faced by those using the net to reserve tickets.

Source (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Train-with-low-fares-for-unemployed-persons-to-be-launched/557868/)
New Delhi The 'Yuva' class of trains, which will be launched soon, will charge a minimum ticket rate of Rs 299 and a maximum of Rs 399 and unemployed persons, of younger generation as well as other passengers, can travel in these trains.
"The fare for 'Yuva' passengers inclusive of all charges like reservation fee, super-fast charge and development charge would not exceed Rs 299 up to a distance of 1,500 kms and Rs 399 for distance beyond 1,500 up to 2,500 kms," said a railway spokesperson.

Initially two separate weekly trains will be introduced as a pilot service from Mumbai to Delhi and Delhi to Kolkata. If successful, it will be extended to other areas of the country, he said.

The 'Yuva' train fares will be applicable to unemployed persons between the age group of 15 to 45 years.

He said children of 5 years and above but below 12 years will be continued to be charged half fare.

Initially, the spokesperson said, 60 per cent of the total number of coaches will be earmarked for `Yuva category.

The remaining will be earmarked for general passengers, and this will be reviewed after 6 months of introduction of trains.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced in this year's Railway Budget about the introduction of such trains.

Source (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=56390)UNEMPLOYED YOUTH OF 15-45 YEARS TO BE ELIGIBLE

‘YUVA TRAINS’ TO BE FULLY AIRCONDITIONED WITH CHAIR CAR

FARE TO VARY BETWEEN RS.299 AND RS. 399

PILOT ‘YUVA TRAINS’ TO BE INTRODUCED SOON
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19:16 IST
The Ministry of Railways has finalized the salient features of the first ever ‘Yuva Trains’ which are targeted mainly for the unemployed youths of the country. These new class of trains are to be introduced soon. Initially two separate weekly trains will be introduced as a pilot service between Mumbai to Delhi and Delhi to Kolkata. If successful it will be extended to other areas of the country.

The Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee in her Railway Budget 2009-10 speech has announced as under about these trains:- “The young generation is our asset and we are proud of them. Due to economic difficulties poor youth are not able to travel on our trains. I will run “Yuva Trains” dedicated specially for the young generation. These trains will be introduced between major cities to ensure that the youth and low income groups can travel at low rates between these cities. The new low-priced fast train service will be started to connect youth in rural hinterlands to major metros/cities.”

The total chargeable fare for Yuva passengers inclusive of all other charges like Reservation Fee, Superfast Train Charge and Development Charge would not exceed Rs.299/- up to a distance of 1500 kms and Rs. 399/- for distance beyond 1500 up to 2500 kms. Minimum distance for charge will be 100 kms for both Yuva and Non-Yuva passengers. Children of 5 years and above but below 12 years will continue to be charged half fare.

The ‘Yuva Train’ fares will be applicable to unemployed persons between the age group of 15 to 45 years who fulfill the criteria of Yuva to be ascertained on the basis of Certificate issued under National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) and valid Registration card issued by a Government run Employment Exchange. Tickets will be issued on production of original of any of the above certificates at the counter, a photocopy of which should be retained along with reservation requisition as in the case of other concessions. Tatkal scheme would not be applicable in ‘Yuva Trains’.

In case the above certificates do not specify age, an age certificate like Identity Card, Ration Card, Driving License., Pass Port, educational Certificate, Certificate from Local Bodies like Panchayat/Corporation/Municipalty or any other authentic and recognized document on which date of birth is recorded, must also be carried in original.

Initially, 60 per cent of the total number of coaches will be earmarked for ‘Yuva’ category. The remaining will be earmarked for general passengers (non-Yuva). This will be reviewed after 6 months of introduction of trains. Normal cancellation rules will be applicable for the train. The detailed guidelines about the reservation procedures have been communicated to Zonal Railways.

Source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/delhi-ncr-cities-to-be-linked-by-dedicated-suburban-rail/380368/)
The Union government will be forming a shell company with the state governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan to take the National Capital Region to the next stage of inter-city transportation. A memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed shortly, to be followed by registration of the company.

The shell company will be installing dedicated rail links between Delhi and NCR cities for fast movement, at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore (excluding rolling stock) on the lines of the Mumbai suburban rail system. The project will include laying of dedicated tracks, property development to part-fund the cost and connectivity with other modes of transport.

The three links finalised for being taken on by the proposed company, based on ridership estimates, are Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurgaon-Rewari-Alwar and Delhi-Sonepat-Panipat.

While Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad that adjoin Delhi are already being linked by a metro link with the Capital, places like Panipat, Sonepat, Alwar and Meerut, will be connected to Delhi through the proposed railway system. The rail links will integrate with the metro network that has already come up in the city.

A task force under Union urban development secretary M Ramachandran and with representation from the ministries of road transport and highways and railways, besides the four state governments, has recently given a report on the proposed rail systems. The NCR Planning Board has taken up the report. “Approval from all the governments will be taken for capital investment so that a company can be registered. Once the company is formed, a detailed project report (DPR) to work out the exact cost will be commissioned,” Ramachandran told Business Standard.

Explaining the concept, the secretary said since it was not cost-effective to extend metro systems to cities that are far from Delhi, dedicated railway lines would be laid parallel to the existing rail links which currently serve both the long-distance and inter-city trains. The railway tracks will be dedicated and the Railways will decide whether the existing DMUs and EMUs that run between Delhi and these cities will operate on the existing tracks or the new ones.

He said issues like financing, availability of land along the existing tracks and integration of the system with the metro network needed to be examined. “Besides, we have to see whether these trains should terminate at the existing railway stations or the metro stations can be used for the purpose,” added Ramachandran.

Ahmedabad: The fully air-conditioned, non-stop Duranto Express train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai will be started from December 24. Officials of the Western Railways, Ahmedabad division, said the train will be inaugurated in Mumbai on Thursday.
They will take just seven hours to reach Mumbai at 6:15 am the following morning. The train will be the fastest on this route.
The sources said that while the fare for an AC chair car in the Shatabdi Express is around Rs635 per head, a ticket in the Duranto will cost around Rs600.
However, the timings of the train and its fare structure could not be confirmed from official sources.The officials also could not say who would inaugurate the train. Sources said the officials were informed about the Ahmedabad-Mumbai Duronto's inauguration late on Monday night.

While our Railway Netas/Babus/Officials muddle through myopic plans and poor implementation like Duranto or some other blissfully silly program, China leapfrogs everyone...

The Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway cut the 1,068.6 km journey to three hours from the previous 10 and a half hours, reaching a maximum speed of 394.2 km per hour.

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00019/AVN26_WUHAN_19765f.jpg

The average of high-speed rail ways is 243 km per hour in Japan, 232 km per hour in Germany and 277 km per hour in France.


World's fastest rail journey starts operation (http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/article70723.ece)


The question is when can Indian Citizens expect to cut their average travel time down to a few hours. Business would love to have access to fast travel times. Imagine if the travel from Chennai to Bengaluru is cut down to 1 hr or less. People could live in any one of these places and work at the other city daily. If Delhi to Mumbai were within 2 hrs then businesses along the Mumbai-Delhi corridor will be super efficient. The economy instantly benefits. All it takes is some bold investments and implementation by the Indian Railways.

While our Railway Netas/Babus/Officials muddle through myopic plans and poor implementation like Duranto or some other blissfully silly program, China leapfrogs everyone...

The Wuhan-Guangzhou high-speed railway cut the 1,068.6 km journey to three hours from the previous 10 and a half hours, reaching a maximum speed of 394.2 km per hour.

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00019/AVN26_WUHAN_19765f.jpg

The average of high-speed rail ways is 243 km per hour in Japan, 232 km per hour in Germany and 277 km per hour in France.


World's fastest rail journey starts operation (http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/article70723.ece)


The question is when can Indian Citizens expect to cut their average travel time down to a few hours. Business would love to have access to fast travel times. Imagine if the travel from Chennai to Bengaluru is cut down to 1 hr or less. People could live in any one of these places and work at the other city daily. If Delhi to Mumbai were within 2 hrs then businesses along the Mumbai-Delhi corridor will be super efficient. The economy instantly benefits. All it takes is some bold investments and implementation by the Indian Railways.

Dear Barrykul

A student who stands first in the class is considered hardworking and intelligent. He is praised by all. But that doesnt mean that people who come 4th or 5th are idiots or are good for nothing ...right?

China launching bullet train is an excellent piece of infrastructure but India launching a Duranto or Rajdhani is cannot be considered stupid or myopic by anyone.

China also has much more budget to spend on all these initiatives. India's fiscal position is no where near China and this of course makes a difference.

Source (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=56390)UNEMPLOYED YOUTH OF 15-45 YEARS TO BE ELIGIBLE

‘YUVA TRAINS’ TO BE FULLY AIRCONDITIONED WITH CHAIR CAR

FARE TO VARY BETWEEN RS.299 AND RS. 399

PILOT ‘YUVA TRAINS’ TO BE INTRODUCED SOON
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

19:16 IST
The Ministry of Railways has finalized the salient features of the first ever ‘Yuva Trains’ which are targeted mainly for the unemployed youths of the country. These new class of trains are to be introduced soon. Initially two separate weekly trains will be introduced as a pilot service between Mumbai to Delhi and Delhi to Kolkata. If successful it will be extended to other areas of the country.

The Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee in her Railway Budget 2009-10 speech has announced as under about these trains:- “The young generation is our asset and we are proud of them. Due to economic difficulties poor youth are not able to travel on our trains. I will run “Yuva Trains” dedicated specially for the young generation. These trains will be introduced between major cities to ensure that the youth and low income groups can travel at low rates between these cities. The new low-priced fast train service will be started to connect youth in rural hinterlands to major metros/cities.”

The total chargeable fare for Yuva passengers inclusive of all other charges like Reservation Fee, Superfast Train Charge and Development Charge would not exceed Rs.299/- up to a distance of 1500 kms and Rs. 399/- for distance beyond 1500 up to 2500 kms. Minimum distance for charge will be 100 kms for both Yuva and Non-Yuva passengers. Children of 5 years and above but below 12 years will continue to be charged half fare.

The ‘Yuva Train’ fares will be applicable to unemployed persons between the age group of 15 to 45 years who fulfill the criteria of Yuva to be ascertained on the basis of Certificate issued under National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) and valid Registration card issued by a Government run Employment Exchange. Tickets will be issued on production of original of any of the above certificates at the counter, a photocopy of which should be retained along with reservation requisition as in the case of other concessions. Tatkal scheme would not be applicable in ‘Yuva Trains’.

In case the above certificates do not specify age, an age certificate like Identity Card, Ration Card, Driving License., Pass Port, educational Certificate, Certificate from Local Bodies like Panchayat/Corporation/Municipalty or any other authentic and recognized document on which date of birth is recorded, must also be carried in original.

Initially, 60 per cent of the total number of coaches will be earmarked for ‘Yuva’ category. The remaining will be earmarked for general passengers (non-Yuva). This will be reviewed after 6 months of introduction of trains. Normal cancellation rules will be applicable for the train. The detailed guidelines about the reservation procedures have been communicated to Zonal Railways.

^^ :cheers: :banana:

Dear Barrykul

A student who stands first in the class is considered hardworking and intelligent. He is praised by all. But that doesnt mean that people who come 4th or 5th are idiots or are good for nothing ...right?

China launching bullet train is an excellent piece of infrastructure but India launching a Duranto or Rajdhani is cannot be considered stupid or myopic by anyone.

China also has much more budget to spend on all these initiatives. India's fiscal position is no where near China and this of course makes a difference.

PK Aggarwal, thank you for your considered response. Coming 4th or 5th does not excite me, considering the fact that I have scholastically been 1st in class many times. But that is besides the point. India has the resources to be number 1 in the world and that is my belief. Given the abject strategic planning, squandering of money, lackadasical attitudes, (just recently some Governor from UP was sleeping with women instead of doing his job as head of state) and incompetent netas/babus, Indian Railways has taken many mis-steps. It has treated the common Indian population as idiots not deserving of first rate service. Indian citizens crave the same features as elsewhere and they deserve such facilities. Upgrading national services is one way to progress. These are not beyond the realm and capabilities of the people of India. Witness the Tata Nano - a trail blazer completely conceived by Indian talent. It is highly possible for Indians to create a high speed railway system that is leading edge and cost effective. The repurcussions on the economy due to fast travel is immense. Whatever money is spent on such infrastructure will be more than repaid many times over. All it requires is a will and purpose.

PK Aggarwal, thank you for your considered response. Coming 4th or 5th does not excite me, considering the fact that I have scholastically been 1st in class many times. But that is besides the point. India has the resources to be number 1 in the world and that is my belief. Given the abject strategic planning, squandering of money, lackadasical attitudes, (just recently some Governor from UP was sleeping with women instead of doing his job as head of state) and incompetent netas/babus, Indian Railways has taken many mis-steps. It has treated the common Indian population as idiots not deserving of first rate service. Indian citizens crave the same features as elsewhere and they deserve such facilities. Upgrading national services is one way to progress. These are not beyond the realm and capabilities of the people of India. Witness the Tata Nano - a trail blazer completely conceived by Indian talent. It is highly possible for Indians to create a high speed railway system that is leading edge and cost effective. The repurcussions on the economy due to fast travel is immense. Whatever money is spent on such infrastructure will be more than repaid many times over. All it requires is a will and purpose.

and some billions.

Railways take a right step towards commodities



NEW DELHI (Commodity Online): Very soon your freight charges will be directly related to price index of the commodities you dispatch. Indian Railways has taken the first step towards this step, which includes various other factors as well including that of prices on the derivatives exchanges.

Essentially this means a higher demand makes higher freight charges and lower the demand, the index will automatically come down lowering the freight as well.

Indian Railways is one of the biggest carrier of basic commodities in India and its freight rates puts a lot of difference to the way prices will now be determined. 833 million tonnes of freight was carried during 2008-09 earning more than Rs 50,000 crore.

Iron ore, food grains, cement, petroleum products are just some of the important price index commodities Railways carry.

Initially, calculation will be a little ambiguous but Railway sources say, this will be centralized and put into software, which will calculate automatically taking live index benchmarks.

It is yet to ascertain whether this dynamic pricing will be detrimental to growing freight movements on rails since road transportation is another alternative dispatchers may opt for if freight charges are not competitive.

But all said and done – whether this move fails or succeeds – the public utility service has shown that it is open to change, and change for good.

Source:- http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Railways-take-a-right-step-towards-commodities-24198-3-1.html

Flying with railways: IRCTC hawking air tickets, too


New Delhi: In what may be called a gravity-defying business proposition, you can now fly with the Indian Railways. The railways ministry-controlled Indian Railways Tourism and Catering Corporation (IRCTC) has begun selling air tickets to passengers as part of its holiday tour packages.

“Train journeys are often long and can be very tiresome for passengers, especially those who are going on vacation to relax. So, we have decided to give them the option of flying instead of traveling by rail,” an IRCTC official told FE.

While the rail PSU has been offering air travel in its international tour packages to destinations like Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai for some time, it is now providing the option for domestic circuits as well. So, now IRCTC users can buy air tickets for travelling to Tirupati, Goa and Srinagar, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Overall, there are 11 destinations (including international and domestic) where passengers can get air tickets.

But despite the obvious paradox of a rail PSU selling air tickets, for IRCTC, it makes good business sense. As part of its holiday packages, it provides accommodation, sight seeing and local transport apart from air or rail tickets. “We make a margin of about 15% to 20% through hotel reservations and on sight seeing,” the official explained.

While the official conceded that the profit margins would be higher in rail tickets, the option of providing air travel attracts more passengers, especially for distant destinations like Tirupati, the Andamans and Lakshadweep. IRCTC is looking at extending air tickets to other domestic destinations as well, but will do so after gauging the initial response.

So far, the catering and tourism PSU has been successfully running the railways’ online ticketing facility and offering special rail tour packages. But with the railway ministry taking over its lucrative catering business recently, IRCTC has been forced to explore fresh revenue sources. In 2007-08, departmental and licensee catering brought it over Rs 448 crore in revenue compared to around Rs 49 crore from internet ticketing and packaged tours.

Source:- http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Flying-with-railways--IRCTC-hawking-air-tickets--too/557951/

Rail tickets: Booking through mobiles three months away

LUDHIANA: Commuters would have to wait for another three months before they are in a position to book tickets through their mobile phones. After
accepting a proposal in this connection, railway board has asked Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to work on the scheme. Railway officials have implemented certain changes in the scheme that was forwarded to them in May.
It was earlier proposed that commuters should be able to book their tickets through mobile phones. As things have been set up, after getting confirmation of the ticket, IRCTC would send customers a message telling them the seat and berth number and there would then be no need for the ticket to take things from there, because that message would suffice for the purpose. Tickets are however considered important because their absence could cause problems during the journey. Therefore, passengers would be required to get the ticket from railway stations.

Sources said railway authorities were set to take a step forward in the e-ticket business. Under this new facility, passengers will have to book their tickets with IRCTC. In return, they would get information related to their compartment and berth in the train through an SMS. And they would get their tickets at the railway station from where they would undertake their journey. The scheme would enable the traveller to book his ticket in advance, but for that, the commuter would need to have Java-enabled handsets so as to be able to access internet services.

Giving information, Aneet Dullat, chief regional manager, IRCTC, said it would take another three months for the scheme to take off in the region as they are working on directions sent in by board officials. He further said being able to book tickets through mobile phones would be immensely convenient because these days, there is an overwhelming number of people having access to mobiles. Moreover, it would help in reducing the pressure on reservation centres.

“The facility enabling us to make bookings through mobile phones would definitely be beneficial for us. It would mean reservation would be at our finger-tips,” said Harman, a commuter. “But the authorities should bear in mind that there should be no hassle for commuters when ticket-checkers conduct checks in trains as was witnessed when e-ticket was launched,” he added.

Source:- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Rail-tickets-Booking-through-mobiles-three-months-away/articleshow/5378975.cms

Container freight traffic to rise 16-fold by '12

At present, containerised rail movement is limited to a penetration of about 2 per cent in the overall freight market of three billion tonnes. With Container Corporation of India Ltd (Concor) and private operators set to increase capacity by nearly 60 per cent by 2011-12, containerised cargo being moved by rail will increase to 97 million tonnes from the present six million tonnes.

With this rise, says the document, nearly six per cent of cargo presently moved via road will shift to being transported by rail. To handle the projected additional business, container rail operators plan to add 185 rakes in the next three years.

Arshiya International, for instance, which has six rakes, has plans to scale up to 30 rakes over the next two years. Gateway Distriparks is inducting three rakes in the next two months. This will take the total number of rakes being operated by the company to 21. Concor, the market leader, having carried 2.3 million TEUs of containerised cargo last financial year, already has a fleet size of 218 rakes.

The report notes that the container rail business is capital-intensive and requires long gestation. “However, once a company achieves a level to attain economies of scale in terms of rail sidings and rakes, as also volumes, returns are typically quite high (and can be in excess of 15 per cent of capital employed).”

Container traffic in the country has grown at a compounded annual growth rate of 15 per cent since 1991, due to growth in external trade. Since Indian Railways opened the sector to private operators in 2005, 15 players, including Adani Logistics and Reliance Infrastructure, have entered the market. Blackstone Group recently invested Rs 300 crore in GDL to fund business expansion plans.

Source:- http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/container-freight-traffic-to-rise-16-fold-by-/12-report/380675/

PK Aggarwal, thank you for your considered response. Coming 4th or 5th does not excite me, considering the fact that I have scholastically been 1st in class many times. But that is besides the point. India has the resources to be number 1 in the world and that is my belief. Given the abject strategic planning, squandering of money, lackadasical attitudes, (just recently some Governor from UP was sleeping with women instead of doing his job as head of state) and incompetent netas/babus, Indian Railways has taken many mis-steps. It has treated the common Indian population as idiots not deserving of first rate service. Indian citizens crave the same features as elsewhere and they deserve such facilities. Upgrading national services is one way to progress. These are not beyond the realm and capabilities of the people of India. Witness the Tata Nano - a trail blazer completely conceived by Indian talent. It is highly possible for Indians to create a high speed railway system that is leading edge and cost effective. The repurcussions on the economy due to fast travel is immense. Whatever money is spent on such infrastructure will be more than repaid many times over. All it requires is a will and purpose.



Dear Barrykul,

Bill Gates become a billionaire at the age of 21 . Why arent you as successful as Bill Gates? Leave Bill Gates have you been 4th or 5th on any list ( Something which doesnt excite you) ?? Anyways thats a different issue.

India ofcourse lags behind in infrastructure ...but there are things like proper sanitation, power, roads etc which require immediate attention. A person who wishes to travel that fast can take a airplane. May be thats the reason why even US doesnt have a high speed train system. Does that mean they are short sighted ??

India ofcourse lags behind in infrastructure ...but there are things like proper sanitation, power, roads etc which require immediate attention.

Good points!

A person who wishes to travel that fast can take a airplane. May be thats the reason why even US doesnt have a high speed train system. Does that mean they are short sighted ??

Air travel is very expensive for the normal aam admi of India. The reasons for the US not having high speed train and other public transport systems is well documented. GM and the Oil lobby killed the system. Today, there is a rethink about high speed train systems. The US West Coast may get such a system very soon.

Dear Aggarwal, the US is never short sighted. They plan for strategic dominance from day one, everything they do is to make themselves pre-eminent in the world.

Dear Barrykul

A student who stands first in the class is considered hardworking and intelligent. He is praised by all. But that doesnt mean that people who come 4th or 5th are idiots or are good for nothing ...right?

China launching bullet train is an excellent piece of infrastructure but India launching a Duranto or Rajdhani is cannot be considered stupid or myopic by anyone.

China also has much more budget to spend on all these initiatives. India's fiscal position is no where near China and this of course makes a difference.

In 1969 itself India had track capacity for MPS as 140KMPH and average speed for those Rajdhani remained around 80KMPH. Nothing great difference between 1969 to 2009. Infact many section like Chennai-Madurai, where an Intercity train like Vaigai express covered 500KM in 7hrs with an average speed of 71KMPH in 1970's got slashed to 63KMPH doing same distance in 7hrs 55min in 2009. These are many such sections! And we have not seen any improvement in MPS from 1969-2009 like other developing countries.

Rajdhani is 1969 concept. Duranto is nothing but another slow train with same speed of GR or other conventional trains.

China had upgraded many of its tracks to 100KMPH MPS in 2000, 2003 to 200KMPH and now this new Guangzhou-Wuhan has 390KMPH MPS! And in another 3years Beijing to Honk Kong will overnight train journey of 7hrs.

So Indian railways is still in 1969 MPS? 40 years rolled off.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/surat/Surat-Mumbai-holiday-express-train-from-Dec-29/articleshow/5382500.cms)
SURAT: Taking first step towards merging Mumbai's commuter traffic with Surat, Western Railway will run a holiday express train for a month, which will daily make two trips between the two cities.

This fully air-conditioned (AC) train will begin its run from Surat station on December 29. The train service will continue until January 27. "If we get good response, then we may convert it into a regular train," said station master, Surat railway station, FA Sheikh.

The train will have 13 AC chair car and one chair car coach. The fare would be that of a super fast AC chair car.

"Of the two trips per day, the first trip will be up to Bandra and the second one up to Vasai. This train will leave Surat at 6 am for Bandra and will reach there in three hours. It will return to Surat at 2 pm and depart for Vasai at 3 pm in the afternoon. It will arrive from Vasai to Surat at 9.15 pm. In both the trips, the train will have stoppages at Vapi and Virar only," he said.

Public relations officer of Western Railway T Gajanan said, "This is our attempt to make intra-city travel as comfortable as possible. This route requires trains as the number of commuters has grown. The train will be a blessing for the executives, businessmen and officers."

"Surat is linked to Mumbai more than Ahmedabad because of economic activities. Therefore, trains like this are need of the hour," said an official of Surat railway station.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ahmedabad/Ahmedabad-div-seeks-daily-Duronto-run/articleshow/5379225.cms)
AHMEDABAD: Mumbai-Ahmedabad Duronto seems to have conquered the heart of commuters in its maiden run. The train's popularity can be gauged by the fact that its next trip, scheduled for Sunday, has already been completely booked. The commuters' response has prompted the authorities at Ahmedabad railway division to request the railway ministry to run this particular Duronto daily.

The Gujarat Mail, earlier the fastest daily train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, has now been relegated to second spot in the popularity charts. Senior railway officials here said that following the volume of bookings generated in just two days, the rail division has decided to send a proposal to the ministry to increase the frequency of the train's running and run it daily instead of three days in a week.

After it was launched with 82% occupancy on Thursday, a ticket to board Duronto is now available only on January 5. For the train's Sunday trip, the wait list for 3rd AC on Friday evening was 68, while for the december 29 trip, the 3rd AC wait list is 0.

In comparison, the wait list for 3rd AC in Gujarat Mail is a little shorter -- 49 for the Sunday trip, and 29 for the trip on December 29.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uday Shanker Jha said the overall occupancy in the maiden run of Duronto was 82%, but it was 100% for 3rd AC and the economy class.

Officials here said the ministry would take up the Ahmedabad rail division's demand in the next railway budget.

Rakesh Shah, a businessman, said, "I had earlier booked a berth for Mumbai in Gujarat Mail for December 29. But soon Duronto was launched, so I cancelled my earlier reservation and opted for a berth in the newly-launched train."

Shah said he liked Duronto because it was the fastest on the route and had no stoppage between the two stations. Also, the charges for a 3rd AC berth in Duronto are Rs 54 less than that in the Gujarat Mail.

The most-sought-after, however, are the tickets for the third AC economy class. Dharmesh Barot, another businessman, said the economy class fare was Rs 490 which was very affordable and also convenient.

ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/Mamatas-rail-chugs-along-with-hiccups/articleshow/5386968.cms)
NEW DELHI: It was not a smooth ride for the Railways in 2009 with accidents, derailments and hijacking of the prestigious Rajdhani train affecting its functioning even as Minister Mamata Banerjee's frequent absence from Railway Board invited criticism from some quarters.

During the fag end of the year, she tabled a 'white paper' in Parliament on Railways financial health which dismissed her predecessor Lalu Prasad's claim of an impressive turnaround during his tenure.

While Lalu dismissed the 'white paper' as a 'black paper', Mamata maintained that Railways' performance during 2004-09 was "below par".

Notwithstanding this, Railways earnings registered a steady growth with about nine per cent rise till November, earning Rs 55,586.69 crore as compared to Rs 51,117.55 crore during the same period last year.

But despite the growth in earnings, accidents happened with alarming regularity, raising concerns about passengers safety.

In October, 22 people were killed and as many injured near Mathura station when Goa Express hit the stationary Mewar Express from behind. In less than a fortnight following the mishap, another accident near Jaipur claimed seven lives when Jodhpur-Delhi superfast derailed.

Mamata's frequent absence from the Railway Board and spending maximum time in West Bengal also drew flak from her critics. However, an unfazed Mamata maintained that she was discharging her responsibility dutifully and "it was not important whether I am in Delhi or Kolkata".

In order to clean up the system, Mamata replaced chairmen of all 12 Railway Recruitment Boards across the country. There were complaints of irregularities in recruitment process in RRBs.

The large number of vacant posts in key departments including safety and signalling also were a cause of concern for railways.

The launching of Duronto trains connecting Metro cities, a first of its kind non-stop superfast with Rajdhani like facilities, became an instant hit with passengers.

There were five Duronto trains out of 14 announced in Rail Budget launched so far.

However, though announced in the budget, the low fare Yuva trains, between Delhi-Mumbai and Mumbai-Kolkata, are yet to be launched. The train with AC chair car facility offer a fare of Rs 299 for 1,500 km and Rs 399 for beyond that.

Railways also witnessed formation of several committees - six to be precise - in the year. While High-Power Monitoring Committee on implementation of railway projects, Expert Committee, Heritage Committee and another expert panel on use of ICT in Railways were formed for the first time, the PSU also revamped Passenger Amenities Committee and Passenger Services Committee.

Passengers Services Committee recommended for launch a dedicated railway television channel. The Heritage Committee is keen on setting up film cities on railway land.

The liquidity crunch in the real estate sector has hit Indian Railways’ efforts to lease out surplus land for commercial development on public-private partnership. Last week, the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA) cancelled the bidding process for developing a private residential complex at Sarai Rohilla in Delhi. A senior official at RLDA said, “The developer at Sarai Rohilla was repeatedly deferring the date for making the upfront payment for the plot. We have decided to drop the tender for the project.”

The site, spread over 11 hectares, had been offered last April for constructing a residential complex with facilities such as a shopping complex and health care centres. The reserve price had been set at Rs 675 crore.

The official added, “Due to the credit crunch in the real estate sector, we are not being able to get the reserve price we are quoting for our plots. We have specifically decided to take a relook at the sites which had been identified for residential use. The matter is now under the consideration of the Railway Board.” This decision has also put a question mark on the 39-hectare residential complex project proposed at Nirala Nagar, Kanpur.

Plans to build retail space at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh have run aground, with the company which had won the contract forfeiting the bid security because it cannot go ahead with the purchase of the land. It is the same story at Bandra, Mumbai, where a 4.5-hectare plot had been put up for bids. RLDA had brought down the reserve price to Rs 3,960 crore from the initial Rs 4,628 crore at Bandra, but the project had found only one taker (DLF). The tender process there has now been put on hold, because of a dispute with local authorities on ownership.

Of the 12 sites, spanning 80 hectares, a development agreement has been signed for a solitary location at Gwalior. Commercial real estate development, which includes facilities for organized retail, shopping malls, food plazas and an entertainment zone, is being considered for the site.

Another agreement is expected to be concluded soon for constructing hospitality and retail spaces at Bangalore. RLDA expects to rake in about Rs 60 crore from a one-time upfront payment from developers at these two locations.

RLDA had been set up in 2007 to commercially develop the surplus and unused land with the railways. Till date, from the 43,000 hectares in the railway land bank, 133 sites, spanning 1,500 hectares, have been entrusted to it by the ministry. Consultancy work for 51 sites is in progress, while another 70 plots are under inspection. However, with the real estate sector continuing to remain in the red, the projects have not made much headway.

Source: Business Standard

Not to hijack this thread. But was astonished to see this ("http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/dec/28/slide-show-1-china-unveils-the-worlds-fastest-train.htm') news.

Telegraph (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091229/jsp/business/story_11919587.jsp)
New Delhi, Dec. 28: India’s ambitious infrastructure project to develop economic hubs along the railway passage from Delhi to Mumbai took a big step forward with the signing of two agreements with Japan.

The first memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation and the Japan External Trade Organisation for the development of modern townships along the passage.

The other pact was between India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation for setting up a project development fund worth over Rs 1,000 crore for 24 industrial hubs.

A similar hub has been planned between Punjab’s Ludhiana and Dankuni near Calcutta, for which the government is negotiating a loan with the World Bank.

“The new township, which would come up on this (Delhi-Mumbai) corridor, will help the large populations that move to this region. This project will help us in the faster movement of goods through the corridor and will generate employment, infrastructure and have a huge multiplier effect for wealth generation,” said commerce minister Anand Sharma after the two sides signed the deals.

“The pact between the two countries is a confirmation of the political will of both countries to take forward our bilateral co-operation and to further consolidate our relationship,” he said.

Sources said Japan’s investment in the Delhi-Mumbai hubs, or industrial corridor, would be around $10 billion, spread over five years.

The industrial corridor will be built on either side of a freight corridor, also being supported by Japan. This is aligned along roughly the existing rail tracks — it begins at Tughlakabad and Dadri in the National Capital Region and ends at the Jawaharlal Nehru port in Navi Mumbai, passing through Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and parts of Maharashtra.

The freight corridor is estimated to cost Rs 26,000 crore.

The industrial corridor will have several supporting infrastructure projects such as power facilities and rail connectivity to ports. It will also cover the development of ports on the west coast.

Along this corridor, several industrial estates, special economic zones and clusters with high quality infrastructure are proposed to be developed to attract more investments, including from Japan.

The 24 hubs, which will utilise the money in the Project Development Fund, will consist of 13 investment regions and 11 industrial regions.

Source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/delhi-ncr-cities-to-be-linked-by-dedicated-suburban-rail/380368/)
The Union government will be forming a shell company with the state governments of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan to take the National Capital Region to the next stage of inter-city transportation. A memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed shortly, to be followed by registration of the company.

The shell company will be installing dedicated rail links between Delhi and NCR cities for fast movement, at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000 crore (excluding rolling stock) on the lines of the Mumbai suburban rail system. The project will include laying of dedicated tracks, property development to part-fund the cost and connectivity with other modes of transport.

The three links finalised for being taken on by the proposed company, based on ridership estimates, are Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurgaon-Rewari-Alwar and Delhi-Sonepat-Panipat.

While Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad that adjoin Delhi are already being linked by a metro link with the Capital, places like Panipat, Sonepat, Alwar and Meerut, will be connected to Delhi through the proposed railway system. The rail links will integrate with the metro network that has already come up in the city.

A task force under Union urban development secretary M Ramachandran and with representation from the ministries of road transport and highways and railways, besides the four state governments, has recently given a report on the proposed rail systems. The NCR Planning Board has taken up the report. “Approval from all the governments will be taken for capital investment so that a company can be registered. Once the company is formed, a detailed project report (DPR) to work out the exact cost will be commissioned,” Ramachandran told Business Standard.

Explaining the concept, the secretary said since it was not cost-effective to extend metro systems to cities that are far from Delhi, dedicated railway lines would be laid parallel to the existing rail links which currently serve both the long-distance and inter-city trains. The railway tracks will be dedicated and the Railways will decide whether the existing DMUs and EMUs that run between Delhi and these cities will operate on the existing tracks or the new ones.

He said issues like financing, availability of land along the existing tracks and integration of the system with the metro network needed to be examined. “Besides, we have to see whether these trains should terminate at the existing railway stations or the metro stations can be used for the purpose,” added Ramachandran.

The Shell Company will be called Regional Rapid Transit System.

Here some more info below

PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/444039_Fast-track-rail-corridors-in-the-offing-for-NCR-region)


Fast track rail corridors in the offing for NCR region
New Delhi, Dec 29 (PTI) The national capital will soon be better connected with neighbouring cities as the government is finalising dedicated rail corridors for the National Capital Region.

Termed as Regional Rapid Transit System, the three busiest routes being finalised to have dedicated corridors are Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurgaon-Rewari-Alwar and Delhi-Sonepat-Panipat at an estimated cost of Rs 5000 crores excluding the rolling stock.

"We will conduct a detailed feasibility study of these corridors on a priority basis," a senior Urban Development Ministry official said.

Urban Development Ministry is coordinating with the Railway Ministry and state governments of Delhi, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan to constitute the NCR Transport Corporation for implementation of the dedicated corridor project.

The Centre and the State will have equal equity of 50:50 in the project.

A MoU will be signed between the Centre and states shortly to form a separate company for the purpose.


I think RRTS should also include the Route of New Delhi - Faridabad- Palwal- Mathura. and also the Delhi Ring Railway . I did not see mention of this.

Source (http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/76942/World/Train+to+Bhutan+in+pipeline.html)
Soon you'll be able to hop on to a train from Hasimara in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district to visit Bhutan.

New Delhi and Thimphu agreed to conclude a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the earliest to connect the two countries by rail during the six-day state visit of Bhutan's young monarch, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

When completed, it will be the first railway network in the Himalayan state and yet another country in South Asia connected to India by rail.

A joint statement, issued in New Delhi on Saturday, said: "The two sides agreed to conclude the MoU for the establishment of the Golden Jubilee Rail Line by completing the requisite technical survey as soon as possible." The line will start from Hasimara in West Bengal and go through Satali, Bharna Bari and Dalsingpara to Toribari in Bhutan.

Last year, during his visit to Thimphu, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced the construction of the rail link commemorating former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's first visit to Bhutan 50 years ago. On one hand, while this link will connect Bhutan to the entire railway network of India, it will also facilitate New Delhi's development programmes in Bhutan, which borders China.

The first railway station in Bhutan will be developed at Toribari near the Pasakha industrial estate. Though the railway line was initially supposed to enter Phuentsholing, Toribari was finalised as it is feasible to have dry ports since it has vacant and flat land.

After the realignment, the Rail India Technical and Economical Services resumed surveying the routes towards the proposed new location from early August in 2009. They are expected to come up with a design of the station with actual route alignment in a few months.

The railways have also proposed to link Nepal from Nautanwa and Nepalganj Road in Uttar Pradesh as well as from New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal to Kakarbhitta in Nepal.

In 1969 itself India had track capacity for MPS as 140KMPH and average speed for those Rajdhani remained around 80KMPH. Nothing great difference between 1969 to 2009. Infact many section like Chennai-Madurai, where an Intercity train like Vaigai express covered 500KM in 7hrs with an average speed of 71KMPH in 1970's got slashed to 63KMPH doing same distance in 7hrs 55min in 2009. These are many such sections! And we have not seen any improvement in MPS from 1969-2009 like other developing countries.

Rajdhani is 1969 concept. Duranto is nothing but another slow train with same speed of GR or other conventional trains.

China had upgraded many of its tracks to 100KMPH MPS in 2000, 2003 to 200KMPH and now this new Guangzhou-Wuhan has 390KMPH MPS! And in another 3years Beijing to Honk Kong will overnight train journey of 7hrs.

So Indian railways is still in 1969 MPS? 40 years rolled off.

+1 for vaigai example.
But I feel High Speed rail is not need of the hour.
Cost of construction of a high speed rail track is atlest four times the construction of ord rail. Lets take Chennai - Bangalore route for e.g-
Shatabdi fare- Rs 510 (for CC)
So at lest high speed rail should charge Rs 2040 for meeting the cost of construction.Not to forget thet shtabdi is neither profit nor loss service for IR other ord services beibg loss( and cross subsided by goods).so for profitable running high speed service ahould charge even more.But airfares in the sector are in the same range.This makes the project not so attractive.I dont mean there will be no takers.But priority is ti maintain (if not improve) the existing service for e.g - The OLD DELHI Rly station is so bad that many ppl get bad impression on Delhi. (There will be many more examples like this).IR needs to do something seriously.And side by side they should aim on steadily improving the speed of conventional trains by strenghteinh the tracks.

Railways to upgrade 1,000 level crossings to check accidents


The Indian Railways will upgrade about 1,000 level crossings across the country to prevent accidents at unmanned inter-sections, Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa said Tuesday.

'Out of 1,600 level crossings across the country that require to be upgraded, about 1,000 of them will be taken up during fiscal 2010-11 to build railway over bridges or underpasses for ensuring safety of passengers and people,' Muniyappa told reporters here.

In Karnataka, 58 bridges with road over or under the rail tracks will be completed in the next two years.

'The state government has come forward to fund about 20 rail projects across the state under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The railway board will take up the project proposals next month to include as many of them in the railway budget for fiscal 2010-11,' Muniyappa said.

The railway ministry is waiting for environmental clearances to take up the Hubli-Ankola line, as a section of the route will pass through the rich bio-diverse Western Ghats region.

'Similarly, we will consider a new line between Bangalore and Satyamangalam on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border after the environment ministry gives nod, as the central empowerment committee raised objection due to the elephant corridor on the proposed route across the forest area,' the minister added.

Source:- http://sify.com/news/Railways-to-upgrade-1-000-level-crossings-to-check-accidents-news-jm3v4dgjcgc.html

Source:HT
The Mumbai-Delhi route has always been a cash cow for the railways with passenger volumes swelling every year.
Now, Northern Railway has launched another Special Rajdhani train from New Delhi to Mumbai Central to run twice a week. It will depart from New Delhi every Tuesday and Saturday. The train - a clone of Rajdhani expresses - will take around 20 hours to travel the distance.

Before this, the railways had introduced three Rajdhani Special trains this year - two from Hazrat Nizamuddin and a weekly one from New Delhi.

"The pressure on this sector is increasing. This sector is important for the business traveler as much as for tourists," said a senior Northern Railway official.

This year, the Delhi-Guwahati route, one of the longest sectors of the railways, had a DelhiGuwahati Rajdhani bi-weekly special train that ran packed to brim.

"We were encouraged by the response as we knew there was always takers for this kind of a product."

The train 0901 Mumbai Central-New Delhi Special Rajdhani Express train will depart from Mumbai Central every Monday and Friday from December 28 till January 11, 2010, at 3.45 p.m. to reach New Delhi at 10.20 a.m.
the next day.

On return, train 0902 New Delhi-Mumbai Special Rajdhani Express will depart from New Delhi every Tuesday and Saturday from December 29, 2009, to January 12, 2010, at 3.25 p.m. to arrive at Mumbai Central at 11.25 a.m. the next day.

The train will stop at Surat, Vadodara, Ratlam and Kota stations.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama on Tuesday pitched for introducing superfast bullet trains in India.
“Since its inception (in Japan), there has been no accidents. We will like to see this technology being used in India,” Hatoyama said here.
Official sources said the proposal was under discussion and the Railway Ministry was exploring the possibilities of introducing superfast trains on certain routes like Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Delhi-Chandigarh sectors.

A team of higher Indian Railways officials was in Nagpur on Monday to finalise the land and complete formalities for setting up a railway medical college.

In her annual railway budget, Union Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee had proposed to set up railway medical colleges through public-private partnerships in Nagpur, Chennai, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Mysore, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram. The colleges will be set up to provide higher education to the children of railway employees.

The director general (Health and Hospital), Railway Board, Dr VK Ramteke and chief of railway hospital (Central Railway), Dr Madhu Malhotra were in Nagpur to discuss the issue with senior railway officials. Both the officers also visited Godhni, on outskirts of the city, to inspect a potential site for the proposed medical college and hospital.

The team also met the divisional railway manager (DRM), Central Railway, Devendra Kumar Sharma, and discussed the requirements to set up a medical college meeting the rules laid down by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The railways plan to start the college with private participation by making use of the existing medical facilities available at its hospital in the city.

According to sources, a private party interested in collaborating with the railways for the proposed railway medical college should have at least 10 years’ experience in running a medical college and should have an attached hospital as per MCI norms. Foreign institutions can also participate in the bid, provided they comply with respective foreign medical regulatory authority norms.

Currently, the Central Railway runs a 200-bed hospital adjacent to DRM office in Nagpur. “We are looking for couple of sites for the proposed medical college and hospital and the officers were here to finalise one of them,” said Suhas Lohkare, spokesman of the Central Railway, Nagpur division.

Source: Hindustan Times

This could by far be the best New Year gift to the country from the north-east. From January 1, an express train will be racing past the hills across India’s belly into the heart of Karnataka — thanks to the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR).
On Tuesday, chief minister Tarun Gogoi announced the introduction of the 5901/5902 Dibrugarh-Yesvantpur Express, which is likely to cover 3,650 km stretching over seven states.
The new train may dwarf the distance covered by the Himsagar Express, which enjoys the tag of having the longest route in India. The train travels between Jammu Tawi and Kanyakumari, covering 3,715 kms within 71 hours. It moves through 10 states and halts at 88 stations. The Himsagar Express serves four railway zones — Southern Railways, South Central Railways, Central Railways and Northern Railways.
NFR sources said the Dibrugarh-Yesvantpur Express will cover 3,650 km for now, but is likely to increase its coverage once its route is confirmed by the railway zones through which it will move. The train is expected to be of immense help to the residents of Dibrugarh. It will run weekly and leave Dibrugarh at 18.30 hrs every Friday and reach Yesvantpur (Bengaluru) at 23.55 hrs on Monday.
Apart from the Dibrugarh-Yesvantpur Express, Gogoi inaugurated the 5761/5762 Kamakhya-Ranchi Express and announced the introduction of the 5927/5928 Dibrugarh-Kamakhya Express during a function at the Kamakhya railway station in Maligaon.
The Kamakhya-Ranchi Express will be a bi-weekly service and leave Kamakhya at 12.30 hrs every Tuesday and Saturday and reach Ranchi at 14.10 hrs every Wednesday and Sunday.
The Dibrugarh-Kamakhya Express, a tri-weekly service, will leave Dibrugarh at 06.00 hrs every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to reach Kamakhya at 17.35 hrs the same day, NFR sources informed.

Source: TNN

Now, Northern Railway has launched another Special Rajdhani train from New Delhi to Mumbai Central to run twice a week. It will depart from New Delhi every Tuesday and Saturday. The train - a clone of Rajdhani expresses - will take around 20 hours to travel the distance. Before this, the railways had introduced three Rajdhani Special trains this year - two from Hazrat Nizamuddin and a weekly one from New Delhi.
Whee, two more trains per week, leaving at random times from random stations. :ohno:

One of the things I find most irritating about IR is how incredibly and ridiculously complicated train schedules are. There's a million types of train, a million types of carriage, a million types of stopping schedule and a million different kinds of delay, all varying based on the day of the week, the phase of the moon, what Laloo/Mamata had for lunch, etc. :bash:

Instead of cross-country trains with special discounts for unemployed female religious pilgrims, what IR should really work on is regular services for nearby, busy city pairs like Delhi-Agra or Mumbai-Pune: say, one train per hour, always leaving at :00 and stopping at the same stations along the way. This way, you can just show up at the station, buy your tickets and be on your way. The Japanese can run 13 high-speed trains per hour between Tokyo and Osaka, including the fastest Nozomis at :00, :10, :20, :30, :40 and :50 -- surely IR should be able to manage one?

One of the things I find most irritating about IR is how incredibly and ridiculously complicated train schedules are. There's a million types of train, a million types of carriage, a million types of stopping schedule

India is like that..isn't it?

Not to hijack this thread. But was astonished to see this ("http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/dec/28/slide-show-1-china-unveils-the-worlds-fastest-train.htm') news.

one of the pics shows the station complex
http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/dec/28/slide-show-1-china-unveils-the-worlds-fastest-train.htm

this is what the New Delhi station was supposed to look like according to some of the renders posted here..
*sigh*

PIB Press Release (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=56514)
Indian Railways’ Vision 2020 & White Paper presentedunprecedented thrust on safety issues
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

17:43 IST
Year-end Review- 2009


Indian Railways’ Vision 2020 & White Paper presented unprecedented thrust on safety issues

INTRODUCTION OF HISTORIC NON-STOP ‘DURONTO’ TRAINS REVENUE EARNINGS DURING APRIL-NOVEMBER 2009 MORE THAN RS. 55 THOUSAND CRORE, AN INCREASE OF 8.74 PER CENT

IMPLEMENTATION OF DFC PROJECTS TAKES OFF WITH THE SIGNING OF PRELIMINARY SERVICES LOAN AGREEMENTS

AIR-CONDITIONED ‘YUVA’ TRAINS FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTH

‘ONLY LADIES’ MATRABHUMI LOCAL SPECIALS

PERISHABLE CARGO CENTRES UNDER KISAN VISION PROJECT

AUTO HUBS TO COME UP TO ATTRACT AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC

‘IZZAT’ SCHEME FOR POOR TRAVELLERS LAUNCHED

JANTA MEALS AND JANAHAAR CAFETERIA INTRODUCED

EXPERT COMMITTEE FOR DEVELOPING BUSINESS MODELS AND INNOVATIVE FUNDING

DREAM OF KASHMIR VALLEY PEOPLE FULFILLED

FOUNDATION FOR FIRST EVER MULTI-FUNCTIONAL COMPLEX LAID

IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATED SECURITY SYSTEM SANCTIONED

NEW CONVENIENT SYSTEM FOR MEDIA TO AVAIL FARE CONCESSION & FARE CONCESSION EXTENDED FOR RAJDHANI/SHATABDI TRAINS

FREE MONTHLY PASS FACILITY EXTENDED TO MADRASA STUDNETS

RAILWAYS SPORT PERSONS MAKE REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS


The year 2009 has been significant for the Railways in achieving goals and targets with regard to the following:

REVENUE GENERATION

The total approximate earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis during 1st April – 30th November 2009 were Rs. 55586.69 crore compared to Rs. 51117.55 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 8.74 per cent. The total goods earnings have gone up from Rs. 34394.97 crore during 1st April – 30th November 2008 to Rs. 37337.46 crore during 1st April – 30th November 2009, an increase of 8.56 per cent. The total passenger revenue earnings during first eight months of the financial year 2009-10 were Rs. 15597.44 crore compared to Rs. 14440.92 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 8.01 per cent. Indian Railways have carried 574.38 million tonnes of revenue earning freight traffic during April-November 2009. The freight carried shows an increase of 7.44 per cent over the same period last year. The parcel earnings from April to September 2009 has been Rs. 613.08 crore, registering a growth of 18 per cent as compared to the earnings of last year. The revenue generation through disposal of scrap from January 2009 to November 2009 was Rs. 2512 crore.

INDIAN RAILWAYS’ VISION 2020 & WHITE PAPER

Indian Railways’ Vision 2020 document presented in the Parliament by the Railway Minister aims at massive addition to its route network, segregation of passenger and freight services into separate double-line corridors, raising the speeds of passenger trains from the current 130 kmph to 160-200 kmph on some routes, zero accidents and equipment failures. The vision 2020 also envisages the implementation of atleast four high-speed rail projects to provide bullet train services at 250-350 kmph.

A White Paper indicating the Railway’s present organizational, operational and financial status based on its performance in the last five years was also presented in the Parliament. White Paper will help understand the health of the Indian Railways better so that plans for corrective and constructive action for the future can be drawn.

UNPRECEDENTED THRUST ON SAFETY ISSUES

Unprecedented thrust on safety related issues was given during the year, particularly to enhance Safety at Level Crossings, Interlocking and Manning, provision of Limited Height Subways, Normal Height Subways, Road Under Bridges (RUBs), Road Over Bridges (ROBs), Expenditure on Road Safety Works, Catch Sidings etc, Safety aspects of Signals and their back-up power supply, Enquiry of Fire related Accidents, Monitoring of working of Loco Pilots, etc. As on March 31, 2009, there are total 1337 ROBs/RUBs works at various stage of planning and execution. During 2009-10, 40 ROB/RUB have been completed till November 2009 under various schemes. Indian Railways maintained 34,220 level crossings out of which 17244 had gatekeepers and 16,976 crossings were unmanned. In 2008-09, about 259 unmanned level crossings were provided with gatekeepers. And during 2009-10, total 132 unmanned gates have been provided with gatekeepers till November 2009. Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan of Indian Railways has been prepared with the approval of the Board and has been sent to National Disaster Management Authority. Railways are one of the few Ministries who have prepared their Disaster Management Plan as per the provisions of Disaster Management Act, 2005. In the current calendar year 2009, during January to 14th December, 2009, 154 consequential train accidents took place as against 159 during the corresponding period of the previous year.

IMPLEMENTATION OF DEDICATED FREIGHT PROJECTS

Progress has been made in the implementation of Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) projects in the current year. Japanese ODA assistance for Western DFC project was sanctioned for the first loan of Rs. 130 crore for engagement of Engineering Services Consultancy services for phase-1 (Rewari-Vadodara section). Request for Proposal (RFP) for engaging Engineering Services Consultancy for Phase-I of Western DFC has also been issued by DFCCIL in October, 2009. For the remaining portion of Western DFC i.e. Phase-II, (Mumbai to Vadodra and Revari to Dadri) preparatory survey has been commenced by JICA consultants in November 2009. In case of Eastern Dedicated Freigh Corridor, Asian Development Bank (ADB) sanctioned a Project Preparation Grant of 1.5 million US Dollars for Khurja-Ludhiana section and ADB appointed consultants started feasibility studies in the section in July 2009 and final report is expected by February 2010. For the proposed World Bank funded Khurja-Mughalsarai section of Eastern DFC, important achievements include appointment of General Consultant for Khurja-Kanpur section by DFCCIL.

NEW CONVENIENT SYSTEM FOR ACCREDITED MEDIA PERSONS TO AVAIL CONCESSIONAL TRAIN FARE; FARE CONCESSION EXTENDED FOR RAJDHANI/SHATABDI TRAINS

As a follow up to the announcement made by the Minister of Railways Kumari Mamata Banerjee in her Railway Budget 2009-10 speech, for the convenience of accredited media persons, the Ministry of Railways has decided to replace the existing system of Coupon Books for accredited press correspondents by more convenient Photo Identity Card based system for availing concessional train fare. Photo identification card will be issued by Railways to accredited press correspondents instead of coupons books. Accredited press correspondent will be eligible for 50 per cent concession in the basic fares all classes of Mail/Express trains & all other charges are to be collected in full; and 50 per cent in the all inclusive fares of all classes of Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Jan Shatabdi trains. This concession will not be admissible in Garib Rath trains. The new system of concession based on Photo Identity card and the increased concession on Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Jan Shatabdi trains will be effective from 15th October 2009.

AIR-CONDITIONED ‘YUVA’ TRAINS FOR UNEMPLOYED YOUTH

The first ever ‘Yuva Trains’ which are targeted mainly for the unemployed youths of the country has been introduced between Howrah-Delhi on 30th December 2009. These ‘Yuva’ trains are being introduced to ensure that the youth of low income groups can travel at low rates between major cities. The ‘Yuva Train’ fares will be applicable to unemployed persons also between the age group of 15 to 45 years. Initially, 60 per cent of the total number of coaches will be earmarked for ‘Yuva’ category. The remaining will be earmarked for general passengers (non-Yuva). If successful, these ‘Yuva trains’ will be extended to other areas of the country. The total chargeable fare for Yuva passengers inclusive of all other charges like Reservation Fee, Superfast Train Charge and Development Charge would not exceed Rs.299/- up to a distance of 1500 kms and Rs. 399/- for distance beyond 1500 up to 2500 kms.

‘ONLY LADIES’ SPECIAL EMU TRAIN SERVICES

As announced in the Railway Budget 2009-10, the Ministry of Railways introduced ‘Only Ladies’ Matrabhumi EMU train services in Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata suburban on the pattern of Mumbai suburban as working women face considerable difficulties in traveling for work. These services will run for the convenience of women passengers during office hours.

SUPER FAST PARCEL EXPRESS TRAINS

With a view to attract high value and transit sensitive non-bulk parcel traffic, Indian Railways introduced faster parcel services/premium parcel express trains named “Tejshree Parcel Sewa” between Delhi-Howrah-Delhi, Delhi-Ahmedabad/Vapi-Howrah as a pilot project. This is envisaged as a time-tabled service from dedicated terminals with guaranteed transit time.

DEVELOPMENT OF PRIVATE FREIGHT TERMINALS

With a view to increase Railways market share of automobile traffic and to facilitate aggregation and distribution centres for automobile traffic, a scheme is under finalization for development of automobile hubs near rail heads through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The Railways Minister laid the foundation stone for one such auto hub at Shalimar in West Bengal in November 2009.

A policy is under finalization to facilitate rapid development of a network of freight terminals with private investment to provide efficient and cost effective logistics services to end users including door to door services. Freight terminals can be green field facilities developed by private parties on private land or brown field facilities i.e. existing private sidings/container terminals on private a land which can be permitted to be converted to private freight terminals under the provisions of the proposed policy.

PERISHABLE CARGO CENTRES UNDER KISAN VISION PROJECT

With a view to encourage creation of facilities of setting up cold storage and temperature controlled perishable cargo centres through Public Private Partnership mode, a Task Force of representatives from the concerned ministries, Container corporation of India Ltd. (CONCOR), Central Warehousing Corporation Ltd. (CWC) and cold chain operators, has been constituted to draw up a road map for implementation of the project and identify few locations for pilot project for development of perishable cargo centres. The Pilot Project will be implemented through PSUs engaged in logistics. Foundation stone for the first pilot project under the Kisan Vision Project has been laid by the Minister of Railways at Singur in November 2009.

375 STATIONS TO BE DEVELOPED AS ‘ADARSH’ STATIONS

Ministry of Railways has decided that 17 more railway stations may be added to the existing list of 358 Adarsh Stations. With this, the number of stations selected as ‘Adarsh Stations’ goes upto 375. Railways will develop Adarsh Stations with basic facilities such as drinking water, adequate toilets, catering services, waiting rooms and dormitories especially for lady passengers, better signage and other basic facilities are universally available. Necessary work has already been commenced at various stations.

DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-FUNCIONAL COMPLEXES

Multi-functional Complexes are being developed at 50 railway stations of serving places of pilgrimage, industry and tourist interest in different parts of the country this year. Multi-functional Complexes in station premises to provide rail users facilities like shopping, food stalls and restaurants, book stalls, PCO/STD/ISD/Fax booths, medicine & variety stores, budget hotels, underground parking etc. Responsibility for development of these facilities will be entrusted to IRCON and Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) and Zonal Railways. The foundation stone for such first ever Multi-functional complex was laid by the Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee, at Siliguri in October 2009.

PROVISION OF QUALITY FOOD IN TRAINS

Instruction has been issued to Zonal Railways and Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in May 2009 for improvement in quality of food in mobile catering units over Indian Railways. Janata meals priced at Rs. 10/- have been revamped on Indian Railways, to meet the catering requirement of common passengers. On an average 1.1 lakh Janata meals are sold every day on Indian Railways through refreshment rooms, food plazas and other catering stalls, etc. To meet the catering requirement of common people, Railways have plans to open Janahaar cafeteria exclusively to sell economy meals and Janta Meals at reasonable rates. Six Janahaar Cafeteria have been commissioned at Howrah, Bangalore, Secunderabad, Chennai, Lucknow and Gorakhpur railway station and five more will be set up shortly at Sealdah, Patna, Kharagpur, New Jalpaiguri and Mysore. Catering services of the similar level of Rajdhani/Shatabdi Express are being provided in newly introduced ‘Duronto’ Trains. All sleeper class passengers of Duronto Trains are also being provided meals on-board. In addition,

IMPROVEMENT AND MODERNISATION OF SIGNALLING SYSTEM

In order to increase efficiency and enhance safety in train operations, Electrical/Electronic Interlocking system in replacement of over-aged mechanical/multi cabin signaling system, has been provided at 339 stations during year 2009 (January to November). To improve reliability and visibility of signals, out dated filament type signals have been replaced with long life, highly durable LED signals at 853 stations. A total number of 578 stations have been provided with Data Logger for predictive maintenance and intensive supervision of Signalling system. Auto Block Signalling to increase line capacity has been provided on 209 Route kms. On Board Train Protection System (TPWS) has been commissioned on Chennai Central- Gummidipundi suburban section (50 RKMs) of Southern Railway as a pilot project. This system prevents ‘Signal Passing At Danger’ cases and enforces implementations of speed restriction. Second pilot project of Train Protection Warning System on main line (Delhi-Agra section of Northern/North Central Railway) is under way. Automatic clearance of Block Section has been provided at 448 sections through use of axle counters. This will reduce dependence on human element & enhance safety. A total A total of 439 numbers of level crossing gates have been interlocked with signals to enhance safety. Track Circuiting for enhancing safety by reducing human dependence, has been provided at 1387 locations in various station sections.

IMPROVING COMMUNICATION SYSTEM ON RAILWAYS

During Financial Year 2009-10, about 2500 Route km of Optic Fibre Cable OFC cable laid upto November 2009 by RailTel Corporation of Indian Limited. A total of around 37,000 Route Kms of OFC has so far been laid on Indian Railway system alongside railway track for improving communications. Works for laying 9,000 Kms of OFC further are under progress. Mobile Train Radio Communication system for communication among Train Driver, Guard, Station Master, Control Office and field maintenance staff during run of the train has been commissioned at about 700 Route Kms on Howrah –Dhanbad, Guwahati-New Bongaigaon and Mathura-Jhansi sections. Works are under progress for another 2700 Kms. Walkie-Talkie VHF communication between Guard, Driver & Stations has been provided.

SETTING UP OF NEW ANCILLARY UNITS FOR DIESEL AND ELECTRIC LOCOS

The foundation stone was laid by the Minister of Railways for setting up of two factories for manufacturing electric and diesel engine components and also inaugurated the Project for Distribution of ‘Carbon Credit’ saving CFLs at Dankuni in West Bengal in December 2009. The factories will manufacture components and sub-assemblies for Electric locomotives for the Chittaranjan Production Units and the Diesel Locomotive Works. Other new production units to be set up by Indian Railways are; Rail Coach Factory at Rae Bareilly, Coach factory at Kanchrapara, Diesel Locomotive Factory at Marhowra, Electric Locomotive Factory at Madhepura and Rail Wheel Factory at Chhapra.

‘IZZAT’ MONTHLY SEASON TICKET SCHEME LAUNCHED

As announced by the Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee, while presenting Railway Budget 2009-10 in the Parliament, the Ministry of Railways introduced a new scheme of uniformly priced Monthly Season Tickets (MSTs) at Rs. 25/- inclusive of all surcharges which will be issued upto a distance of 100 Kilometers to persons working in unorganised sector with monthly income not exceeding Rs. 1500/-. This new scheme is called “Izzat”. These ‘Izzat’ MSTs are being issued for journeys with effect from 01.08.2009.

EXPERT COMMITTEE FOR DEVELOPING BUSINESS MODELS AND INNOVATIVE FUNDING

An Expert Committee under the chairmanship of Dr Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI for developing business models and innovative funding techniques through Public Private Partnership (PPP) instruments has been constituted. The committee has held several meetings and made recommendations which are at various stages of implementation. A five member Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri Sam Pitroda, on the usage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the Railways has been constituted,

RAILWAYS LAUNCH HISTORIC NON-STOP ‘DURONTO’ TRAINS

Indian Railways added one more feather to its cap when it launched its new class of passenger carrying ‘Duronto’ trains in September 2009. So far seven ‘Duronto’ trains have already been introduced on various major sectors in the country. ‘Duronto’ is a non-stop superfast passenger carrying train in the history of the Railways and heralds a new era of rail travel in the country ensuring better speed, comfort and security for passengers Outer colour scheme design of ‘Duronto’ coaches is distinct. The fare of ‘Duronto’ trains includes the cost of meals.

In addition, 35 new passenger carrying trains were introduced, one Yuva train was introduced, 17 trains were extended and frequency of 8 trains was increased.

TRANSPORTATION OF DRINKING WATER & FODDER FREE OF COST TO DRAUGHT AFFECTED AREAS.

With a view to facilitate better availability of basic commodities like water and fodder to drought affected areas in the country, Ministry of Railways has decided as a special case to permit the transportation of drinking water and fodder by rail, free of charge, to the notified drought affected districts of twelve states at “no cost” to the affected States. These States are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. These instructions have come into force with effect from 01.12.2009 and remain valid upto 31.01.2010.

DREAM OF KASHMIR VALLEY PEOPLE FULFILLED

The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the newly constructed 18 km long rail line between Anantnag and Quazigund, the last stretch of the railway line in the Kashmir Valley in October 2009. Earlier in October 2008 and February 2009, the railway lines from Anantnag to Mazhom (66 km) and Mazhom to Baramulla (35 km) were inaugurated by the Prime Minister. The entire 119 km long rail line from Baramulla to Quazigund in the valley has now become operational covering important stations like Sopore, Hamre, Pattan, Mazhom, Budgam, Srinagar, Pampore, Kakapora, Awantipura, Panjgam, Bijbiara, Anantnag and Sadura in both the directions.

FIRST EVER RAIL LINK WITH SIKKIM

Sikkim will have the first ever rail connectivity with the laying of foundation stone of the new broad gauge railway line between Sikkim’s small township of Rangpo and West Bengal’s border town of Sivok. This 52.7 km long new broad guauge Rangpo-Sivok line will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 1339.48 crore and has been declared as a ‘National Project’ for which 25 per cent of the fund would be provided by Ministry of Railways through their gross budgetary support and balance 75 per cent as an additionality by Ministry of Finance. The survey for further extension of this line from Rangpo upto Sikkim’s capital Gangtok (69 km) has also been completed recently and survey report is under examination in the Ministry of Railways.

IMPLEMENTATION OF INTEGRATED SECURITY SYSTEM ON RAILWAYS

Railways have taken several measures to strengthen security activities. An amount of approximately Rs. 344 crore has been sanctioned for implementation of Integrated Security System to strengthen surveillance mechanism at 195 sensitive stations of the country. Besides this, Rs.67 crore have already been distributed amongst the Zonal Railways for procurement of modern security gadgets. 12 Commando Companies of RPSF have been raised for special duties. The Minister has also announced raising of one ‘Mahila Commando Company’. RPF will also set up its own commando training centre at Canning in West Bengal. Thirty two RPF personnel have been awarded this year for their commendable acts. For the first time President Police Medal for gallantry has been awarded to RPF for showing exemplary bravely during terrorist attack on 26/11/2008 at CST, Mumbai.

INTRODCUTION OF MOBILE BRIDGE INSPECTION UNITS

The Indian Railways as part of its high-tech operations has introduced Mobile Bridge Inspection Units (MBIU) for inspection and maintenance of railway bridges to ensure more safety. Cranes provided in these Mobile Bridge Inspection Units have been imported from Germany. Carrier vehicles and power units for these MBIU have been provided by Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Railways. Approximate cost of each MBIU is about eight crore. Two MBIU have recently been introduced on Indian Railways, one in Northern Railway and the other in Central Railway.

RAILWAYS BAG FOUR ENERGY CONSERVATION AWARDS

The Ministry of Railways has achieved another milestone when three of its Zonal Railways bagged four of the National Energy Conservation Awards in 2009. In Railway sector, Western Railway headquartered at Mumbai (Maharashtra) bagged the first prize, North Eastern Railway headquartered at Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) got the second prize and West Central Railway headquartered at Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) received the Certificate of Merit. In Office Building sector, West Central Railway again bagged the first prize for its General Manager Office Building.

IRCTC LAUNCHES TOLL FREE 24X7 HELPLINE

Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC), a public sector undertaking of the Ministry of Railways, has launched a centralised Toll Free telephone No. 1800-111-139 for the convenience of railway users to suggest/grievances relating to catering services on Indian Railways. The facility is available 24x7 on this number and railway passengers can register their complaints/suggestions regarding food and catering services. Wherever possible, action is taken on real time basis for redressal of their grievances.

“139 – Rail Sampark”, the authorized enquiry for Indian Railway has recently introduced the facility of Railway enquiry through SMS which is a premium service. The users can obtain information regarding PNR status, fare, seat availability and arrival/departure by sending SMS in the specified syntax to 139.

ENHANCED FARE CONCESSIONS FOR STUDENTS, AMATEUR ARTISTS & POLICE MEDALISTS

As announced by the Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee in the Railway Budget 2009-10, the Ministry of Railways has decided to extend the facility of free Monthly Season Tickets (MSTs) in 2nd class in the trains to students attending Madrasa, High Madrasa and Senior Madrasa for commuting daily between the stations serving their place of residence and Madrasa. It has also decided that 60 per cent concession in the fares of Metro Rail Kolkata will be granted to both boy and girl students studying in schools/Madrasas/recognized vocational institutions upto classes academically equivalent to class XII. In addition, the Ministry of Railways has decided that amateur artists (theatrical, concert, musical, dancing and magician troups & students-artists of the National School of Drama, New Delhi when traveling alone or in group) who are presently eligible for 50 per cent concession in First Class and 75 per cent concession in Second and Sleeper Classes basic Mail/Express fares will now also be entitled to 50 per cent concession in AC Chair Car, AC 3-tier and AC 2-tier classes in Mail/Express trains and 50 per cent concession will also be granted in the all inclusive fares of Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Jan Shatabdi trains in AC Chair, AC 3-tier and AC 2-tier classes. It has also decided to enhance the concession for Police Personnel of 60 years and above who have received President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service from 30 per cent to 50 percent for men and 60 per cent for women in the basic fares of Mail/Express trains of all classes and in the all-inclusive fares of Rajdhani/Shatabdi/Jan Shatabdi trains.

INTRODUCTION OF E-PROCUREMENT SYSTEM

E- Procurement System (EPS) is aimed at attaining total transparency in public procurement system of Indian Railways. The E-Procurement Application for Indian Railways (www.ireps.gov.in) has been successfully rolled out by CRIS for 13 Zonal Railways/Production Units. Till now Railways have uploaded over 44192 e-tenders and about 39485 e-tenders have been opened as on December 14, 2009.

UPGRADATION OF DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, MODIFICATION IN COACHES AND USE OF CNG AND BIO-FUEL

Through indigenous efforts, the Horse Power of EMD diesel locos has been increased from 4000 to 4500 which will permit them to haul heavier loads at higher speeds. It is planned to further upgrade the EMD locos to 5000+ Horse Power. Manufacture of latest technology EMD locomotives has been stepped up to 150 locos in 2009-10. Trials have also been completed and one power car of DMU has been converted to run on dual fuel mode using CNG and further proliferation is in progress. Design for Toilet facilities in DMUs has been finalized by the RDSO. ICF will turn out all the DEMU rakes during the current year with toilets. Railways has placed orders for procurement of bio-diesel. Successful laboratory tests have been carried out by using 10% blend of bio-diesel on Trains. Introduction of these alternative fuels are environment –friendly and reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Bullet proof cabs have been provided for the first time on diesel locomotives working in Lumding – Badarpur section to thwart the threat to running staff in sensitive areas.

EXPORT OF DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES

To promote the export of Diesel Locomotives and securing a niche in the International market, a most modern, new type 3000 HP, Cape Gauge diesel locomotive manufactured by Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi, a production unit of Indian Railways, has been dispatched to Mozambique. This is the first ever 3000 HP locomotive built in DLW for cape gauge.

REVAMPING OF RAILWAY RECRUITMENT BOARDS

The Ministry of Railways took several steps to revamp Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs). It has been decided to hold the examination for a particular post on the same date simultaneously by all RRBs It has now been decided that the exam of all RRBs throughout the country. The question paper of RRB exam will be printed in addition to Hindi, Urdu and English, in local languages listed in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution of India, falling within the jurisdiction of that RRB. For this purpose first official language(s) of the State(s) in which all the divisions/Units of that RRB are located, is taken as the local language(s). It has also been decided to waive the examination fees for women, minorities and economically backward sections of society, having annual family income of less than Rs. 50,000/-. Special recruitment drives and special promotion drives were carried out for wiping out backlog vacancies of SCs and STs.

INNOVATIVE STEPS TAKEN FOR BETTER MEDICAL CARE

Ministry of Railways has decided to open Medical and Nursing Colleges on Railway land with existing Railway Hospital under PPP which will have seats for wards of railway employees. To start with, five places have been identified i.e. Kanchrapara, Kharagpur, Kolkata, Chennai & Guwahati. This will also help to meet shortage of Doctors & Nurses. To augment the medical services, introduction of Senior Residency and DNB programmes (Post Graduate Teaching) have been introduced in Railway hospitals. For procuring quality drug for our railway beneficiaries a new “Drug Procurement Policy” have been introduced. Tele medicine has been started in 18 centres and many more are in process. Hospital Information Management System is being started in Jagjivan Ram Hospital, Western Railway, Mumbai as a pilot project and will be extended to all the hospitals of Indian Railways. To provide medical facilities to retired railway employees membership for Retired Employees Liberalized Health Scheme-97 has been reopened till 31.03.2010 for those retired employees who could not join this scheme earlier.

INTRODUCTION OF LUXURY TOURIST TRAIN

Keeping in consonance with its commitment towards promotion of tourism, the Indian Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC) has launched one more luxury tourist train, Royal Rajasthan on Wheels, on a tourist circuit covering major destinations of Rajasthan besides Agra and Delhi. This is the fourth train in the series and second in association with RTDC, Two more such trains, one in association with IRCTC, called ‘Maharaja Express’ and one with Government of Punjab are in the pipeline.

PHASE-II ‘SCIENCE EXPRESS' & RED RIBBON EXPRESS

The Phase-III of the 'Science Express' which was inaugurated in October 2009 at Gandhinagar will travel to 55 locations, mostly not covered earlier, covering about 18,000 kms in seven months of its journey throughout the country. It is covering the entire length and breadth of the country. The second phase of Red Ribbon Express (RRE), which is a 10-coach exhibition train for creating awareness about HIV/AIDS in the far flung areas, was flagged off on the World AIDS Day.

ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPORTS

In the field of sports Indian Railway sportspersons have created many landmarks during 2009. Shri Ramesh Kumar of Northern Railway has won Bronze medal in the Senior World Wrestling Championship held in Denmark in September 2009. Any Indian Wrestler won medal in this championship after a long gap of 42 years. Shri R.R. Laxman, Chess player working in ICF, Chennai has become India’s latest Grandmaster while playing in the 4th Kolkata Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament held in Kolkata from 31st August 2009 to 10th September 2009. He is the first chess player who has achieved this distinction in Indian Railways. In the World Powerlifting Championship held in Gurgaon from 2nd to 7th November 2009, Shri P. Suresh (Western Railway) and Shri Rana Shyam Singh (South Eastern Railway) have won Silver and Bronze Medals, respectively. Besides, Shri Sushil Kumar, Wrestler has been awarded with “Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna”, the highest individual sports award of the country. Moreover, Shri Jaidev Bisht, Boxing Coach has been honoured with prestigious “Dronacharya Award” and Shri Mangal Singh Champia, Archer & Ms. Surinder Kaur, Women Hockey player have also been honoured with “Arjuna Awards”. In addition, the Government of India have awarded the first “Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar”, in the category – Employment of Sportspersons and Sports Welfare Measures, to Railway Sports Promotion Board.

ENHANCED PRODUCTIVITY LINKED BONUS

For the financial year 2008-09, Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) equivalent to 75 days wages has been paid to all non-gazetted Railway employees. About 13.05 lakh non-gazetted Railway employees have benefited by this scheme. The PLB paid for the year 2008-09 is the highest bonus payment ever made by the Railways reflecting the splendid performance of Railways during the year.


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AKS/HK/LK/TR

NetIndian News Network (http://netindian.in/news/2009/12/30/0004588/mamata-flags-first-yuva-train-unemployed-youth)
New Delhi, December 30, 2009

Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee flagged off the first "Yuva" train, introduced mainly for unemployed youth, from Howrah to New Delhi today.
The weekly train will stop at Asansol, Dhanbad, Mugalsarai, Allahabad and Kanpur on its way to the capital.
As announced by Ms Banerjee in the Railway Budget for 2009-10, the new trains are meant to ensure that the youth and low-income groups can travel at low rates between major cities in the country.
According to an official press release, the total chargeable fare for Yuva passengers inclusive of all other charges like Reservation Fee, Superfast Train Charge and Development Charge would not exceed Rs.299 up to a distance of 1500 kms and Rs. 399 for distance beyond 1500 up to 2500 kms. Minimum distance for charge will be 100 kms for both Yuva and Non-Yuva passengers. Children of 5 years and above but below 12 years will continue to be charged half fare.
The Yuva train fares are applicable to unemployed persons in the age group of 15 to 45 years who fulfill the criteria of youth to be ascertained on the basis of certificate issued under National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) and valid registration card issued by a Government run Employment Exchange. Tickets will be issued on production of original of any of the above certificates at the counter, a photocopy of which should be retained along with reservation requisition as in the case of other concessions. Tatkal scheme would not be applicable in Yuva trains.
In case these certificates do not specify age, an age certificate like Identity Card, Ration Card, Driving License., Passport, educational certificate, certificate from Local Bodies like Panchayat/Corporation/Municipalty or any other authentic and recognized document on which date of birth is recorded, must also be carried in original, the release said.
Initially, 60 per cent of the total number of coaches in the trains will be earmarked for the "Yuva" category. The remaining will be earmarked for general passengers (non-Yuva). This will be reviewed after six months. Normal cancellation rules will be applicable for these trains.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Clips-removed-from-railway-track-passengers-have-narrow-escape/articleshow/5394274.cms)
KOLKATA: Passengers of the New Delhi-Puri Purushottam Express had a narrow escape in the wee hours on Wednesday as suspected Maoists removed the connectors between two tracks on a 400 metre stretch near Gidni station in West Bengal just before the train was to cross the area.

Patrolling railway men detected a group of people removing the pandoral clips, connectors between two tracks, and trying to bend the line near Gidni at around 1.15 am, a South Eastern Railway Spokesman said.

They immediately informed railway authorities at Gidni station following which movement of trains was stopped.

Local police, RPF and railway officials rushed to the spot to undertake restoration work, the spokesman said.

Thirteen UP and DN trains, including Gitanjali Express, Mumbai Mail, Azad Hind Express were detained at several points on the Howrah-Tatanagar section.

Train movement was restored after six hours, the spokesman said.

NetIndian News Network (http://netindian.in/news/2009/12/30/0004588/mamata-flags-first-yuva-train-unemployed-youth)
New Delhi, December 30, 2009

Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee flagged off the first "Yuva" train, introduced mainly for unemployed youth, from Howrah to New Delhi today.
The weekly train will stop at Asansol, Dhanbad, Mugalsarai, Allahabad and Kanpur on its way to the capital.
As announced by Ms Banerjee in the Railway Budget for 2009-10, the new trains are meant to ensure that the youth and low-income groups can travel at low rates between major cities in the country.
According to an official press release, the total chargeable fare for Yuva passengers inclusive of all other charges like Reservation Fee, Superfast Train Charge and Development Charge would not exceed Rs.299 up to a distance of 1500 kms and Rs. 399 for distance beyond 1500 up to 2500 kms. Minimum distance for charge will be 100 kms for both Yuva and Non-Yuva passengers. Children of 5 years and above but below 12 years will continue to be charged half fare.
The Yuva train fares are applicable to unemployed persons in the age group of 15 to 45 years who fulfill the criteria of youth to be ascertained on the basis of certificate issued under National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) and valid registration card issued by a Government run Employment Exchange. Tickets will be issued on production of original of any of the above certificates at the counter, a photocopy of which should be retained along with reservation requisition as in the case of other concessions. Tatkal scheme would not be applicable in Yuva trains.
In case these certificates do not specify age, an age certificate like Identity Card, Ration Card, Driving License., Passport, educational certificate, certificate from Local Bodies like Panchayat/Corporation/Municipalty or any other authentic and recognized document on which date of birth is recorded, must also be carried in original, the release said.
Initially, 60 per cent of the total number of coaches in the trains will be earmarked for the "Yuva" category. The remaining will be earmarked for general passengers (non-Yuva). This will be reviewed after six months. Normal cancellation rules will be applicable for these trains.

Delhi-Mumbai Yuva train to be flagged off Jan 12
Source (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/delhi-mumbai-yuva-train-to-be-flagged-off-jan-12_100296820.html)

NetIndian News Network (http://netindian.in/news/2009/12/30/0004587/rail-e-ticketing-facility-lanched-armed-forces-personnel)
New Delhi, December 30, 2009

The Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen P C Bhardwaj, launched a pilot project of rail e-ticketing for the Armed Forces, here today.

The project, being implemented by the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), will initially be available at 20 locations across the country.

According to an official press release, Armed Forces personnel will now have the convenience to book and print tickets through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website at unit locations. The project will enable automatic generation of all accounting, payment and financial reports, it said.

Gen Bhardwaj said the new system would cut tedious paperwork and introduce seamless processing "in one stroke".

He hoped that the "PCDA (Principal Controller of Defence Accounts) Travel System" would slowly make the Passenger Reservation System (PRS) irrelevant and become a precursor to automation and better management.

The CGDA, Ms Bulbul Ghosh said the pilot project would gradually be expanded to more than 5,000 Army, Navy and Air Force units across the country.

The e-ticketing system will be completed in four phases, - the first phase will cover rail travel, air travel will be covered in the second phase, defence civilians will be included in the third phase and TA processing will be completely online in the final phase.

The main features of the e-ticketing facility are availability round-the-clock, user friendly, ease of operation and accounting while taking care of security concerns.

In the new system, the units will be enabled to have a virtual PRS of the railways in the units itself, which will be enabled to issue tickets through a centralised portal operated by the CGDA office. For this purpose, the CGDA has entered into an agreement with the IRCTC. With this facility, the system of railway warrants which obliged Armed Forces personnel to go in for manual tickets at the PRS counter and involved a lot of paperwork, will gradually be replaced.

Over six million warrants are issued to the Armed Forces every year, involving worth over Rs 580 crore.

NNN

Deccan Herald (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/43969/many-railway-goodies-chugged-bangalore.html)Lalitha, Bangalore, Dec 29, DHNS:

The year saw the fulfilment of two long standing demands of Bangaloreans - an Inter-City express between Shimoga and Bangalore and a day train between the City and Mangalore.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has also announced the launch of a Doronto (non-stop, superfast) Express between Bangalore and Howrah. The train will make its inaugural run from Yeshwantpur on January 3.

Other big launches during the year include the Yeshwantpur-Mysore Express and Yeshwantpur-Solapur Gol Gumbaz Tri-weekly Express. Notable among the train extensions introduced are the Mumbai-Karwar Express to Mangalore and the Yeshwantpur-Mangalore train to Kannur.

Steps to transform Byappanahalli into a world-class railway station are proceeding. A Chinese team visited the station early this year and submitted a proposal. Another novel decision for the Bangalore Division was the move to permit multi-storeyed complexes on unutilised railway land to fetch extra revenue for Railways.

A major move for passenger safety was replacing mechanical and electrical signalling systems with a modernised, automatic signalling system.

Moves to upgrade security at railway stations all over Bangalore went on throughout the year. One initiative was to stop issual of platform tickets at City station. Though this succeeded in reducing congestion, it earned much flak from the majority. More surveillance cameras and sniffer-dogs were pressed into service. A request for a major increase in Railway Police and Government Railway Police for the Bangalore Division is expected to be sanctioned this year.

Areas that need improvement continued to be inadequate water facilities at railway stations and initiatives to reduce the rush for tickets during vacations and festivals.

SWR division
The South Western Railway Division ‘s problem with the Archaeology Department over shifting of the Tipu Sultan Armoury concluded on an amicable note. The armoury that came in the way of the doubling work between Mysore and Ramanagaram is getting shifted.

"Yuva" train for unemployed youth

WTF is that? Why do they come up with these sort of silly (almost dumb) ideas for transportation? For God's sake it's just a train. I smell bureaucracy.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/blnus/14311201.htm

Can India have its first bullet train that would run at a speed of 350 km per hour?

The proposal is being explored by the railways with the help of three companies, including a French and an Italian firm.

The report of the feasibility study, being conducted on 533-km-long Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad section, is expected to be submitted next month that will give an idea to the Government whether or not to go ahead with such a proposal.

“After examining the report, we will decide on the next course of action,” a senior railway official told PTI.

The feasibility study is being conducted by Systra of France and Italferr of Italy along with RITES.

For a bullet train, a dedicated corridor would have to be built and officials estimate that each kilometre of such a train would cost about Rs 100-150 crore.

The feasibility study is examining the possible alignment, fare structure and volume of passengers in the proposed high-speed corridor.

Besides the elevated route, the study will look at the possibility of underground route for the high-speed corridor.

“The cost of the feasibility study is about Rs 15 crore and it is being shared by railways and the Maharashtra Government equally,” said the official.

Even while the feasibility study is underway, the Japanese Prime Minister, Mr Yukio Hatoyama, has offered his country’s expertise in such modern technology.

During his just-concluded visit, Mr Hatoyama said he would like to see bullet train technology in India and pointed out that Japanese bullet trains have never been involved in any accident.

Indian Railways will await the feasibility report of the proposed bullet train before deciding on seeking Japanese help for it.

According to an estimate, it will cost about Rs 100-150 crore to construct one km of elevated high-speed rail corridor.

“At present there is no such proposal to seek Japanese assistance on bullet train. But it can be explored only after examining various factors including the cost and the pre-feasibility report,” said the official.

The bullet train at 350 km per hour speed aims to reduce the travel time between Pune and Mumbai to just 25 minutes and the travel time from Mumbai to Ahmedabad will shrink to less than two hours.

Travel time between the 93-km Pune-Mumbai is now three hours while journey on 440-km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad takes about 7 hours. The study will focus on technicalities, financial and operational viability of the project.

The proposed corridor will serve the cities of Pune, Lonavala, Kandla, Kalyan, Mumbai, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand and Gandhinagar.

WTF is that? Why do they come up with these sort of silly (almost dumb) ideas for transportation? For God's sake it's just a train. I smell bureaucracy.

Laloo started AC trains (Garib Raths) for the poor..
now Mamta has started Yuva trains for unemployed youths..
now both of these categories overlap to a great extent..
the second one being the subset..
how new a concept is that Miss Mamta? :ohno:

Laloo started AC trains (Garib Raths) for the poor..
now Mamta has started Yuva trains for unemployed youths..
now both of these categories overlap to a great extent..
the second one being the subset..
how new a concept is that Miss Mamta? :ohno:

How does it work? If you are rich, you can't travel by Garib Rath and if you are employed you can't travel by Yuva? How are they going to determine this criteria for each and every traveler?

there's no constraint for anyone in travelling in any one of the two trains..
some political gimmicks..thats all..

How does it work? If you are rich, you can't travel by Garib Rath and if you are employed you can't travel by Yuva?

I was travelling by King Fisher and Jet Airways in the Bangalore-Trivandrum Sector. And now these days I have started using 'Garib Rath' atleast in one way;) It saves me money too, around Rs.540/- when compared with a minimum of Rs. 2500/- for the flight.

MYy inference is that atleast in this sector, people are not getting in to GR because of the lower fare. All other existing trains were having reservations in waitlist for months. So even if GR rates are increased to the normal A/C 3 tier rates it will see good patronage.

Now these days it is difficult to get tickets in GR too.

WTF is that? Why do they come up with these sort of silly (almost dumb) ideas for transportation? For God's sake it's just a train. I smell bureaucracy.

Its not dumb.She has done her bit to introduce trains at almost low rates for students and unemployed youth.I am happy hope they introduce one such train between Mysore-Chennai. :banana:

MYy inference is that atleast in this sector, people are not getting in to GR because of the lower fare. All other existing trains were having reservations in waitlist for months. So even if GR rates are increased to the normal A/C 3 tier rates it will see good patronage.

you mean to say people aren't using GRs because of low fares??
or did you mean to say something else??

Now these days it is difficult to get tickets in GR too.

don't know about the route you frequent but at least Bandra-NZM garib rath is jampacked whenever I try to get a ticket..

I was travelling by King Fisher and Jet Airways in the Bangalore-Trivandrum Sector. And now these days I have started using 'Garib Rath' atleast in one way;) It saves me money too, around Rs.540/- when compared with a minimum of Rs. 2500/- for the flight.

What's the fair (on the route you mentioned) on a regular train, obviously for the same class? Basically, GR offers discounted fair to everyone, right?

MYy inference is that atleast in this sector, people are not getting in to GR because of the lower fare. All other existing trains were having reservations in waitlist for months. So even if GR rates are increased to the normal A/C 3 tier rates it will see good patronage.

Now these days it is difficult to get tickets in GR too.

You confused me with the line in Bold. Haven't they already seen heavy inflow of passengers on GR?

Its not dumb.She has done her bit to introduce trains at almost low rates for students and unemployed youth.I am happy hope they introduce one such train between Mysore-Chennai. :banana:

Okay let's say it's not dumb, but how is the Yuva train going to work? My concerned is how are they (IR) going to determine who is employed and who is not?

Okay let's say it's not dumb, but how is the Yuva train going to work? My concerned is how are they (IR) going to determine who is employed and who is not?

Well that yuva term is all just a fancy term,Earlier students used to avail concession undergoing a lengthy procedure which required authentication by school/college/Institution admin,this concept of having low rates for students will just eliminate such a procedure.

Coming to employed or unemployed determination is really need not work. Do you think people in garib rath are really garib??? someone here mentioned some posts back about travelling in Garib rath.....

Same is the case with yuva trains people below 45 years of age will atleast enjoy some travel with boogies exclusively reserved for them or atleast Waitlisting due to uncles and aunties can be avoided. :nuts:

^^ In that case, why not introduce more Garib Rath trains (weird name for a discounted train), so everyone (including people over 45) can take advantage of lower fairs? As a passenger why do I care if a 60 year old couple is sitting next to me, so far they mind their own business. I am not there to spend my lifetime with them.

^^ In that case, why not introduce more Garib Rath trains (weird name for a discounted train), so everyone (including people over 45) can take advantage of lower fairs? As a passenger why do I care if a 60 year old couple is sitting next to me, so far they mind their own business. I am not there to spend my lifetime with them.

True,you don't know the case here in India.I hate traveling in trains.I prefer bus services over those stupid junk boxes.

I have had bad experiences with the passengers they say plz occupy seat number 52 SU in the next coach,We have a traveler who can't climb up plz plz/..............though I have never let my seat go to anybody.

True,you don't know the case here in India.I hate traveling in trains.I prefer bus services over those stupid junk boxes.

I have had bad experiences with the passengers they say plz occupy seat number 52 SU in the next coach,We have a traveler who can't climb up plz plz/..............though I have never let my seat go to anybody.

Yeah that would suck. :ohno: But kinda funny what you said, "though I have never let my seat go to anybody." :lol:

I have had bad experiences with the passengers they say plz occupy seat number 52 SU in the next coach,We have a traveler who can't climb up plz plz/..............though I have never let my seat go to anybody.

happens with me all the time..
being fit in India is a punishment ;)
anyways despite all this I love these junk boxes..

you mean to say people aren't using GRs because of low fares??
or did you mean to say something else??

I was telling ‘low fares’ is not the main reason for people using it. Even if the rates are higher, people would use it. It is all about availability, now say in Bangalore-Trivandrum sector, the demand is more and availability is less. GR ticket costs about Rs.530, 3 Tier A/C about Rs.900, Volvo buses about Rs900-1100 (B9R), 2 Tier A/C about Rs.1300. All buses are Jam packed, be it private Volvos, KaSRTC Volvos or KeSRTC Volvos. I have never travelled by bus so far in the last 3 years, and always prefers trains if I am not by flight. So even if GR tickets are replaced by the normal 3 tier A/C rates, still there would be demand. Trains and buses take 15-17 hours while the aircraft takes 1.30 hours (ATR) and 1 hour (Jets)

don't know about the route you frequent but at least Bandra-NZM garib rath is jampacked whenever I try to get a ticket..

GRs had low patronage in the beginning, due to many reasons, odd timings, odd days etc. Bangalore-Trivandrum Garib Rath is an example. I have travelled by that train two times. It was earlier easy to get tickets. And this ‘easy’ is a relative term, because the in other trains, the reservation would be full for about one to one and half months. In GR it would be easy to get tickets if you book one week earlier. But this January when I tried for tickets, it is almost full all days. I have now booked on King Fisher, paying Rs. 2329 one way.

happens with me all the time..
being fit in India is a punishment ;)
anyways despite all this I love these junk boxes..

I feel that we should be considerate to elders. I know the difficulty my parents or in laws (they are in the 60-70 age bracket) face during train travel. Climbing upper berths is always an issue. It doesn’t feel good if you are a muscled well built guy, sleeping in the lower berth and letting a 60+ yr old lady climb up the to the upper berth. Life is about adjustments also.

Some cases when I have booked tickets for me and wife, I have got tickets in two different corners of the compartment and once in two different bogies. In the former case, after getting in to the compartment, we requested the TTE and he helped out by searching for a guy/gal travelling alone. In the latter case I had cancelled the ticket and booked in flight.

In Indian Railways, you can ask for a choice of berths while doing online booking, but no guarantee that you would get it. For example, the chances of getting a lower berth is lower if your age is less.

BTW I always give option for Upper berths. And you will get it always. You will be less troubled in sleep by others when you are in upper berths, and more room. Even during day time also, if you want to lie down, you can climb up and sleep.

I have had bad experiences with the passengers they say plz occupy seat number 52 SU in the next coach,We have a traveler who can't climb up plz plz/..............though I have never let my seat go to anybody.

It happens everywhere in the world I've been. It's called common courtesy. Imagine yourself as 90-95 years old with knee problems and then a young, fit guy doesn't let you take the lower berth. What will your reaction be?

It's nice to be human sometimes. Helps making the society better.

I feel that we should be considerate to elders. I know the difficulty my parents or in laws (they are in the 60-70 age bracket) face during train travel. Climbing upper berths is always an issue. It doesn’t feel good if you are a muscled well built guy, sleeping in the lower berth and letting a 60+ yr old lady climb up the to the upper berth. Life is about adjustments also.

Some cases when I have booked tickets for me and wife, I have got tickets in two different corners of the compartment and once in two different bogies. In the former case, after getting in to the compartment, we requested the TTE and he helped out by searching for a guy/gal travelling alone. In the latter case I had cancelled the ticket and booked in flight.

In Indian Railways, you can ask for a choice of berths while doing online booking, but no guarantee that you would get it. For example, the chances of getting a lower berth is lower if your age is less.

BTW I always give option for Upper berths. And you will get it always. You will be less troubled in sleep by others when you are in upper berths, and more room. Even during day time also, if you want to lie down, you can climb up and sleep.

sarcasm once again found its grave here on SSC :ohno:

Its not dumb.She has done her bit to introduce trains at almost low rates for students and unemployed youth.I am happy hope they introduce one such train between Mysore-Chennai. :banana:

Are you serious? :ohno: Let railways introduce thrid Shathabdi between Bangalore and Chennai instead of those Yuva trains.

but,

How they will check the un-employed youth? Is gvt giving some ID cards for that?

Gr8 our country is going back to 1950's long live IR.

Name it as Garib Shadathi in line of Jan Shadathi, Garib rath etc., And Garib rath should be named as Garib Rajdhani.:lol::lol:

And these people talk about bullet and high speed trains?:lol:

New Delhi, Dec 31 (PTI) Can India have its first bullet train that would run at a speed of 350 kms per hour?

The proposal is being explored by the railways with the help of three companies, including a French and an Italian firm.

The report of the feasibility study, being conducted on 533-km long Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad section, is expected to be submitted next month that will give an idea to the government whether or not to go ahead with such a proposal.

"After examining the report, we will decide on the next course of action," a senior railway official told PTI.

The feasibility study is being conducted by Systra of France and Italferr of Italy along with RITES.

For a bullet train, a dedicated corridor would have to be built and officials estimate that each kilometre of such a train would cost about Rs 100-150 crore.Pti (http://www.ptinews.com/news/447163_Study-on-to-see-if-India-can-run-bullet-train)

I have created a new thread for Ludhiana-Delhi-Kolkata industrial corridor as it seems that work has already been started. Land acquisition is already going on :cheers:. Here (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=49471651#post49471651) is the thread.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Villagers-build-own-railway-station/articleshow/5411123.cms)
GURGAON: For 25 years, residents of Tajnagar village near Gurgaon lobbied for a railway station in their village. When their demand was not met, the
villagers decided to take matters in their own hands — they pooled in Rs 21 lakh and built a railway station on their own.

On Tuesday, the result of their efforts — perhaps the first railway station in the country on which the Railways didn’t have to spend a single penny — will start operations.

"We have hired a vehicle to spread the message that the station is getting functional. It’s no less than a festival for us and we are organizing a puja at the station. All passengers will get prasad," said an elated villager, adding that the station will benefit people from other villagers as well.

It all started about two years back, when the panchayat passed a resolution saying that since the Railways was not able to build a station for them, they would do it themselves. And with their own money. Soon, an 11-member ‘gram seva samiti’ was constituted and it started collecting money from villagers.

"Most of the 3,000-plus people living in the village are agriculturists. But such was the burning desire to have a station in the village, everybody contributed according to their capacity. Ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 75,000 they donated money for the station and we started construction in January, 2008," said Ranjeet Singh, former village sarpanch.

“There are a large number of people in the village who need to go to Gurgaon, Delhi and Rewari. There are students who go to colleges. Till now we had to either go to Hailimandi or Patli to catch a train. Both stations are 6km away from Tajnagar. We thought that when the railway line passes through the village, we should have a station here. We have been raising the demand since 1982, but the Railways told us that they do not have funds. So, finally we decided to craft our own destiny," said Hukum Chand, a member of the committee.

The villagers then asked the Railways if it would agree to stop a few trains at the station if they constructed a station with their own resources. To their surprise, the Railways agreed to make seven passenger trains (in both directions) halt at the station if it was built according to its specifications.

"The Railways decided to make it a halt station because a number of people would benefit from it. Financially too, the idea looked viable," said Anant Swaroop, Northern Railways spokesperson. He added that a station master and ticket collector had been appointed.

The station, which took one year for completion, has two platforms. It has a kachcha platform, water and electricity, and a ticket counter. It would be inaugurated by Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjeet Singh. Villagers said as a skeleton station was ready now, they need the Railways’ help to make a concrete platform, a waiting room and an overhead shed.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said she had already altered the land acquisition template of the Indian Railways in a bid to ensure no land was forcefully acquired for projects undertaken by her ministry.

“I have personally made an amendment to the land acquisition rules of the Railways a month ago so that forceful acquisitions do not take place,” Banerjee said, without divulging the details of the amendment or the Act to which it was made.

However, sources indicated that the Banerjee, along with the rail board, were likely to have approved changes in the Railways Act (1989). “But, after the amendment is approved, it might have to go through Parliament before it is enforced,” the source said.

Slighting the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-led West Bengal government for its dispute-ridden land acquisition attempts in the state, Banerjee said her ministry would walk the extra mile to avoid discord among land-losers in railway projects.

“Unlike Singur and Nandigram, we will not acquire large tracts of land forcefully. We will only take what we require from those who are willing to part with their land. If people are unwilling, we will change the tracks and look at alternative routes,” Banerjee said at a ceremony in Amta, near Kolkata.

Source: Business Standard

Boss, the villagers need to get their money back.

Rites will supply 20 dmu sets for srilanka railways manufacred by ICF.
Do any body have any updeted news about this project ?. If avilable
please post.

Rites will supply 20 dmu sets for srilanka railways manufacred by ICF.
Do any body have any updeted news about this project ?. If avilable
please post.

Not much updates around , but below are few articles of your intrest

http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/01/01/news31.asp

http://www.lankaeverything.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1805:-india-extends-425-mn-credit-for-railways-in-north-lanka-&catid=19:srilanka&Itemid=145

Tender Published on 29th OCT
http://tenders.indiamart.com/details/10046581/

http://www.rites.com/web/index2.php?option=content&task=view&id=138&pop=1&page=0

Source (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/bangla-nepal-rail-link-on-the-way_100301017.html)
New Delhi, Jan 8 (IANS) Bangladesh’s dream of a two-way transit rail link to Nepal via Indian territory is set to move a step closer to reality during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India that starts Sunday.
India has cleared a long-pending demand of Dhaka to start the transit rail link between Bangladesh and Nepal through its territory, reliable sources said here Friday.

A deal on the rail link is expected to be announced during Sheikh Hasina’s visit during which the two sides will also sign three counter-terror agreements and a pact on expanding power cooperation.

The rail link was discussed between the foreign secretaries of the two countries in Dhaka in November last year.

Bangladesh and Nepal had signed a transit agreement in 1976 for expanding bilateral trade, but it could not be implemented as India did not allow its territory to be used for passage at that time for security reasons.

Both Bangladesh and Nepal have to use Indian territory for road or railway connectivity between them.

The two sides are working to finalise the most convenient route for rail transit from Bangladesh to Nepal.

India is understood to have decided on the Rohanpur-Shinghabad border point as a possible transit point on its border.

After a nod from India, Bangladesh is reportedly moving to open a new land route to Nepal and offer it the use of its Mongla port in the Bay of Bengal for export of goods to a third country.

The decision by India to clear the Bangla-Nepal rail transit link is part of a broader Indian strategy to put relations with Dhaka back on track by focusing on increasing connectivity and trade between the two countries.

India is set to announce a $500 million line of credit for upgrading railway infrastructure in Bangladesh, that will include the supply of locomotives and coaches.

India is also keen on stepping up its land-route connectivity through Bangladesh to boost trade in its seven north-eastern states, part of a plan to offset Chinese influence in the region.

The rail connectivity issue will also figure in the discussions when Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee will call on Sheikh Hasina Tuesday.

don't you think that this link would make it easier for the terrorist to secretly infiltrate into India?:omg::nono:

Indian Express (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/on-agenda-rail-line-in-bangla-to-bring-kolkata-agartala-closer/565807/0)
New Delhi: With the long-term objective of securing rail transit rights through Bangladesh to connect Kolkata with Tripura capital Agartala, bypassing the treacherous route through the ‘chicken’s neck’, India is all set to push for the construction of a 14-km railway line between the two countries during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s three-day visit to India that begins Monday.
The chicken’s neck or Siliguri Corridor is a narrow stretch of land, which connects India’s north-eastern states to the rest of country.
Sources said the Indian government is ready to construct the line as part of an aid to Bangladesh.
The Railways Ministry is learnt to have prepared a detailed proposal for this link and RailwayMinister Mamata Banerjee will personally take up the matter with Hasina, sources said.
India essentially wants to lay a new rail line from Akhaura in Bangladesh to Agartala to have a much shorter access route to Tripura via Bangladesh.
At present, the sole rail connectivity between Kolkata and Agartala is through the Siliguri Corridor. India at present has rail access till Dhaka.
While the rail line till Dhaka is a broad gauge line, the line from Dhaka to Akhaura is meter gauge. Constructing a meter gauge line from Akhaura to Agartala would provide direct Kolkata-Agartala connectivity to India. Transshipment, however, would be required at Dhaka because of gauge change.
At over 1,600 km, the current route is not only very long but also under continuous disruptions owing to either geological factors or terrorist activities. As a result, taking even the essential supplies to Tripura has often proved to be a major problem for the Indian authorities. If both sides agree to construct the 14 km of rail line connecting Akhaura with Agartala and if India can get transit rights through Bangladesh, the distance between Kolkata and Agartala could come down to around 550 km, officials said.
Sources said Bangladesh, has not been very open to the idea, probably anticipating an Indian demand for transit rights later. While the issue of transit rights will come up if both sides agree to construct the line, India, sources said, was keener on operating freight trains and not passenger trains on the Kolkata-Dhaka-Akhaura-Agartala route.

don't you think that this link would make it easier for the terrorist to secretly infiltrate into India?:omg::nono:

We cannot stop development because of the terrorists. Today, if we are letting Bangladesh making rail track across India, who knows they might let us make a road/rail track through bangladesh towards the North-eastern states in the future.
++ It will help India's relationship with the neighbors and will reduce the Chinese influence in the area.

About terrorists, I am sure government will be doing something about checking into this issue.

On agenda, rail line in Bangla to bring Kolkata, Agartala close

I swear I did not read that before writing my previous post :nuts:
And the future I was talking about actually came out to be really close ::D:

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/mamata-hasina-talkimproving-rail-links/382455/)
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today discussed with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ways of developing rail connectivity with that country to further enhance ties between the two neighbours.
Among the proposals considered today includes a project to construct a railway link between Rohanpur and Singhabad to facilitate transit traffic from Bangladesh to Nepal through India. Railway ministry sources indicated that the ministry had no objections to opening the additional transit route to Bangladesh.
“We have no reservations to open the Rohanpur-Singhabad route. Procedures, however, have to be initiated to obtain the requisite clearances from the Ministry of External Affairs, Customs and Security authorities,” an official in the railway ministry said.
The Bangladesh PM arrived in New Delhi on Sunday on a three-day visit to India.
Also discussed today was the trans-Asian rail connectivity project between India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Indian railway network can be conjoined with the Bangladeshi network at Akhaura near Agartala by adding 13 km of missing rail track. India has completed its portion of the survey.
The project had been of controversy in Bangladesh till date. However, if implemented it would facilitate continuous link to Myanmar and China.
Among other issues discusses was a proposal to extend $200 million in credit to develop rail infrastructure in the neighbouring country and projects to strengthen the Chittagong-Dhaka route on a priority basis as it is a revenue-generating corridor.
Banerjee and Hasina also discussed on promoting container traffic via rail between the two countries.
At present, containers from India to Bangladesh are transported by ship via the Mumbai-Singapore-Chittagong route and then on by road to Dhaka. Transporting containers by rail would reduce both transit time as well as expenses substantially.

Source: http://20twentytwo.blogspot.com/

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/1803/v2020railways.jpg

When she presented her first budget as a minister in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government last year, Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had announced a record number of infrastructure projects.

Her next budget, to be tabled in the coming month, would require a lot of funds to actually kickstart these projects as the financial allotments for these projects so far have been negligible.

While the estimated project costs run into hundreds of crores of rupees, the railway minister has uniformly allotted just Rs 1 lakh for most of these projects. In her supplementary demands for grants, she allotted Rs 10,000 each to these projects.

Projects which have received just token financial allotments include many in her own state, West Bengal. So Banerjee, who is eyeing the 2011 Assembly elections for the chief ministership, has announced a bonanza for the state that she has not backed up with funds.

Source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/railway-projects-run-into-fund-hurdles/382552/)
A 28-km line doubling project has an anticipated cost of Rs 137.56 core but the Budget allotment was Rs 1 lakh. Banerjee added Rs 10,000 in her supplementary demands for grants passed in Parliament last month.

A third line between Dankuni and Liluah (anticipated cost Rs 80 crore), manning of unmanned level crossings of Eastern Railway (Rs 16 crore), public address system in EMUs in Kolkata area (Rs 16.07 crore), Kolkata Metro Railway’s rake rehabilitation facility (Rs 69.61 crore) and two projects of EMD type and Phase-3 locomotives with sub-assemblies from Dankuni (total Rs 1,700 crore) are some other projects that received similar treatment from Banerjee.

Outside Bengal, the unreserved ticketing system at 2,000 post offices in northern India (Rs 120.24 crore), Daund-Gulbarga line doubling and Pune Guntakal electrification (Rs 1,437.79 crore), Banspani-Jakhapura line doubling (Rs 1,142.60 crore), manning of unmanned level crossings of Western Railway (Rs 96 crore) and integrated security system at Chennai (Rs 90 crore) received just Rs 1 lakh to begin work during Banerjee’s first year as the UPA’s railway minister.

Altogether, at least 40 projects with cumulative anticipated cost of more than Rs 5,000 crore have received just Rs 40 lakh as Budget allocation and around Rs 4 lakh in Banerjee’s supplementary demands for grants.

CPI(M)’s Basudeb Acharia, who headed the Parliamentary Standing Committee of Railway earlier, said: “In her ‘White Paper’, she has announced no new project can be taken up. To complete the pending projects the minister would require Rs 1 lakh crore.”

ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Airport-level-security-at-195-sensitive-rly-stations/articleshow/5442979.cms)NEW DELHI: Railway stations across the country would soon sport security systems on a par with airports. Indian Railways, the country’s largest
transporter of passengers and freight, has identified 195 sensitive stations for a security makeover.

“The railways have earmarked a budget of Rs 344 crore for the proposed security overhaul at all the sensitive stations,” a Rail Bhawan official told ET. The Railway Board has also approved the expenditure.

The new initiative will cover almost all the major stations such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Patna, Guwahati, Varanasi and Lucknow. These stations would be access-controlled and have luggage scanning system similar to the one at airports. The system would also include camera surveillance to monitor suspicious activities in coaches as well as peripheral areas of the stations.

“In the rolling stock, cameras will be installed so as to cover the entrance and the inside of coaches. These shall be networked and the video feed shall be recorded in the storage device available on the moving train,” he said.
The proposed security arrangements would be put up by zonal railways. A single turnkey tender from private firms for the implementing the integrated security set-up will be invited.

Another official said that major portion of the work would consist of surveillance cameras, surveillance network, telephony system and associated equipment.The integrated system would also include explosive detection and disposal system. The enhanced security setup is in response to inputs received from intelligence agencies that have put railway stations on the list of sensitive areas that could be targeted by terrorists.

NEW DELHI: West Bengal did not get Tata’s Nano plant but it could have a brand new rail coach factory worth Rs 1,000 crore soon, providing
employment to thousands of youth in the Kanchrapara district of the state. The Planning Commission is favourably considering a proposal from the railways ministry for a new plant at Kanchrapara, a commission official told ET.

The ministry has asked for Rs 924 crore over a four-year period. If the proposal comes through, the railway minister can start building the factory without waiting for private sector money. “The Planning Commission is looking at the proposal favourably as the district is in dire need of industrial activity to provide employment,” the official who did not wish to be named told ET.

The minister had in her budget speech proposed to execute the project in partnership with the private sector. However, attracting private funds is a long-drawn process as investors examine a lot of factors such as project viability and profitability before putting in money.

“It is much easier to get funds from the Centre as the government’s yardstick for approving a project is different from that of a private investor,” pointed out former railway board chairman Raghu Dayal.

“We do need more coaches for new trains, but it has to be viewed in the overall context of capacity,” Mr Dayal added. Railways is facing a shortage of nearly all rolling stock, including coaches. Over the five years ended 2008-09 it has only procured about 15,000 coaches.

The Railways has already submitted a detailed report on the proposed factory to the commission. There would be a series of more meetings between the two before the proposal is finalised.

Source (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/in-line-for-upgrade-greater-noida-village-to-find-place-on-rail-map/567116/)
Greater NOIDA Till now, Boraki, a remote village in Greater Noida, was an inconspicuous railway stopover for loading and unloading goods trains. That, however, is set to change soon.
The village railway station is now in line for a Rs 130-crore renovation project to be turned into a railway and transport hub. The railway station, which currently has no proper seating arrangements, will be renamed the Greater Noida railway station.

According to Greater Noida Development Authority (GNDA) officials, the railway station upgrade project will be a step towards developing the village and its adjoining areas.

“The railway station is a small stop and not every express train stops at this station. After the upgrade, however, the station will be an integral point connecting Greater Noida to other towns and states, and express and superfast trains like the Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani will stop at this station as well,” a senior official of the GNDA said.

According to chief executive engineer, GNDA, while plans for upgrading the Boraki railway station was in the pipeline, the authority could not get a clearance from the Railway ministry.

“The ministry has now agreed to the renovation and had asked us to prepare a progress report, which we have submitted,” Mohinder Singh, CEO, Greater Noida Authority, said.

The upgraded railway station will be part of two major projects coming up in Greater Noida —the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and the Eastern Freight Railway corridor proposed between Ludhiana and Kolkata.

Officials believe upgrading Boraki railway station to international standards will give a boost to industries around the village. “The plan is to develop the station commercially. As the authority will be spending crores on the upgrade, the cost incurred will be recovered by developing a commercial complex above the station,” the official said.

The trains might be washed, serviced and stationed there. “We have acquired 1,200 acres of land to develop the railway station. The zone will have five-star hotels and malls as well,” the official added.

* Renovation project to cost Rs 130 crore
* 1,200 acres of land has been acquired
* Station to be part of two upcoming projects in Greater Noida — Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and Eastern Freight Railway corridor

I am confused. Mamata is likely to make railway coach factories in every town, cities, villages in Bengal.. :blahblah: :lol:

NEW DELHI: West Bengal did not get Tata’s Nano plant but it could have a brand new rail coach factory worth Rs 1,000 crore soon, providing
employment to thousands of youth in the Kanchrapara district of the state. The Planning Commission is favourably considering a proposal from the railways ministry for a new plant at Kanchrapara, a commission official told ET.

The ministry has asked for Rs 924 crore over a four-year period. If the proposal comes through, the railway minister can start building the factory without waiting for private sector money. “The Planning Commission is looking at the proposal favourably as the district is in dire need of industrial activity to provide employment,” the official who did not wish to be named told ET.

The minister had in her budget speech proposed to execute the project in partnership with the private sector. However, attracting private funds is a long-drawn process as investors examine a lot of factors such as project viability and profitability before putting in money.

“It is much easier to get funds from the Centre as the government’s yardstick for approving a project is different from that of a private investor,” pointed out former railway board chairman Raghu Dayal.

“We do need more coaches for new trains, but it has to be viewed in the overall context of capacity,” Mr Dayal added. Railways is facing a shortage of nearly all rolling stock, including coaches. Over the five years ended 2008-09 it has only procured about 15,000 coaches.

The Railways has already submitted a detailed report on the proposed factory to the commission. There would be a series of more meetings between the two before the proposal is finalised.

Hindu (http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article80388.ece)The Rajdhani Express that links New Delhi to the State capitals offers the unique opportunity of experiencing Indian Railways at its best. It is for the first time that the tourist attractions of a State are being featured on the coaches of the country’s prestigious train.

The serene beaches, emerald backwaters, lush hill stations, exotic wildlife, waterfalls, sprawling plantations and enchanting art forms of Kerala that charm holidayers from around the world will adorn the country’s superfast train Rajdhani Express.

The 2431/2432 Nizamuddin-Thiruvananthapuram-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Expresses with paintings on tourist attractions of God’s Own Country is to be flagged off by Union Minister for Tourism Kumari Selja from Nizamuddin station on January 17. Kerala Minister for Tourism and Home Kodiyeri Balakrishnan is to attend the programme.

The Rajdhani Express that links New Delhi to the State capitals offers the unique opportunity of experiencing Indian Railways at its best. It is for the first time that the tourist attractions of a State are being featured on the coaches of the country’s prestigious train.

“It is part of the innovative promotion strategy to enhance more visibility for the destination and unique tourism products the State has to offer and to attract domestic tourists to Kerala in the coming days,” Director of Tourism M. Shivasankar told The Hindu.

All the 17 coaches of the superfast fully air-conditioned Rajdhani Express have been painted with distinct images of Kerala. As the train traverses Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka en route to Thiruvananthapuram and back, Mr. Shivasankar said, it would promote the tourist destinations in a big way.

Tourism Secretary V. Venu said it was the most innovative and exciting promotion strategy adopted by Kerala Tourism till date. “This is going to do wonders for the State,” he said. The State had managed to adorn the colours of Kerala at a whopping cost of Rs.1.2 crore and the promotion would be for the next six months.

The strategy to attract domestic tourists in a big way comes in the wake of the apprehensions about the decline in international tourist arrivals due to recession. Kerala Tourism is all set to kick off a three-month campaign across the country from February 1 to attract more domestic travellers. The national campaign will commence with the Kerala Tourism Partnership Meet in Chandigarh on February 1.

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00023/IN14_RAJDHANI_23241e.jpg

I am confused. Mamata is likely to make railway coach factories in every town, cities, villages in Bengal.. :blahblah: :lol:
^^ wait & see she will make the entire state of West Bengal a Railway colony

^^ wait & see she will make the entire state of West Bengal a Railway colony

:rofl:

Source (http://beta.thehindu.com/business/article79198.ece)
India and Sri Lanka on Monday signed a commercial agreement for construction of a railway line between Omanthai and Pallai in the war torn Northern Province. A press statement by the Indian High Commission said that the pact was signed at the Ministry of Transport in the presence of Sri Lanka Minister of Transport Dullas Alahapperuma and High Commissioner of India Ashok K. Kantha on behalf of IRCON International (a Government of India Undertaking which will construct the railway line) by S.L. Gupta and on behalf of the Sri Lanka Railways by P.P. Wijesekara. “The agreement is backed by a Government of India line of credit for $185 million. It is part of a larger package of assistance directed at the rehabilitation of railway infrastructure in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, for which the Government of India has committed a total amount of $425 million in lines of credit,” it said. The latest agreement follows similar agreements that have been signed earlier for the rehabilitation of the Southern Railway corridor, which had been extensively damaged in the 2004 tsunami. Under that agreement, India is assisting in the rehabilitation of the Colombo-Matara rail link through a line of credit of $167.4 million. Work on the Colombo-Kalutara sector of this line is already at an advanced stage. Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Kantha noted that the reconstruction of transport-related infrastructure was an essential requirement for the restoration of normal economic life in the Northern Province as it would both generate and support livelihood-related activities. The High Commissioner said that India remains committed to continuing its assistance to Sri Lanka as it undertakes the important and challenging task of reconstructing the Northern Province.

PTI

New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) As part its efforts to provide youths communication facilities at affordable rates, the Railways today flagged off a 'Yuva Train' from Hazrat Nizamuddin station here to Mumbai and launched a mobile ticket van service for benefit of people in remote areas.

The low-cost air-conditioned weekly train, with seated accommodations only, was flagged off by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa.

The ticket fares of the train will range from Rs 80 for the first 100 km and Rs 299 up to 1500 km and maximum of Rs 399 up to 2500 km.

The first Yuva train from Howrah to New Delhi was flagged off by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on December 30 from Howrah.

I don't understand the need of a Poojiya Mantriji to flag of yet another drab looking Indian Railway train. No other country in the world does this. These are routine stuff, add a train, delete a train, change the route of the train. No one goes around garlanding trains and for the public on evening TV seeing baboon like faces with flags and flower draped around them.

Source (http://beta.thehindu.com/business/article79198.ece)
India and Sri Lanka on Monday signed a commercial agreement for construction of a railway line between Omanthai and Pallai in the war torn Northern Province. A press statement by the Indian High Commission said that the pact was signed at the Ministry of Transport in the presence of Sri Lanka Minister of Transport Dullas Alahapperuma and High Commissioner of India Ashok K. Kantha on behalf of IRCON International (a Government of India Undertaking which will construct the railway line) by S.L. Gupta and on behalf of the Sri Lanka Railways by P.P. Wijesekara. “The agreement is backed by a Government of India line of credit for $185 million. It is part of a larger package of assistance directed at the rehabilitation of railway infrastructure in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, for which the Government of India has committed a total amount of $425 million in lines of credit,” it said. The latest agreement follows similar agreements that have been signed earlier for the rehabilitation of the Southern Railway corridor, which had been extensively damaged in the 2004 tsunami. Under that agreement, India is assisting in the rehabilitation of the Colombo-Matara rail link through a line of credit of $167.4 million. Work on the Colombo-Kalutara sector of this line is already at an advanced stage. Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Kantha noted that the reconstruction of transport-related infrastructure was an essential requirement for the restoration of normal economic life in the Northern Province as it would both generate and support livelihood-related activities. The High Commissioner said that India remains committed to continuing its assistance to Sri Lanka as it undertakes the important and challenging task of reconstructing the Northern Province.

this is a good move!! we must have a rail link with SL

I don't understand the need of a Poojiya Mantriji to flag of yet another drab looking Indian Railway train. No other country in the world does this. These are routine stuff, add a train, delete a train, change the route of the train. No one goes around garlanding trains and for the public on evening TV seeing baboon like faces with flags and flower draped around them.

.... baboon like faces with flags ...:rofl:

this is a good move!! we must have a rail link with SL

Some more updates

Source (http://www.sundaytimes.lk/100117/News/nws_22.html)
Indian Railways makes a beeline for the Lankan tracks
By Satarupa Bhattacharjya

Indian Railways with over 63,000 kilometres of rail track at home is one of the largest mass transport networks in the world. And, laying down 90 kilometres of track in Sri Lanka’s northern province might therefore be an easy task for the organization. But, the Omanthai-Pallai track project costing $185 million is of significance to New Delhi given that it is a major infrastructure reconstruction programme in post-war Sri Lanka.

Apart from multi-lateral lending agencies such as the World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB), India has provided large grants to Sri Lanka for reconstruction works. China however has been seen as grabbing plum infrastructure projects by extending its line of credit even at commercial rates to the island nation in various sectors including military supplies. China’s expanding interests in the Indian Ocean region has deepened India’s concerns.
Constructions begin at a completely destroyed rail track near Omanthai

The Government of India’s firm Indian Railways Construction Company (IRCON) with over three decades of work experiences in India and other countries has picked up the Omanthai-Pallai project which is of diplomatic importance to New Delhi as Beijing had been waiting at the door. Another $240 million from the Indian line of credit is expected to arrive in Colombo in the near future when two other track programmes are finalised between IRCON and Sri Lanka Railway.

According to sources in Colombo’s diplomatic community, China was in the reckoning for the coming up Medawachiya-Madhu road-rail link project but India seems to have finally bagged that contact along with another to build the Madhu Road to Tallaimannar track. Sources also said that India offered to develop rail lines at around $2 million per kilometre as compared to a much higher price quoted by China.

A rail link between Omanthai and Pallai earning high revenue for Sri Lanka Railway had existed till 1989. While the track was officially closed that year as tensions between the LTTE and Sri Lankan government forces brew; in subsequent years even metal welds fitted alongside the tracks had been removed and the line debilitated. IRCON officials who conducted a survey of the terrain for two months prior to signing the agreement, said, the area was still to be demined completely.

Trains would be able to touch even 120 kilometres per hour on the northern line due to a flat surface unlike the Island’s undulated south where speeds are usually kept below 100 kilometres per hour. IRCON will fetch 50 of its track laying machines from Africa’s south eastern country Mozambique where a civil war was fought for 15 years and where IRCON recently completed 600 kilometres of rail routes.

Sister organization, the Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) will provide training to the local rail workers. “RITES will bring in a few officers and engineers from India to train Sri Lankan workers. We have been doing this in the south as well,” general manager (Sri Lanka), IRCON International Ltd., told the Sunday Times.

Employment of local workers in infrastructure programmes is another area where Indian and Chinese economic engagements in Sri Lanka appear to differ. Sources in Colombo’s diplomatic community said that while the Government of India was keen on having maximum number of local workers on such projects, China brought in its own labour to work here.

IRCON began the modern reconstruction of the 2004 Tsunami-affected Matara-Colombo rail line in March last year. With 14 officers from India working in its Colombo and Galle offices, RITES has trained 40 local engineers and workers for the southern line. Already 42 kilometres of track reconstruction between Matara and Galle has been initiated by IRCON and the second phase of the programme which includes rebuilding 71 kilometres track from Galle to Kalutara will soon be undertaken by it. India sanctioned a grant of $167 million for the southern line

I feel Indian consumers have a unique advantage compared to other countries by having a well developed network of both airlines and rail networks throughout India. For example, USA is dependent mostly on airlines for long range travel. This becomes an advantange for Indian customers because if the airlines try bullying them for hikes then they can switch to another alternate mode of transportation. Highways are already getting developed so this will add another dimension to the competition within the transportation sector.

However, India lacks severely in developing its railways infrastructure. For example, we have now started creating world-class airports but no attention is paid on railways stations. The stations are still old school designs with primitive considerations to convenience and efficiency. I think the government should look into developing these railway stations. Unfortunately, not many countries have the unique requirements as India such as number of passsengers, employment, literacy, etc. Hence, we need to create designs developed for our unique requirements.

Wat say?

PATNA: With the completion of Rajgir-Tilaiya new line, the railways now intends to build a flyover track between Bakhtiarpur and Barh in Patna district at an estimated cost of over Rs 60 crore for the smooth run of goods trains carrying coal directly from Tilaiya (Jharkhand) for NTPC power station being built at Barh.

The flyover tracks will be the first of its kind in the Indian Railways and it will be completed on priority basis. It is a joint venture of the railways and NTPC.

The civil work on the proposed flyover track is likely to begin soon between Bakhtiarpur and Barh on the mainline section of Danapur division under East Central Railway (ECR).

According to the chief administrative officer (CAO) of East Central Railway, the railways is likely to finalize the design and structure pattern of the flyover track in January itself. The railways has invited tender to begin the ambitious project in the current fiscal year, he said.

The CAO maintained that the completion of this project would facilitate smooth and uninterrupted supply of coal to the thermal power station being built at Barh. The railways intends to carry coal wagons directly from Tilaiya to the Barh power station from the Rajgir-Bakhtiarpur route of the Danapur division, he said, adding the railways would segregate completely coal goods traffic line between Bakhtiarpur and Barh so that mainline traffic on the Patna-Howrah route is not delayed due to movement of coal wagon goods train.

According to sources, this project was duly sanctioned by the Railway Board during Nitish Kumar's tenure as railway minister to maintain smooth flow of traffic on the mainline route, particularly between Bakhtiarpur and Barh stations. Besides, railways would run at least four to five coal laden rakes daily from Tilaiya to Barh via Rajgir-Bakhtiarpur section of the division. The sanctioned flyover track is a 20 km stretch between Bakhtiarpur and Barh.
According to sources, it will be the only flyover track carrying coal wagons in such large numbers as far as from Tilaiya to Barh to cater to the needs of the power station.

The railways, however, intends to segregate a separate line from the Bakhtiarpur yard to the power station for the time being to maintain supply of coals uninterrupted. Since completion of the flyover track will take time, the railways proposes to build a separate line from Bakhtiarpur to Barh as a temporary arrangement. This has become possible following completion of the new lines between Rajgir and Tilaiya at a cost of Rs 230 crore, sources said.
It may be recalled that commissioner for railway safety (CRS) R P Yadav recently inspected the newly built Rajgir-Tilaiya lines. CM Nitish Kumar had demanded early opening of this line while flagging off two new trains from Patna Junction recently.

Perhaps, conceding his demand, the Railway Board soon asked the CRS to inspect the line and submit his report soon. It is believed that the CRS would give his final nod soon for opening traffic movement on this line. The railways will thus have a direct connectivity with Tilaiya-Rajgir-Bakhtiarpur-Barh route for the coal wagon goods trains, sources said.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Stations-to-lose-Raj-era-red-in-Mamata-regime/articleshow/5450613.cms)
KOLKATA: Yet another British legacy looks to be on its way out. Railway buildings will no longer be red in colour. In many places — particularly
at stations that have been declared 'adarsh' (ideal) by railway minister Mamata Banerjee — new colour schemes, ranging from yellow and green to pink and even shades of purple have already been introduced.

It is not known whether Mamata has anything to do with the decision. One thing is certain, though. Ever since she took over, railway officials in charge of organising her public programmes have avoided use of red-coloured items. Carpets and chairs have turned green and care is taken to ensure that there is no red in the backdrop to the dais.

The colour red is avoided on invitation cards and newspaper advertisements. Even red roses are apparently a strict no-no in floral decorations. In Kolkata, during the Pujas last year, Metro stations were decorated with green and yellow lights, even blue sometimes, but not a strand of red.

The latest trend has been to scrape off the red paint from railway booking offices and other railway buildings and repaint them. There has been a mixed reaction from senior railway officials. While there are some who believe that the grandeur of the structures are lost once the red colour goes, others believe that the buildings have started looking much brighter. After all, there is no law that says that railway buildings have to be red in colour.

"It is not only about railway property. The British had the same colour code for all government buildings. Both Howrah station and Writers' Buildings are red in colour. Even police stations in Kolkata were painted red. This was probably done to distinguish government buildings from others. Another logic could be that most such buildings are all exposed brick structures. The best way to protect them from the weather was to coat them with red oxide. This colour lasts longer than any other," a senior official said.

Officials have been left wondering whether the Howrah station old complex will get a new colour scheme before long. The century-old South Eastern Railway headquarters at Garden Reach is also red in colour. Both of these are heritage structures and there is bound to be some confusion should any attempt be made to change their colour schemes.

According to sources, it will be the only flyover track carrying coal wagons in such large numbers as far as from Tilaiya to Barh to cater to the needs of the power station.

A "first" indeed! :nuts::lol::lol::lol::lol:

She is not using Red because that is the color of the communists!

With the completion of Rajgir-Tilaiya new line, the railways now intends to build a flyover track between Bakhtiarpur and Barh in Patna district at an estimated cost of over Rs 60 crore for the smooth run of goods trains carrying coal directly from Tilaiya (Jharkhand) for NTPC power station being built at Barh.
The flyover tracks will be the first of its kind in the Indian Railways and it will be completed on priority basis. It is a joint venture of the railways and NTPC. he civil work on the proposed flyover track is likely to begin soon between Bakhtiarpur and Barh on the mainline section of Danapur
division under East Central Railway (ECR).

Source: TNN

The Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee, has called upon the Railway officials to continue their dedication and devotion to ensure smooth operation of Indian Railways and also continue to be careful and alert in their attitude towards implementing and observing all important instructions & guidelines issued by the Railway Board from time to time. Addressing the two-day General Managers’ Conference here today, Kumari Mamata Banerjee emphasized on proper training of Railway personnel especially the core staff deployed for safety related jobs. She also said that while it is necessary to encourage and protect good employees but staff found wanting on performance needs to be held accountable and answerable.
She also said that various decisions announced in the Railway Budget should be implemented with full sincerity and expeditiously. On safety, Kumari Mamata said that Railways need to carry more safety drives by conducting surprise checks and by properly implementing safety guidelines. Referring to security of passengers, the Minister said that there is an urgent need to strengthen Railway Protection Force (RPF) in vulnerable areas and be more vigilant about those elements trying to create obstacles in the smooth operation of Railways.

She is not using Red because that is the color of the communists!

That's obvious . I bet she will paint it green.. the Trinamool color

Source (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ahmednagar-farmers-on-way-to-mantralaya-for-rail-link-to-mumbai/569100/0)

Pune has six local trains to Mumbai daily, besides several long distance trains that connect both the cities. But farmers in Ahmednagar, barely three hours via road from Pune, are struggling for a rail link to Mumbai.

Around 200 farmers from Ahmednagar are on their way to Mantralaya in Mumbai to lobby for a train link, ahead of the Railway budget in Febraury. They started from Ahmednagar on January 12 and have been holding small public meetings along the route to Mumbai. On January 19, they will reach Mumbai.

Murlidhar Gunjal from Ahmednagar sends vegetables and other produce daily to the Mumbai market via road. “It takes around six to eight hours by a truck and costs me around Rs 6,000. A railway link to Mumbai via Malshej Ghat will save a lot of time and money,” Gunjal said. They have formed a committee called the Malshej Railway Kruti Samiti to press for a rail link that will cut across the scenic Malshej Ghat and connect to Mumbai.

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“Once they connect this link via rail, other parts of the state, notably Marathwada and Vidharba, will also get a direct link to Mumbai,” said Dinesh Chandra Walawale, president of the Malshek Railway Kruti Samiti. The samiti aims to get 5 lakh signatures this week to take up the matter with the state and the central government. “This proposal has been pending for 15 years,” he added.

Farmers said around 300 trucks and tempos from Ahmednagar carry vegetables and cereals daily to Mumbai.

“Sometimes the road journey is bumpy and damages the vegetables. It can take up to 8-10 hours. With a train link, trade will much easier,” said Vinayak Dandwate, president of the guava growers association, from Ahmednagar. “We send 100 tempos of guavas alone. A train link will cut costs drastically for us,” he said.

There is already a railway link between Nashik and Mumbai besides the Pune-Mumbai link. The 240-km strech between Pune and Nashik, where Ahmednagar falls is unconnected directly to Mumbai.

“We have met MPs from Ahmednagar and Mumbai for this train and they have filed proposals on our behalf but they need to lobby continuously,” Gunjal said.

However, India lacks severely in developing its railways infrastructure. For example, we have now started creating world-class airports but no attention is paid on railways stations. The stations are still old school designs with primitive considerations to convenience and efficiency. I think the government should look into developing these railway stations. Unfortunately, not many countries have the unique requirements as India such as number of passsengers, employment, literacy, etc. Hence, we need to create designs developed for our unique requirements.

Wat say?

Many on this board have suggested how the IR can change the face of decrepit, crumbling railway stations with a little imagination and very little money. While the youth in India are rearing to go, the grandfather infested political Indian Netas are trapped in bye-gone era thinking. Just take a look at the fuss in the media in WB about a Communist Neta who died recently.

What does it take. Not much really. All it takes is a IR Neta with vision. My solution: Have a sub-division IR contest for a makeover design. There are umpteen bright Indian kids graduating from Architecture design schools. The winning few designs are used. Also the infrastructure of Railway stations exists though old and crumbling. A quick resurface of the platform floors with polished Indian granite stone and for the edges clad them with skid-free rubberised tiles. Next remove the old junk roofs. Clad them in bright colored steel roofs of attractive design from the contest. Plaster and paint the walls, provide faux cladding if needed for steel pillars/columns, install some brushed stainless steel sidings, add nice digital signage, attractive looking garbage bins, some local arts/crafts, murals, clean water fountains, redo the bath in tiles or polished granite, keep the whole place spotless clean and in no time the old railway station looks new. Yes, Trivandrum Railway station was done this way. How long will this take? Every sub-division station chief is authorized to do the makeover of their stations and in 6months - 1 yr we can have new looking Indian railway stations throughout the nation. The money spent would more than repay itself, since people would want to spend some time at the new stations which would be selling stuff briskly, some Ad sponsorships from the big names and the expense would be covered in no time. Get cracking IR.

With the completion of Rajgir-Tilaiya new line, the railways now intends to build a flyover track between Bakhtiarpur and Barh in Patna district at an estimated cost of over Rs 60 crore for the smooth run of goods trains carrying coal directly from Tilaiya (Jharkhand) for NTPC power station being built at Barh.
The flyover tracks will be the first of its kind in the Indian Railways and it will be completed on priority basis. It is a joint venture of the railways and NTPC. he civil work on the proposed flyover track is likely to begin soon between Bakhtiarpur and Barh on the mainline section of Danapur
division under East Central Railway (ECR).

Source: TNN


first flyover track? :lol:

:rofl:

first flyover track? :lol:

:rofl:

I am scratching my head ... what is the meaning of flyover track ... I guess tracks build over existing roads or railways like a flyover ?? isnt the mumbai harbour line and the Chennai MRTS build like that ?

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 'Chalo Kerala'-'Go Kerala', the tourism promotion campaign on wheels by Kerala Tourism Department using the rake of Thiruvanathapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express began its maiden run from Tuesday.

Wondering what holidaying in Kerala would be like? Just drop in at Nizamuddin station on Sunday for a view of a stunning montage of backwaters, beaches and the wildlife. Chances are you would come out only to pack up for a trip to God's own country!

In one of its biggest campaigns "Chalo Kerala", the state tourism department is starting a train with 17 carriages that will showcase the tranquil stretches of beaches, serene backwaters, lush hill stations and exotic wildlife of the state.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/national/chalo-kerala-jan-17-783

Other links

http://expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=%E2%80%98Chalo+Kerala%E2%80%99+starts+journey&artid=TBgvZBaqw5g=&SectionID=lMx/b5mt1kU=&MainSectionID=lMx/b5mt1kU=&SEO=&SectionName=tm2kh5uDhixGlQvAG42A/07OVZOOEmts

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thirupuram/Kerala-Rajdhani-makes-its-maiden-run-from-Thiruvanathapuram/articleshow/5477779.cms

I dont no how it is going to work. Because its only for 6 months and after wards its gone in the bin. Some one who likes to see what's on offer for a holiday just have to go on the Internet and Search. In this Fast World everything is done in a hurry. And Every one wants Quick Results. What The State should have done is Educate Kids in the all major Indian Schools and Colleges. Do an Aggerssive Campaign about Kerala Tourism.And these Kids go home and talk about it. Convincing Parents to Find out what's on Offer. A family Pakage is the best result. Television, Internet, News Papers are still used by Millions go that way.
What i am trying to say is Because the Train Should be travelling by Night also making it Impossible for any one in that time to see. see any thing on it. What Kerala should have done is also Go to The Eastern States with these Advertisements. Do some on the I.P.L matches millions will watch. 1.2 Crore Rupees from the Tax payer.

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/5410/27777127.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/3269/94842034.jpg

Hindustan Times

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/5410/27777127.jpg

http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/3269/94842034.jpg

Hindustan Times



its great. awesome.

^^ that indeed is good thinking.

I think this will also help with the delays of the trains in fog.

HINDU (http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article94041.ece)
Encouraged by the good response to the non-stop Duronto express trains introduced last year, Railways are planning to launch at least 10 more such trains in the next financial year.

Besides several other new trains, including a tourist train connecting the Buddhist pilgrim sites of Nalanda and Bodhgaya with Howrah, may also find mention in the forthcoming Railway Budget, a Railway official said.

According to the official, Railways are flooded with proposals to introduce a total of 170 new trains, including that between Nizamuddin-Mumbai and Hyderabad-Ajmer.

While reviewing the performance of Durontos, the recently held General Manager’s meet favoured more such trains as the occupancy rate in some of the existing services are around 70 to 85 per cent, the official said.

Bookings in 3AC class in Sealdah-New Delhi Duronto are reporting 105 per cent occupancy rate, the official said.

“A feasibility study has also identified 40 new sectors where Duronto service can be introduced,” the official said but indicated that only about 10 Durontos can be announced for the new sectors.

This is because the Railways have managed to launch only half of the 14 trains announced in the last Railway Budget, the official added.

Some of the new sectors found feasible for running Duronto trains are Mumbai-Chennai, Pune-Mumbai, Bhubaneswar-Varanasi, Guwahati-New Delhi, Patna-Amritsar, Howrah-Puri, New Delhi-Trivandrum, Bhopal-New Delhi and Ahdedabad-Howrah among others.

Punctuality, good service and less travel time have made Durontos operating in the New Delhi-Sealdah, Nizamuddin-Pune, Nizamuddin-Chennai and Howrah-Mumbai sectors popular, the official said.

“The other reason for their popularity is that tickets come at a much cheaper rate than the premium trains Rajdhani and Shatabdi,” the official said.

The feasibility study also took into account the occupancy rate of mail and express trains in the routes identified for running the Duronto trains, the official added.

its great. awesome.
This is indeed a good development . Railways were also planning to have their own dedicated TV channel....
Hopefully all this plans will stay on track and bureaucracy will not kill tham .

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/New-Shatabdi-Express-soon-to-serve-passengers/articleshow/5493084.cms)
KANPUR: Come February and passengers will get more trains to travel for their respective destinations, as railways will be introducing new trains
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and extending the existing ones for the welfare of the passengers.

The trains are an addition to the already existing number of trains either originating from the Kanpur Central railway station or passing through it.The trains include Varanasi-Lucknow bound Varuna Express (have been extended upto Kanpur Central), Lucknow-Agra bound Intercity Express (will halt at Kanpur Central) and Kanpur-New Delhi bound 2033/2034 Shatabdi Express.

The decision to introduce Shatabdi Express on the busy Kanpur-New Delhi route to facilitate the passengers was taken by the Railway Ministry. if the railway sources are to be believed, the train will be seen on the tracks in the first week of February.

However, the dates are yet to be finalised for the Shatabdi Express to be flagged off from Kanpur railway station. The railway authorities are expecting that even this VIP train will be welcomed by the passengers and will be houseful on its very first run to New Delhi.

Speaking to TOI, deputy chief traffic manager Manoj Sinha stationed at Kanpur Central said: "The trains will be a gift to the passengers. Not only Shatabdi Express but the new Intercity Express between Lucknow-Agra will also halt at Kanpur railway station. In addition to this, the Varuna Express will also stop at Kanpur."

Sinha estimated that the railways will be able to earn a sum of Rs 34 crore in a year from with the new Shatabdi Express, thereby increasing the income.

^^there's an urgent need of introducing Intercity trains like the Shatabdi and Gomti express..its one heck of a busy route..
am glad that a new Shatabdi is being inroduced..
just hope that it does not have a halt at every 2nd station..

Bangalore Cantonment, through which most trains to Bangalore city pass and is a major boarding and alighting point, is one of the dirtiest stations around. There was talk of making this a termination / starting point for some trains, to reduce the load on Bangalore City.

The amenities are minimal. The tracks and surroundings are filthy. The building is old, dingy and was probably last maintained before the Brits left India. There are stray dogs prowling around. The rest rooms and wash rooms are nothing to write home about.

Another thing I do not understand is why Indian stations (most of them) do not have a railing between tracks / platforms to prevent people from crossing the tracks? Recently two ladies were killed (I think in Bangalore East station) when they were hit by a train while crossing over the tracks to avoid the bridge. The surviving husband / son gave an excuse that his mother was too old to climb the stairs. However, he thought she was fit enough to cross the tracks and jump onto the platform, before oncoming trains. I wonder when our people will learn safety precautions? I guess that particular guy did, at great cost.

When will SWR decide to upgrade and beautify this very important station, and the others surrounding Bangalore?

Also, talking on new Shatabdis, it is high time SWR replaced the old and tattered rake that is plying between bangalore and Chennai. The Mysore-Chennai one was replaced by the new rakes recently.

'Chalo Kerala'/'Go Kerala' : The Thiruvananthapuram-Nizamuddin Rajadhani Express Starts its Journey from Thiruvananthapuram Central

ZvD-3eU8Av8

Like the colors :cheers:

Woof! Dunno wats wrong wid me today :D.. and thanks for posting them there Abhi :)

^^ Post the news related to freight corridors in Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor thread (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=627885) and Ludhiana-Delhi-Kolkata Industrial corridor (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=50793239#post50793239). I have posted this news in them.

we can have the news on all the threads..
BTW I saw a board near Pragati maidan with the name of the company named something like DFC Corp of India..

we can have the news on all the threads..
BTW I saw a board near Pragati maidan with the name of the company named something like DFC Corp of India..

DFCC's office is located in the building on top of Pragati Maidan metro station.

oh so it has an office as well..

oh so it has an office as well..

Of course ! Some of the tenders have already been given. See the Ludhiana Delhi corridor thread for tenders.

Source (http://sify.com/finance/karaikal-port-gets-connected-to-rail-network-news-default-kb1s4cegbeh.html)
2010-01-27 18:30:00
The Karaikal port built by Karaikal Port Private Ltd, a wholly owned subsididary of Marg Ltd, crossed a milestone Wednesday when the first train from the port siding was flagged off by Puducherry Chief Minister V. Vaithilingam and Minister for Home and Port E. Valsaraj.

Present on the occasion was the Puducherry Governor Iqbal Singh and central Minister of State for Planning and Parliamentary Affairs V. Narayanasamy and officials of Southern Railways.

Karaikal port, that went on stream last year is a bulk cargo terminal that has handled over half a million tonnes already.

The first cargo transported by rail was pet coke for Madras Cements' factory at Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu.

Railway connectivity will result in significant increase in the capacity of the port, which will allow more efficient utilisation of the storage area, thereby enhancing the cargo handling capacity, said G.R.K.Reddy, chairman and managing director, Marg Ltd.

New Delhi: Mamata Banerjee is likely to dole out goodies to passengers in the railway budget.

In line with the populist measures ‘Didi’ had announced in the
previous budget, the railway minister may be lenient on passenger fares and remove the demand-supply mismatch in reservations.
“Passenger fares will not go up,” a top railway ministry official said. He added that the constant effort was to change the face of railways.

“The primary focus will be on passenger amenities such as clean and hygienic stations, sprucing up catering facilities, safety, security and reservations. There is a mismatch in supply and demand for seats available for reservation. We are looking forward to filling the gap,” he said.

The railway ministry will pitch for creation of an accelerated rail development fund in the budget. Passenger, staff and signaling will be the priority, it is learnt.

On freight business, the official said, “The economy is booming. A freight hike may be counter-productive. But to provide large-scale passenger facilities, we need to boost freight services as well.”
Source (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/newreply.php?do=postreply&t=638652)
Banerjee, who tabled the Vision 2020 document outlining the infrastructure thrust of the railways in the winter session of parliament in December last year, is looking forward to the budget. Creation of an accelerated rail development fund worth Rs5 lakh crore is among the likely proposals.

“We are looking forward to a dedicated fund for railway infrastructure and capacity creation. This will, however, not be part of the gross budgetary support. The proposal has not been finalised,” the official said. The ministry will require Rs14 lakh crore in the next 15 years, as per the vision document. “The foundation for the document will be laid in the budget,” he added.

The ministry is bullish on infrastructure spend as there is no commitment towards arrears for the sixth pay commission next fiscal, an indicator of the thrust on increased infra-investment in the budget.

Source (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/jayalalithaa-asks-mamata-for-more-railway-projects_100310741.html)
January 28th, 2010

Mamata Banerjee Chennai, Jan 27 (IANS) With the railway budget to be presented next month in parliament, AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa has written to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for more projects in Tamil Nadu.
In the letter Jan 22 Jayalalitha and her party’s 16 MPs have urged Banerjee to include in the railway budget doubling of railway track (Chennai-Madurai), electrification of entire railway line network, conversion of metre gauge to broad gauge, setting up of coastal railway line between Chennai-Puducherry, building freight corridor, introduction of suburban railway networks in major cities in the state.

The letter was released to the media Wednesday.

Citing the rapid growth of Madurai and Coimbatore, the AIADMK has stressed the importance of having suburban railway network connecting Coimbatore with Erode and Pollachi and Madurai with Virudhunagar and Dindugal.

The party also requested the minister for a feasibility study on freight corridor between Chennai and Coimbatore and requested for a separate freight corridor between Chennai-Mumbai and Chennai-Kolkata.

“Along with this, we request the ministry to sanction another railway line between Avadi-Sriperumbudur,” the letter said.

The main opposition party in Tamil Nadu has requested the railway minister to allocate sufficient funds to complete the Mass Rapid Transit Systems (MRTS) in the state.

More at : Jayalalithaa asks Mamata for more railway projects

Union Minister for Law and Justice M. Veerappa Moily has urged the Railway Ministry to introduce five new trains in the State in the next Railway budget.

The list of new trains was presented in an 11-point memorandum submitted by Mr. Moily during a meeting with Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday, said an official release.

The trains sought are: Bijapur-Mangalore via Gadag-Arasikere-Hassan-Sakleshpur route, Solapur-Mangalore (with AC coaches), Bangalore-Goa via Mangalore-Udupi-Karwar, Mumbai Chatrpati Shivaji Terminus-Mangalore through the Konkan Railway Sector, and a daily train between Bangalore and Nelamangala. Mr. Moily said in the memorandum that the there was a “huge public demand” for trains on Bijapur-Sakleshpur via Mangalore and Sholapur-Mangalore routes. He has contended that the introduction of these trains would “improve hinterland connectivity from the major (sea) port at Mangalore”. He has stated that a train between Bangalore and Goa via Mangalore “will provide connectivity to various places of historical and tourist importance.” And the Mumbai-Mangalore train was important to Udupi and Mangalore as there was “at least one member from each family living in Mumbai and its suburbs”. Taking note of the vociferous protests in Mangalore over the extension of the Bangalore-Mangalore night train (6517/6518) to Kannur (Kerala), he has suggested that the same train be diverted to Karwar instead.

He has demanded that the frequency of the day train to Bangalore be increased from the present three days a week to daily and extended to Karwar. Mr. Moily has demanded that the five railway stations in the State be included in the model railway station project of the Union Government.

Source: http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=166759

Source (http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/22920/191/)
Friday, 29 January 2010

JAMMU: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today urged the Indian Railways to formulate projects for extending railway facilities to the districts of Rajouri, Poonch and Kupwara, highlighting the need for this facilities in these hilly districts for speedy economic development.

In a meeting with the Chairman, Indian Railway Board, S. S. Khurana, who called on him here today alongwith other officials, Omar said that railway facilities in hilly backward areas of the state is imperative to open up these areas for all round development and generation of wide ranging economic activities. The Chief Minister also underlined the need for speeding up the work on Katra-Qazigund railway Project to link the Jammu and Kashmir regions and complete the long cherished projects of greater economic importance for the State especially for the Kashmir valley.

Omar also discussed the matters pertaining to the employment by Railway Board to the families whose land has been acquired by Indian Railways for the construction of Railway track. He urged the railway authorities for early clearing for the employment cases. Mr. Khurana assured the Chief Minister that the Board will look into all aspects of extending railway to Rajouri, Poonch and Kupwara districts. He said that railway has provided employment to maximum number of people whose land has been acquired by it and assured that the remaining cases will be cleared soon.

Source (http://business.rediff.com/report/2010/jan/28/budget-2010-railway-railways-might-increase-freight-rates.htm)
With the Indian Railways registering better-than-expected growth in traffic operations this financial year on the back of a revival in the economy, its gross domestic product is expected to cross the 9 per cent mark by the end of this financial year.

This could lead to a rise in the freight rates of some commodities, say officials in the ministry.

This would be the first time in the last five years that the railways' GDP (the term used to designate the revenue from freight and passenger traffic) growth is expected to cross the national GDP growth estimate, of 7 per cent.

A senior official in the ministry said: "Since October, growth in freight traffic has been in full swing. Elasticity of rail transport is more than 1 at present, which indicates that railways' share in goods traffic has increased."

Rail elasticity is an indicator of the railways' share in the transportation market. When rail elasticity is less than 1, it implies that the share of railways in the overall freight market is on a decline. When the elasticity is more than 1, it indicates that railways' share is expanding.

Historically, the elasticity of rail transport was at an all-time high now, he added. In 2008-09, the figure had hovered around 0.8. Studies made by the ministry, show the elasticity of rail transport to the overall GDP for the period from 1970-71 till 2008-09 at 0.79.

With the market on a revival mode, railways plan to make their pricing policy for freight traffic more dynamic.

An official in the ministry informed: "Due to the economic slowdown, we had kept freight rates stable this financial year. We had concentrated on capturing long-lead traffic instead. Now with market conditions improving, there is room for the railways to rejig freight rates so that we get more revenues."

Sources close to the development say it is likely that in the coming financial year freight rates for iron ore will be hiked by as much as 10 per cent and those for coal and cement by 5 per cent.

Assuming that railways transport the same amount of these commodities as targeted till March, it would result in additional earnings to the tune of over Rs 2,200 crore (Rs 22 billion) for the national transporter.

Akhileswar Sahay, president of the infrastructure advisory division of project management firm Feedback Ventures, said: "In the long run, it is only viable that the railways make their pricing policy flexible and market-driven. Along with that, attention should also be paid to broaden the commodity base."

^^
a heart wrenching plea:

please dont do that mamta ji..please..
i dont get paid enough like you and your babus do..:ohno:

The Indian Railways will launch its maiden special train covering the Buddhist circuit across the country, with a visit to Nepal also thrown in.

Aiming to cater to budget tourist from Sri Lanka and other Asian countries, the 14 days and 13 nights, all-paid package tour will also provide off-board services such as hotel accommodation, vegetarian meals, road transfers for sight-seeing, and assistance for visa formalities for foreign nationals.

The tour which will start from Chennai on February 22 will be a round trip. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), which will be managing the operation, has offered three rates for the budget tourist.

Twin-sharing accommodation comes for Rs.23,650 per person, while triple-sharing accommodation costs Rs.20,600 and for hall or dormitory accommodation, the fare has been pegged at Rs.16,650. Accommodation will be provided in budget hotels.

The train provides sleeper class accommodation for 500 passengers on each trip along with a pantry car serving vegetarian food. The IRCTC assures escort and security on the train for the passengers.

The pilgrims get to see 11 Buddhist sites starting with the paintings and sculptures in Ajanta and Ellora Caves. The other sites are: the massive stupa at Sanchi; Sravasti, capital of the ancient kingdom of the same name; the birth place of Gautam Buddha in Lumbini, Nepal; the Mahaparinirvana Temple in Kushinagar; Vaishali, where the Buddha preached his last sermon; the evocative ruins of Buddhist monasteries and temples of Nalanda; Rajgir, where Buddha preached two of his most famous sermons; Bodh Gaya where the Buddha attained enlightenment; Sarnath where he preached his last sermon; and the excavations of Nagarjunakonda.

The package, however, does not include entrance fee for monuments, medical care and Nepal visa fee for foreigners. It has its own cancellation rules, according to which the last date for cancellation is one week before the start date. The passenger will forfeit the entire money if it is cancelled during the week before the trip.

Source (http://sify.com/news/Railway-connectivity-Mamata-s-gift-to-Nandigram-news-National-kb4w4cbabjg.html)

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Saturday inaugurated a project for laying 17 km of railway tracks in West Bengal's Nandigram and promised jobs or houses to those whose land may be acquired for the project.

'The 17-km long railway track will connect Nandigram with Deshapran railway station in East Midnapore district. The railway track construction work would be completed within one-and-a-half years. The project has already been sanctioned and tenders issued for the first phase.


'If we get the required land early, we might finish the project within one year also,' Banerjee told the gathering, adding that her ministry will provide proper compensation to seven families in Nandigram whose land will be acquired for the project.


She said: 'We will build houses or get them jobs in the Indian Railways, if we find it necessary.'


Banerjee also promised rail connectivity in the near future to Nandigram's adjoining Khejuri area.


'We have a plan to connect both Nandigram and Khejuri with the neighbouring Haldia township and with the rest of India. A computerised ticket reservation counter will also be set up in Nandigram next month,' the minister said.


She said two stations between Nandigram and Deshapran would be named after freedom fighter Matangini Hazra and Martyr's Station respectively.


'We'll dedicate the Martyr's Station to those villagers who lost lives in the struggle against the state administration to save their farmland. The railways will also set up an archive at the Martyr's Station,' Banerjee added.


Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had led a successful peasants' agitation in Nandigram against a proposed chemical hub project of the state government in 2007-08. Irked over the state government's bid to acquire large tracts of agricultural land for the project, the farmers joined Banerjee's movement in large numbers and finally the communist regime was forced to scrap the proposed chemical hub.


The success of the Nandigram movement as also similar protests against the Nano project in Singur - that ultimately forced Tata Motors to shift the Nano plant to Sanand in Gujarat - acted as an elixir for Banerjee's party, which had been badly mauled in the 2006 Assembly polls. The agitations reversed the state's electoral script and since then the Trinamool and its associates have won a series of polls.


The minister also announced a train, Jangalmahal Express, connecting Midnapore and Jhargram and another train, Birsa Munda Express from Purulia to Jhargram. Birsa Munda is a hero of the Santhal revolution.


The railway minister also flagged off the Raurkella-Bhubaneswar Express Saturday.

Source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/charbagh-railway-station-in-for-rs-10-crore-facelift/384060/)
The famous Charbagh railway station in Lucknow will soon get a makeover as a high-class railway terminal.

Indian Railways will spend Rs 10 crore for the purpose, MoS for railways K H Muniyappa said at a news conference here.

Charbagh is the main railway station in Lucknow and is the touch/origination point of several important trains, including Lucknow Mail, Gomti Express, Pushpak Mail, Punjab Mail, Cochin Express, Rapti Sagar Express, Doon Express, Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express. However, due to increasing commuter pressure and rising number of trains, the terminal is virtually bursting at the seams and requires immediate attention.

Railways had undertaken several projects worth almost Rs 1,300 crore in Uttar Pradesh.

The ongoing projects include laying of additional rail roads and electrification on several routes, and development of terminals.“The Lucknow-Sultanpur route is being electrified at a cost of Rs 330 crore,” he informed. The railways will lay a 3rd line between Aligarh-Ghaziabad for Rs 400 crore.

Charbagh station famous? I am hearing it for the first time the name itself. Let's see how do they pull this off.

PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/493223_Trains-to-have-AC-pantry-cars)
New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) The Railway Ministry is planning to replace all pantry cars in mail and express trains with AC coaches as part its efforts to improve its catering services.

Now, premier trains like Rajdhani and Shatabdi have AC pantry coaches with enhanced features.

Sources said the move to replace the conventional pantry coaches with AC ones would serve the two-fold purpose of improving hygiene and the cleanliness in catering operation and improving quality of food served onboard trains.

Indications are that the plan, which is still at the drawing board stage, might find mention in the new catering policy likely to be announced next month.

"Conventional pantry coaches have several shortcomings and problems related to water boilers and hot cases. With the increase on passenger volume and traffic, these problems keep on recurring," a source said.

10 crores ... sounds like another superficial botox injection with a side of ribbon cutting and media attention hogging

"The same may be true of the rest of the epic project to expand China’s rail network by nearly 19,000 miles by 2015, 8,000 of which will be tracks for high-speed trains. But the media, at any rate, portray it as a point of national pride and as a huge stimulus to the economy and employment. While Hong Kong grumbles, nothing is allowed to impede this $750 billion civil-engineering juggernaut on the mainland. Indeed, last year it accelerated and, according to Jiong Shao, an analyst with Nomura Securities, the high-speed portion of this network should be finished by 2012, three years early. Urban metro lines will also expand dramatically from 620 miles to 2,800 over the next ten years, as the number of cities boasting such systems doubles from 11 to at least 22."

http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displayStory.cfm?story_id=15276738

gotta love the vision in indian infrastructure development

Charbagh station famous? I am hearing it for the first time the name itself. Let's see how do they pull this off.

it is actually quite famous..

Four post offices in Mumbai—Chembur, Dadar, Mandvi and Girgaum—will have the railway reservation facility from Monday. These will be inaugurated by Union minister of state for communications Gurudas Kamat.

Kamat told TOI on Sunday, “Before the budget last year, I had told Union railways minister Mamata Banerjee about starting rail ticketing services at post offices to have better availability of tickets. We are changing the complete profile of post offices. We will also be offering foreign exchange facilities and e-money transfers.’’
He said that commuters had to wait for a very long time in queues for buying rail tickets. “The selling of rail tickets at post offices will lessen the burden on reservation centres,’’ Kamat said.

Kamat has selected 5,000 post offices in the country for this scheme, of which 103 will be in Mumbai.

Source: TNN

10 crores ... sounds like another superficial botox injection with a side of ribbon cutting and media attention hogging

And half of that in Ministers' pockets.

Indian Railways has successfully rolled out the new 4500 HP Diesel Electric Locomotive, which is futuristic, modern and equipped with the most advance traction system as well as locomotive control system in India, supplied by Siemens. Incidentally, this is India's 200th IGBT based diesel locomotive.
The Indian Railways first introduced its diesel-electric freight / passenger locomotives (4000 HP) with three-phase AC traction technology in 1999 and has been continuously upgrading the existing locomotives. Siemens has been supplying the traction equipment for these locomotives ever since, which was upgraded to latest IGBT technology in 2006, making Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) the first unit to introduce IGBT technology on IR locomotives.

Source: Hindustan Times

The Kanpur-Shatabdi Express, connecting the national capital with the industrial city in five hours, will be flagged off by Congress President Sonia Gandhi from Kanpur on February 7.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced the launching of the train in the Railway Budget last year keeping in mind the long-standing demand by business community and general public for a fast train between the two cities.

The Railway Minister will also be present at the flagging-off ceremony. According to sources in North Central Railway, a few other trains are also expected to be flagged-off the same day by Gandhi.

Talking to reporters in Kanpur, local MP Sriprakash Jaiswal also informed about the Congress President's visit to the city to flag off the train. He said the business community and residents of the city had been demanding a Kanpur Shatabdi for long.

Source: PTI News

The non-stop Allahabad-New Delhi Duranto Express would run from February 7. Kanpur-Delhi Shatabadi Express, train number 2179/2180 Agra-Lucknow Intercity, train number 2541/2542 Gorakhpur-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus would also run from February 7.

Allahabad-New Delhi Duranto Express would leave Allahabad at 11:15 pm every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. There would be no halt and it would terminate at New Delhi. During the return journey, the train would leave from New Delhi every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The railway administration has earlier decided to start this train on the Republic Day but due to the foggy weather it was postponed.

Source: TNN

PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/498057_Railways-to-seek-air-time-from-Doordarshan)
New Delhi, Feb 3(PTI) Railway Ministry is likely to seek air time from Doordarshan to disseminate railway related information to public and raise a special Mahila Brigade for enhanced security.

In its forthcoming Budget, Railways also propose to launch more passenger services and speed up existing trains.

Extension of Kolkata Metro network and a proposal for railways' own in-house magazine are likely to figure in the Railway Budget on Feb 24.

Moreover, about 15 new Duronto trains and as many tourist trains specially catering to Buddhist circuits will be other highlights.

Indications are there, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee might announce several trains for West Bengal which goes to polls next year.

Source (http://www.watblog.com/2010/02/03/mysore-railway-station-goes-wi-fi/)
Indian Railways is gearing up the IT infrastructure of it’s facilities big-time. The Indian Railways Online Website is one of the most busiest websites in India and they have such a powerful architecture that you will hardly see a downtime in the Online Services. From Web World, Indian Railways has now stepped into some real ground-level IT implementation in their Facilities by launching a free wi-fi internet service in the Mysore Railway Station making it the first Indian Railway station to have such facilities. The Wi-Fi hotspot implementation has been done by New Zealand-based Tomizone in a first of its kind private-public partnership.

According to a Tomizone Executive – “With an estimated two million Wi-Fi users in India at home, office or at public places like airports, hotels and cafes, we expect users to benefit from such initiatives. The service would be a boon to the IT crowd that travels to and from Mysore as the tourist city is also an IT hub with presence of large IT companies here.” But the thing is most of the IT sector employees who carry a laptop with them, generally have a data-card for internet access anywhere and they will always prefer using the datacard for internet access rather than switching to the station’s wi-fi (which will involve change of settings).
http://www.watblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/train1.jpg
The free wi-fi service at the Mysore station will be launched initially on a six-month trial basis and the Railways will not earn anything from it. The Railway Department also plans to charge the users for wi-fi access later and would look at possibilities of introducing the wi-fi service at other stations too.

ET
MUMBAI: Passengers will now be able to book train tickets from post offices with around 5,000 railway reservation counters being set up across the
country.

The facility was launched today at five post offices in the city.

"An MoU has already been signed between Indian Railways and India Post for providing Passenger Reservation Systems (PRS) through nearly 5,000 post offices across the country," Union Minister of State for Communication and IT Gurudas Kamat said here today.
Kamat, who was here to inaugurate the new system at Girgaum post office in south Mumbai, said four more PRS facilities have been opened at Chembur head post office, Dadar head post office, Mandvi post office and General Post Office at CST.

Around 500 post offices have been identified in Maharashtra while Mumbai would have around 103 post offices with a PRS set-up, the Lok Sabha MP from North Central Mumbai said.

"The PRS will ease burden on railway counters and will enable the local people to use the facility at their door-step. It will also India Post will generate revenue," Kamat said.

In 6 mths, watch TV on Rajdhani
Roana Maria Costa I TNN

Mumbai: If all goes as planned, you will be able to watch your favourite saasbahu serials, breaking news and even play games and surf the internet while being confined to a berth or a chair car as you traverse state boundaries in long-distance trains.
Both Central and Western Railway will introduce handheld cordless entertainment systems in six months, which would allow passengers to enjoy all this and more; with most facilities free of cost. The system would consist of individual LCD screens with headphones using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi technology.
Railway sources told TOI that the project will be implemented in all zonal railways through open tenders by private parties who have expertise in the field and no investment would be made by the railways. The railways would be allowed to advertise rail related information.
The party should design the system proposing the technology and create necessary infrastructure as well as be responsible for creating necessary infrastructure. The content would be cleared by the railways. “Only value-added services like voice service, internet, satellite radio, booking of cabs, hotels etc would be chargeable. The party would also be able to retrieve its costs through advertisements. The railways would get a percentage of this. CR will introduce these services only in 1-AC, 2-AC and AC chair car. We may introduce it in 3-AC soon,’’ said chief commercial manager, CR, Z A Siddiqui.
Passengers would be able to avail individual systems after an initial security deposit. The party would instal a dish antenna above coaches which are detachable for maintenance purposes.
The policy for this facility was issued by the railway board in December and both CR and WR are working out the arrangements and tenders are expected this month.
Siddiqui said that to begin with, shorter routes would be selected—Nagpur, Pune and Aurangabad.
Chief PRO, WR, S S Gupta said that in phase-I, WR would introduce these infotainment devices on eight trains, including the Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Karnavati Express, Bandra-Surat Inter-City Express and Flying Ranee. WR would introduce them in all classes. The contracts would be for 5 years each.
“Global tenders would be finalised in the next three months, so the project should take off in six months,’’ said Gupta.

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee is set to continue with her populist agenda and the next rail budget is likely to be peppered with ‘aam aadmi’ sops with a special focus on her home state West Bengal.
Keen to project a pro-people image, Mamata is likely to keep fares for second class (general) unchanged and may also be lenient on other categories of passenger fares.
With eyes firmly on the assembly elections in West Bengal in 2011, Mamata’s bag of goodies is likely to include an announcement to set up the headquarters of Railway Protection Force’s (RPF) women’s battalion in her home state. According to sources, there is also a proposal to set up a training centre for RPF’s Commando battalion in Canning near Kolkata.
The minister may announce setting up of schools in collaboration with Kendriya Vidyalaya on vacant railway land and many of them are expected to be located in West Bengal, it is learnt.
Mamata is also expected to focus on passenger amenities — clean and hygienic stations, good catering facilities, and safety and security. “Passengers, staff, security, safety and signalling will be priority areas,” said a ministry official.
The railways is set to get a Plan allocation of Rs 15,875 crore in the next fiscal as demanded by the ministry after Mamata forced the Planning Commission and the finance ministry to agree to her demand.
Earlier, the Plan panel had suggested freezing gross budgetary support (GBS) for the railways for the next fiscal at the current level of Rs 14,600 crore. The argument put forth by the commission was that even if the allocation for the next fiscal was maintained at Rs 14,600 crore, the railways would be exhausting 101% of the total Plan outlay of Rs 45,822 crore assigned for the 11th Five-Year Plan period.
After outlining the infrastructure thrust in the Vision 2020 document for railways, the creation of an accelerated rail development fund was likely to figure in the next rail budget, sources said.

Source: TNN

After flagging off Duronto Express, the fastest train ever to run on Indian tracks, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee wants to inaugurate trains at record speed as well. She has chosen February 7 to start as many as 19 new train services. Out of these, 12 are brand new trains, while the seven others will get extended routes.
According to railway ministry sources, Banerjee is in a hurry to start the train services she had announced in her Budget in July last year. In her Budget speech, she had announced as many as 57 new trains, including 14 Duronto (non-stop). Along with this, the railway minister had promised to extend the routes of 27 more trains.
As her next Budget is barely three weeks away, Banerjee needs to implement what she had announced earlier, before unveiling another set of new trains in the 2010-11 Budget, on February 24.
The list of new trains include two Duronto Express and a Shatabdi Express. The two Durontos will run on Lucknow-New Delhi and Allahabad-New Delhi routes. Banerjee will also inaugurate a Shatabdi Express, connecting Kanpur and New Delhi.
Such is the rush that she has chosen Kanpur (North Central Railway) as the single platform to flag off trains that fall in the jurisdiction of the North-East Frontier Railway (headquartered in Maligaon, Guwahati) or Southern Railway (Chennai). In fact, apart from the Konkan Railway zone, the programme schedule of the minister in Kanpur has been sent to the general managers (GMs) of all other 16 railway zones of this country. All the trains will pass through Uttar Pradesh, many stopping at Kanpur.
In the internal circular of the Railway Board sent to the GMs, the Railway Board says: “If required, the above trains may be planned as special services for inaugural run and should pick up its regular service subsequently.”
Though Banerjee has indeed implemented most of her promises like Yuva Express, ladies special trains, Izzat schemes, she has so far been able to run only six out of her 14 pet Duronto trains. Some other trains promised in her last year’s Budget are also awaiting green signal.

Source: Business Standard

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/Article/2010/02/05/004/05_02_2010_004_002.jpg

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Indian Railways Annual Reports 2007-2008 : Including Year Book 2007-2008 (http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/deptts/yearbook/default.htm)

Cheers:cheers:

The Hindu (http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article102511.ece)
United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday jointly flagged off 12 new trains in Uttar Pradesh. The routes of seven existing trains have also been extended.

Ms. Sonia Gandhi and Ms. Banerjee flagged off the trains through videoconferencing at Kanpur railway station here.

Claiming that addition of a dozen new trains would prove to be a boon for Uttar Pradesh, Ms. Sonia Gandhi said later at a huge public rally adjacent to the railway station that “it was after a long gap that the railway ministry had done so much in one go for this state”.

She said the central government would be only too keen to do much more for the State.

“Our government at the centre in general and the Indian Railways in particular are committed to fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Uttar Pradesh,” she said.

“The Centre was always ready to play its role in pushing development projects for the states, but this cannot be achieved without the active support of the States,” she maintained.

The new trains are Kanpur-New Delhi Shatabdi Express, Lucknow-New Delhi Duronto, Allahabad-New Delhi Duronto, Gorakhpur-Lokmanya Tilak Terminal Express, Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Superfast, Lucknow-Yashwantpur Express, Agra-Lucknow Intercity, Mathura-Kasganj Passenger, Bhopal-Pratapgarh Express, Gorakhpur-Nainital Express, Gorakhpur-Noutha Passenger and Chapra-Mathura Express.

New Delhi, Feb 7 (ANI): Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has invited industrialists to invest in railways development through the public-private partnership model.


Buzz up!This is for the first time any railway minister has invited the private sector to invest in developing railway infrastructure.


During a pre budget parley with representatives of trade and industry, the employees union here, Banerjee said :"I said private participation in the new railway lines and that is good. For the first time we are inviting them. They will get their economic share, too."

"In our country, there are so many pilgrimage areas, there are so many port areas, there are so many coalmine areas and there are so many seaside areas. So they can connect it," she added.

The captains of industry flagged the perpetual problems of the unavailability of the wagons to carry goods as well as stable freight rate.

They also spoke of the need to simplify terms and conditions and make them in line with global practices.

"Many industries have said that wagons were not available, and second was long-term freight policy. These two things will be an indication for the auto industry, that's what will happen to public-private partnership policy started with the Railway Ministry," said Dilip Chenoy, Director General of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

The pre-Budget consultations by the Ministry are being billed as a landmark initiative and a rather unusual move on the part of Banerjee, who otherwise is more preoccupied with the politics of her home state of West Bengal.

Among the chambers at the conference were the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci), the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and others. (ANI)

Source (http://www.sindhtoday.net/news/1/101870.htm)
Shimla, Feb 6 (IANS) The Indian Railways and the Himachal Pradesh government will jointly explore the possibility of setting up a ring rail project in Shimla, an official release said Saturday.

“Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today (Saturday) suggested to Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to jointly explore the possibility of setting up a ring rail project in Shimla,” the release said.

Dhumal met Banerjee in New Delhi where the proposal to set up the Shimla ring rail was discussed.

The technical and financial feasibility of the project would be conducted soon, the release said.

Shimla, the former summer capital of the British, attracts thousands of tourists every year.

Total approximate earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis during April 2009 to January 2010 was Rupees 70,501.65 crore compared to Rupees 64,943.32 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 8.56 per cent.

According to an official release issued here today, the total goods earnings have gone up from Rs 44,035.66 crore during April 2009 to January 2010 to Rs 47,763.29 crore during April 2008 to January 2009, an increase of 8.47 per cent.

The total passenger revenue earnings during first ten months of the financial year 2009-10 were Rs 19,393.26 crore compared to Rs 18,057.41 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 7.40 per cent.

The revenue earnings from other coaching amounted to Rs 1903.31 crore during April 2009 to January 2010 compared to Rs 1666.54 crore during the same period last year, an increase of 14.21 per cent.

The total approximate numbers of passengers booked during April 2009 to January 2010 were 6188.78 million compared to 5917.13 million during the same period last year, showing an increase of 4.59 per cent. In the suburban and non-suburban sectors, the numbers of passengers booked during April 2009 to January 2010 were 3210.93 million and 2977.85 million compared to 3164.05 million and 2501.45 million during the same period last year, an increase of 1.48 per cent and 8.16 per cent respectively.

Source (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_mamata-banerjee-paints-eastern-railway-stations-green-yellow_1344745)
Kolkata: It is difficult to say whether Mamata Banerjee is inherently allergic to red, or this is an expression of her CPI(M)-bashing. Whatever the motivation, the railway minister has ordered that all Eastern Railway (ER) stations be re-painted green or lemon-yellow.


Though ER officials confirmed that re-painting was part of a renovation drive thought up by the minister, they couldn’t say why red was replaced. Fifty-three stations have already been given a fresh coat of paint and in each case, red is out of bounds.
ER officials confirmed plans to spruce up more stations with green and yellow. According to ER’s divisional railway manager M Jamshed, the new colours were selected to give stations an eco-friendly look. A senior railway (maintenance and engineering department) officer felt the new colours might multiply maintenance costs. “These colours will pick up dirt quickly,” he said.

Daily passengers seem to be having mixed feelings. Chandan Chakrabarty said the new colours would be difficult to maintain.Shakuntala Sen, a bank officer, said she was used to the red colour since childhood. Getting used to the new colour was difficult, she said.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has had a remarkably busy year, even by her own standards. Since presenting her first railway budget as a minister in the United Progressive Alliance government last July, she has kept herself busy flagging off trains, especially in West Bengal.

As on December 30, 35 new passenger trains, seven superfast Duronto Express and one ‘Yuva’ train were introduced, while 17 trains were extended and the frequency of eight increased.

Weekends have generally been reserved for attending ceremonies on infrastructure projects announced in the Budget. The problem is they have largely remained just that — after the ceremonies were over and the lights dimmed, most the projects went back into darkness.

As Banerjee gets ready to deliver her second railway budget later this month, many of the infrastructure projects are yet to obtain governmental approval. Some schemes have been hurriedly pushed through only in the last few weeks, possibly because the railway minister needs to improve her ‘Action Taken’ report.

Among the larger infrastructure ventures that Banerjee had announced, the proposal to set up a coach factory at the Kanchrapara-Halisahar railway complex near Kolkata had evinced significant interest. However, eight months after the idea was mooted, it’s only next week that the details would be submitted for Cabinet approval.

The proposed takeover of Kolkata-based wagon maker Burn Standard by the railways, too, is yet to be taken to the Cabinet for approval. Officials at the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the current custodian of Burn Standard, have said that state-owned RITES, a railway engineering and consultancy firm, has been appointed to undertake due diligence to assess the assets and liabilities of the wagon maker.

“RITES is expected to submit its report in the next 15-20 days, after which a final Cabinet approval will be sought. We are hopeful that the approval (for the takeover) will be given this financial year,” an official said.

Railway ministry sources admit that another landmark proposal to have world-class facilities in about 50 railway stations hasn’t taken off yet. The initial plan was to develop these facilities through the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.

“The idea was to try the model at the New Delhi and Hyderabad railway stations and then to replicate them elsewhere. But no great progress has been made so far,” sources said.

The much-touted ‘Kisan Vision’ project, which according to Banerjee was “the contribution railways proposed to make to the second green revolution”, has also failed to make much headway.

Although in November last year, the railway minister had laid the foundation stone for the first rail-linked perishable cargo centre at Singur in West Bengal, the future blueprint for the scheme was still unclear, indicated officials at Concor (Container Corporation of India). Fresh and Healthy Enterprises, a subsidiary of Concor, has been designated to set up these cold-storage facilities under the ‘Kisan Vision’ project.

“The railways approached us about two months ago to become a part of this project. So far, only the Singur facility has been finalised and we are working on making the designs for this,” a senior official at Concor said.

Singur is the place where the Tatas had initially intended to manufacture their small car Nano and eventually had to relocate elsewhere after a sustained opposition, primarily led by Banerjee's Trinamool Congress.

Among the other schemes that have or are being hurriedly pushed through include the launch of the mobile ticketing van scheme — ‘Mushkil Aasaan’ — in January. Last week, the railway ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for developing healthcare infrastructure along the railway network nationwide. Both these schemes were mentioned in Banerjee's budget speech last year.

Source (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/upcoming-rail-budget-fuels-hope-complaints-in-bengal_100316187.html)
Kolkata, Feb 7 (IANS) Having received a bounty of projects from the railway budget last year, people in West Bengal are waiting expectantly as “Didi”, as Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is known here, again gets ready to place her proposals in the Lok Sabha Feb 24.

However, Banerjee also faces complaints of unkept promises and allegations of laying foundation stones without waiting for the mandatory clearances.

In the 2009 budget, Banerjee announced a railway coach factory at Kanchrapara, about 45 km from Kolkata, and said her ministry would take over the ailing Burn Standard’s wagon manufacturing unit.

In addition, she sanctioned for the state half of the 309 “Adarsh” (ideal) stations, five of the 50 world class stations, four of the 12 non-stop Duranta trains, a dedicated eastern freight corridor from Ludhiana to Kolkata, apart from a 1,000 MW captive power plant.

Since then, Banerjee has announced several projects, including a railway hospital, a stadium and special trains for women.

Multi-directional extensions of the Kolkata Metro, new rail links, and extension and increased frequency of several trains were promised, and quite a few have become a reality.

And though Banerjee has her critics, a leading wagonmaker is prepared to give her more time.

“Some of the projects will take longer to be completed. Things are going in the right direction,” Titagarh Wagons managing director Umesh Chowdhary told IANS.

“Some directional policies adopted last year like PPP (public private partnership) would help the railways grow. I do hope it will be furthered, and the budget allocation for rolling stock will go up,” Chowdhary added.

Another leading wagonmaker hoped his company would receive orders.

“I hope the freight corridor will be completed faster. The government should take a quick decision on placing orders for coaches and wagons,” said Ruia group chairman Pawan Kumar Ruia, who owns wagonmakers Jessop.

“Some of our capacities are lying empty. There is a dearth of orders,” he told IANS.

Similarly, state-owned Burn Standard had hoped for a new lease of life following Banerjee’s announcement that her department would speed up the takeover process of its wagon units.

This hasn’t happened, but the Burn Standard Employees Union defended her.

“It is a long-drawn process. People from the railway ministry have surveyed the company’s immoveable properties; takeover will still take some time,” said Burnpur-based union leader Bamapada Mukherjee.

Banerjee’s main political adversary, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), is scathing about her performance.

“Nothing has happened in the railway sector — no improvement in freight, line capacity and revenue,” said Basudeb Acharia, CPI-M member of parliament and former chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on railways.

Referring to the minister laying foundation stones across West Bengal, Acharia told IANS several projects did not have Planning Commission clearance or approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).

“She is doing all this looking at the 2011 West Bengal elections,” he contended, adding that several projects started by Banerjee during her earlier 18-month tenure at Rail Bhavan are still incomplete.

But Shankari Mondal, a domestic help, is eagerly awaiting the railway budget for the first time in her life. She wants the Izzat scheme, under which the poor can travel up to 100 km for only Rs.25, to cover longer distances.

“I come to work by train every day. This is one good thing didi has done for us. Now if she extends it by a few hundred more kilometres, then I can visit some religious places.”

what about double decker trains, i am yet to see a photo or hear anything about it

what about double decker trains, i am yet to see a photo or hear anything about it

Last read some where that they had completed the design phase.

Rediff (http://business.rediff.com/report/2010/feb/09/budget-2010-railway-nitish-for-sufficient-funds-for-rail-projects.htm)
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday asked for allocation of sufficient funds for the ongoing projects and introduction of new trains in the state.

Talking to reporters here after arriving from New Delhi [ Images ], Kumar said he met the Railway Minister yesterday and apprised her the need of allocating sufficient funds in the forthcoming Railway Budget for the completion of the ongoing projects in Bihar.

Kumar said he had also written a letter to Banerjee urging her to make provisions for sufficient budgetary allocations for executing the pending projects and introduction of new trains.

"I have sent a list of important sanctioned projects for Bihar which are yet to be completed," he said.

Kumar said there were several projects sanctioned earlier which had not not made expected progress due to insufficient funds.

The state government, he said, would provide all necessary assistance to railways for completion of these projects.

The list of 19 pending projects includes Harnaut workshop, Patna Ganga rail cum road bridge, Kosi [ Images ] bridge, setting up a wheel manufacturing plant at Chhapra, diesel locomotive manufacturing unit at Marhaura, greenfield electric loco manufacturing factory at Madhepura, rail-cum-road bridge at Munger and doubling of tracks in the remaining blocks on Patna-Gaya section.

ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/ET-Cetera/Sky-Bus-not-Metro-tailor-made-for-Indian-cities-Inventor/articleshow/5551621.cms?curpg=2)
The Sky Bus is tailor-made for congested Indian cities and is a safer and better option than Metro Rail, according to B Rajaram,
inventor of the Sky Bus and former managing director of Konkan Railway.

Significantly, Rajaram, who developed the Sky Bus — a twin-coach module that combines the strength of a steel coach with the flexibility of a bus — said he did it "at a tiny fraction of what it would have cost the government to develop it, which is anywhere between Rs 500 crore and Rs 800 crore".

The biggest advantage of a patented technology like the Sky Bus is that it remains the most cost-effective alternative at Rs 60-75 crore per route km as compared to Rs 215 crore for the Metro and Rs 400 crore for the underground Metro, at current costs, according to available data.

The Sky Bus can potentially carry six million passengers daily, or 80,000 hourly, in any direction.

"The Sky Bus pre-fabricated structure, unlike Metro Rail, which requires heavy infrastructure and huge capital, can be superimposed on existing roads, without altering their set-up or dislocating traffic, anchored by pillars raised on dividers," Rajaram told IANS in an interview.

It also frees authorities of the necessity of land acquisition, excavations and construction that clog and choke city arteries. What's more, said Rajaram, the project barely takes 24 months to commission against the five to seven years required by Metro systems.

"Integrating 15 rail technologies, Sky Bus turns the conventional approach on its head by reversing the position of the carriage and the wheels. The upside down configuration actually leverages gravity to bind the carriage wheels and the tracks inseparably in an enclosed concrete box, eliminating the possibility of either derailment or capsizing," he said.

"The system has already been granted worldwide patents and approved for mass implementation by German Tuv Rheinland, internationally renowned for technical-viability testing for aviation and transportation projects like magnetic levitated railways."

Handling passenger volumes is only one aspect of the Sky Bus. Another variant, the Sky Con, can be integrated with ports, railways and roadways, to accelerate loading and unloading of containers on ships 10 times faster than existing systems worldwide, he added.

A technical panel constituted by the central government and headed by Indiresen, former director of IIT, Madras, had concluded that the technology was "not tested" — which has become a major hurdle in its implementation.
Ironically, Indiresen also observed: "If very strict standards that some want to apply in this case (Sky Bus) had been applied in the case of
Stephenson's Rocket Engine, the world would never have seen railways at all. We cannot live on borrowed technology for ever and should learn to develop our own inventions and, for that reason, learn to place confidence in Indian technology."

"Why single out the Sky Bus as 'untested'," asked Rajaram, "when a 'tested technology' like Metro Rail has been involved in a spate of accidents, injuring more than 200 people. Derailments and collisions over the past decade have also claimed 1,300 lives. Does it follow that train travel be outlawed as unsafe though the technology is proven?

"Similarly, were 'high-tech' Germany coaches disowned after uncoupling four or five times at low speeds within 20 days of their being introduced on the Lucknow-New Delhi Shatabdi Express in the late 1990s?" Rajaram asked.

Another panel headed by former president APJ. Abdul Kalam — as then prime minister's principal scientific advisor — had certified the technology as being safer than railways.

Sky Bus can be designated under the Tramway Act instead of the Indian Railway Act, since it moves along existing roads. Sky Bus is also included in the draft Metro Rail Act by the urban development ministry.

^^this technology will catch the fancy of the govts only when it partners itslef with a foreign firm..
we still have a tendency of that being superior in quality and service but we can't be blamed for that ;)

There are so many flaws in the figures mentioned in that article.

Firstly, construction cost of elevated and underground metro is around 150 cr and 300 cr respectively.

Secondly, skybus can never have a capacity of 80,000 passengers per hour. It is not a train, it is just a bus or a trams on rails. How on earth can 2 small coach tram compare to 8-10 big coach metro trains.

Thridly, it says "Skybus can be superimposed on existing roads, without altering their set-up or dislocating traffic, anchored by pillars raised on dividers". Isn't the same case with elevated metro. And underground metro doesn't even have to bother with this.

They are just trying to mould facts to fit in their case.

According to me skybus is the "dumbest" idea for public transport. Some people - like the inventor - are trying to hard sell the idea for past 5-6 years.

There is not a single parameter on which it can be better on any other mode of tranport.
1) Cost - I dont think it will be cheapest mode considering its capacity. BRTS/Monorail/tram could be equal or may be even cheaper than skybus.
2) Carrying capacity - I dont think that it will be any greater than any other mode (except may be BUS)
3) Implementation speed - should not be faster than any other mode - I dont see any reason for that.
4) Technology - I dont think its technology wise also any better - on parameters Green/SAFEST/fastest

So why should there be any choice of this mode.

the only ones supporting it are the inventors, so its a bit of a non-issue

There is no adequate seating space or very less seating space in the sky bus, you can check it out in this video.most of the space is for standees .

BDKAeIYo91c

^ I'm only supporting Skybus because its Indian made technology. Otherwise it seems pretty useless, unless the track system is alot safer.

Bandra terminus will soon get new platforms, food plazas and skywalks

Bandra Terminus is set to get a whole new look by June 2011. Part of the mega plans which would give a boost to passenger comfort would include the addition of four platforms, skywalks, food plazas, decongestion of traffic, a road overbridge, streamlining of parking and the overall expansion of the terminal.
Plans available with TOI show that the area around the existing station building would be earmarked specifically as auto, taxi, BEST (bus stand and depot separately), private and VIP parking, which will help in free movement of vehicular traffic. A new home platform (which touches the existing station building) will be made of concrete and used as an elevated walking path. This “skywalk’’ would also house passenger amenities like a food plaza.
Major traffic congestion due to a level-crossing gate will also be eased with the proposed construction of a 900-metre long and 7.5 metre wide road over the level-crossing gate. “This road will be open to all vehicles other than three-wheelers,’’ said chief PRO, WR, S S Gupta.
The existing concourse at the terminus’s south-end would be pushed around 50 metres further and an additional floor added to it. While the existing platforms would be extended, the first floor would have facilities for booking, refreshments and toilets. The total cost of the project is pegged at Rs 40 crore. WR is also stressing on better lighting at the terminus.
“Passengers who alight at Khar Road station would also benefit since the exiting FOB would be extended and connected to the elevated walking path above the home platform,’’ said Gupta.
This elevated walking path would also have FOBs connected to all platforms.
Gupta added the addition of four more platforms will increase the capacity of the terminus by 100%. “Right now, on an average, we run 20 trains per day in either direction. This capacity will be doubled,’’ he said. Every platform will be able to cater to 24-coach trains. Work on one of the island platforms and foot-overbridge has already begun.

There are so many flaws in the figures mentioned in that article.

Firstly, construction cost of elevated and underground metro is around 150 cr and 300 cr respectively.

Secondly, skybus can never have a capacity of 80,000 passengers per hour. It is not a train, it is just a bus or a trams on rails. How on earth can 2 small coach tram compare to 8-10 big coach metro trains.

Thridly, it says "Skybus can be superimposed on existing roads, without altering their set-up or dislocating traffic, anchored by pillars raised on dividers". Isn't the same case with elevated metro. And underground metro doesn't even have to bother with this.

They are just trying to mould facts to fit in their case.

In India we have inferiority complex everything imported is good and everything India is bad.

Look at Army it has ordered inferior Russian T90 tanks compared to Indian Arjun Tank. And allow the T-90 to mature with time and Indian fund.

Also PSU DRDO can't give bribes to netas and babus.

U have raised 3 points.

1. Sky bus is way cheaper than metro there is no doubt about it. And country like India where there is scarcity of funds should not involve in such gala fire created by burning public money.

2. Metro don't have 810 coaches as stated by u, metro will have 6-8 coaches.

In Sky bus u can run as many coaches as u want. Hence there is no limit of 8-10 coaches. U can run any number of coaches or say hanging buses in a line one after another.

3. As per ur third point. No their is huge difference between elevated Metro and sky bus.

Elevated metro runs on the tracks and the sky bus hangs from the elevated tracks.

In sky bus system u can utilize the elevated track since the sky bus hangs below the elevated track and the upper track/area can be utilized as the space is precious in the cities.

The running cost of sky bus is also very cheap.

The India and Indian public will benefit from Sku bus:

1. Sky bus is economical to build.

2. Sky bus is cheaper to run, i.e.e operating cost.

3. The public will benefit as the ticket prices will be way cheaper.

4. It is 100% Indian technology.

5. India can export and earn revenue by sky bus projects, specially to the developing nations.

The sky bus project was stopped and dumped by a accident occurred at its first test. Every inventions is results of hundreds of failures.

But the story of Sky Bus is different, there was sabotage by the metro lobby who don't want Sky Bus to be success.

The tracks of the Sky Bus was found to be damaged in the test side resulting in accident.

Many years back I have seen a report in Aaj Tak in which Lalu as bihar cm was saying to the people "why r u complaining about bad roads and pot holes? If in rainy season they get filled with water then it is good go and catch fish into them" this was the attitude of politicians in the past they eat all the roads/schools/bridges everything and shows them on paper.

Now, the politicians have become smart. Because there is so many ways for them to make money. They builds huge projects involving hundreds of crores and in return they got their commission.

They earn their percentage and general people goes gaga about the development. By doing this they waste public money and erect something to show it to the public NOW THEY HAVE GOT THEIR HANDS FULL THEY GOT MONEY, VOTES AND ALSO RESPECT FROM PUBLIC.

Elevated metro runs on the tracks and the sky bus hangs from the elevated tracks.

In sky bus system u can utilize the elevated track since the sky bus hangs below the elevated track and the upper track/area can be utilized as the space is precious in the cities.

for what? gully cricket?

^^the space above the track can be used as a walkway .

In India we have inferiority complex everything imported is good and everything India is bad.

Metro systems in India are being built by Indian companies like L&T, Afcons, Gammon India, Navyuga etc. Mitsubishi-Rotem trains are now being manufactured by BEML. Bombardier trains of Delhi metro are manufactured in India only. So we don't have inferiority complex, we are consuming India products with foreign technical know how (and I don't believe it's wrong to adopt technical knowledge. If it is, then we should dump all our science text books in dustbin)

1. Sky bus is way cheaper than metro there is no doubt about it. And country like India where there is scarcity of funds should not involve in such gala fire created by burning public money.

It is cheaper in absolute terms but not in per passenger terms. At double cost, metro can ferry many times more people thus having very low per passenger cost.

2. Metro don't have 810 coaches as stated by u, metro will have 6-8 coaches.

In Sky bus u can run as many coaches as u want. Hence there is no limit of 8-10 coaches. U can run any number of coaches or say hanging buses in a line one after another.

Metros do have 10 coaches. You may like to see NYC subway and Paris RER.

And I believe skybus is not made for 8-10 coaches, hence called bus an not train.

And you cannot run buses one after another. There is something called dwell time and platform reoccupation time. If dwell time (the time which skybus spends at platform for loading and unloading) is 20 seconds and a minimum desirable platform reoccupation time (time between departure of first bus and arrival of next bus) is 60 seconds (which is very difficult to achieve), then you cannot run buses with a frequency of more than 70 seconds (50+20). If you try to run with higher frequency, then even a delay of few seconds if one of the bus will mean all of the following buses are delayed.

3. As per ur third point. No their is huge difference between elevated Metro and sky bus.

Elevated metro runs on the tracks and the sky bus hangs from the elevated tracks.

In sky bus system u can utilize the elevated track since the sky bus hangs below the elevated track and the upper track/area can be utilized as the space is precious in the cities.


You mean building slums for poor people above the tracks ?

^^the space above the track can be used as a walkway .

Dear, elevated walkways are used for crossing the road, not for going along the road. For that we have footpaths.

In India we have inferiority complex everything imported is good and everything India is bad.

Look at Army it has ordered inferior Russian T90 tanks compared to Indian Arjun Tank. And allow the T-90 to mature with time and Indian fund.

Also PSU DRDO can't give bribes to netas and babus.

U have raised 3 points.

1. Sky bus is way cheaper than metro there is no doubt about it. And country like India where there is scarcity of funds should not involve in such gala fire created by burning public money.

2. Metro don't have 810 coaches as stated by u, metro will have 6-8 coaches.

In Sky bus u can run as many coaches as u want. Hence there is no limit of 8-10 coaches. U can run any number of coaches or say hanging buses in a line one after another.

3. As per ur third point. No their is huge difference between elevated Metro and sky bus.

Elevated metro runs on the tracks and the sky bus hangs from the elevated tracks.

In sky bus system u can utilize the elevated track since the sky bus hangs below the elevated track and the upper track/area can be utilized as the space is precious in the cities.

The running cost of sky bus is also very cheap.

The India and Indian public will benefit from Sku bus:

1. Sky bus is economical to build.

2. Sky bus is cheaper to run, i.e.e operating cost.

3. The public will benefit as the ticket prices will be way cheaper.

4. It is 100% Indian technology.

5. India can export and earn revenue by sky bus projects, specially to the developing nations.

The sky bus project was stopped and dumped by a accident occurred at its first test. Every inventions is results of hundreds of failures.

But the story of Sky Bus is different, there was sabotage by the metro lobby who don't want Sky Bus to be success.

The tracks of the Sky Bus was found to be damaged in the test side resulting in accident.

Many years back I have seen a report in Aaj Tak in which Lalu as bihar cm was saying to the people "why r u complaining about bad roads and pot holes? If in rainy season they get filled with water then it is good go and catch fish into them" this was the attitude of politicians in the past they eat all the roads/schools/bridges everything and shows them on paper.

Now, the politicians have become smart. Because there is so many ways for them to make money. They builds huge projects involving hundreds of crores and in return they got their commission.

They earn their percentage and general people goes gaga about the development. By doing this they waste public money and erect something to show it to the public NOW THEY HAVE GOT THEIR HANDS FULL THEY GOT MONEY, VOTES AND ALSO RESPECT FROM PUBLIC.

Metro systems in India are being built by Indian companies like L&T, Afcons, Gammon India, Navyuga etc. Mitsubishi-Rotem trains are now being manufactured by BEML. Bombardier trains of Delhi metro are manufactured in India only. So we don't have inferiority complex, we are consuming India products with foreign technical know how (and I don't believe it's wrong to adopt technical knowledge. If it is, then we should dump all our science text books in dustbin)



It is cheaper in absolute terms but not in per passenger terms. At double cost, metro can ferry many times more people thus having very low per passenger cost.



Metros do have 10 coaches. You may like to see NYC subway and Paris RER.

And I believe skybus is not made for 8-10 coaches, hence called bus an not train.

And you cannot run buses one after another. There is something called dwell time and platform reoccupation time. If dwell time (the time which skybus spends at platform for loading and unloading) is 20 seconds and a minimum desirable platform reoccupation time (time between departure of first bus and arrival of next bus) is 60 seconds (which is very difficult to achieve), then you cannot run buses with a frequency of more than 70 seconds (50+20). If you try to run with higher frequency, then even a delay of few seconds if one of the bus will mean all of the following buses are delayed.


You mean building slums for poor people above the tracks ?

1. I'm talking about the inferiority complex specially of Netas and Babus.

Don't u read my Arjun tank example.

I know very well who constructs metro in India. I have said that metro lobby not said that foreign companies.

The E. Sreedharan, the Delhi metro chief is also from the same railway background of Mr. B. Rajaram, former MD, KRCL & alumnus of IIT Kharagpur (Inventor of Sky Bus).

Sreedharan hates rajaram because of his talent and purposely derailed his project. It is like a crook boss screwing his subordinate's best works because of jealousy.

In India there is no dearth of Jai Chand and Mir Jafars.

2. Capital cost is lowest - almost 50% of elevated systems & 25% of underground metro for same performance standards.

Lowest running cost.- Maintenance free tracks, no signals & points & crossings to maintain.

3. When talking about India plz don't give example of NY and Paris in China they have world's fastest train running at 394.2 km per hour.

In Delhi Metro they have only 4 coaches and raising to 6 coaches by may this year.

Also, see number or accidents, delays and daily problems.

Being a Delhiites i have seen enough of Metro.

Skybus works on the principle of smaller units carrying smaller loads but at a high frequency, easily accessible from roads, just like a bus stop, since its stations are mere 40 meter long with no crossings and signals. Skybus thus, matches the passenger carrying capacity of 20,000 to 80,000 with that of a heavy Metro system.

4. If one goes by your arguments then why not go for Sky Bus for smaller cities where there is less ridership. The low cost sky bus fits well for cities like Jaipur for example.

5. Sky Bus is like handing BRT corridor.

6. Why u forget the Buzz word of "Green tech", sky bus is environment friendly with less electricity consumption, carbon foot print, noise and pollution.

7. Why are u forgetting that the Metro is for passengers only but Sky Bus also ferries

Goods : deliver trucks/ containers

8. So in ur opinion all the extra space in the city should be converted to slums.:nuts:

For every km route 9000 sq.m Space added on top all along. Which can be used for business activities, offices and roof top gardens to add to the ascetics of the surrounding.

How do we compare different options?

Monorail can never be an option because it is rubber tyre-based , lacking the advantages of high speeds and mass loading, which is possible in steel-wheel/steel rail based system only.

System
Attribute Skybus Metro Elevated Metro Rail Under-ground Metro

Capital cost per 10 km in Rs crores 550 1200 2500

Passenger Capacity pphpd Sky bus 20,000-40,000 Can go to 80,000, Elevated metro 20,000-40,000 under ground metro 20,000-40,000

Cargo 60 TEU per hour per direction NIL NIL

Fares-to meet financial viability 50 ps per km –at Rs 250 per month for 500km.

Additional revenue from Skytop- bet.stns.

90,000 sqm Yes –between stations NIL-between stations NIL

for what? gully cricket?

No,:nuts: for business activities, restaurants, office space or roof top gardens for adding greenery and landscaping.

Anidel, you have again posted a lot of misleading facts. If I start correcting them again, you will come up with a new set of misleading facts. So I think it's better for me to stop correcting :D

No,:nuts: for business activities, restaurants, office space or roof top gardens for adding greenery and landscaping.

restaurants and offices on something that will be a few metres wide and accessible every few hundred metres by walkways from the road level? somehow i dont think its going to be a commercial success

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/5823/90382840.jpg

Indian Express

Dear, elevated walkways are used for crossing the road, not for going along the road. For that we have footpaths.:) I thought that was walkway/footpath (whatever you wanna call it )at the top of the skybus :ohno: with all those barricades at the top of the rail. If you look at the video.

^^the space above the track can be used as a walkway .

orrr..they could make a flyover for cars, and then use the same flyover for the skybus, so that you have these busses hanging off the flyover. Now that's what I would call utilization of space. Even then I doubt the Skybus could ever replace Metro. Maybe we can use skybus to phase out busses? Lol. :nuts:

3. When talking about India plz don't give example of NY and Paris in China they have world's fastest train running at 394.2 km per hour.

In Delhi Metro they have only 4 coaches and raising to 6 coaches by may this year .
:lol:

No, for business activities, restaurants, office space or roof top gardens for adding greenery and landscaping.

i have doubts whether the space above the skybus could be used for offices or restaurants..at best they could be used for walkways or some good landscaping cold be done over it.
Also metro system is anyday better in terms of passenger capacity and efficiency of transport..especially in a country like ours where the popln is big.it would be very difficult for skybus to handle such load...they could be better used as a feeder service where the load is low.

Anidel, you have again posted a lot of misleading facts. If I start correcting them again, you will come up with a new set of misleading facts. So I think it's better for me to stop correcting :D


No problem, people used to do the same when they don't have any argument left.

There is no adequate seating space or very less seating space in the sky bus, you can check it out in this video.most of the space is for standees .

BDKAeIYo91c

Boss this is also like metro, same sizing.
why can't they experiment in a smaller location in GOA itself where they tested it , run it with success and market it.

They were going to try it out at Mumbai Airport...between terminal 1 & 2...they should have done that.

Source (http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article106338.ece)
Feasibility of east-west railway freight corridor under study

Union Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa said on Saturday the Railway Ministry was considering the possibility of having a dedicated freight corridor between the east coast and the west coast connecting Chennai in Tamil Nadu and Vasco-da-Gama in Goa.

Interacting with journalists at The Hindu office here, Mr. Muniyappa said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was committed to accelerating the development pace and according priority for high-speed freight movement.

The present alignment running via Renigunta, Guntakal, Bellary and Hubli was circuitous.

Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), South Western Railway (SWR), S. Vijayakumaran said the Ministry had asked Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd., to study the traffic pattern on the corridor and suggest an altogether new alignment.

The present alignment was of an 'S' shape and was lengthy. After Rail Vikas Nigam submitted the report, the Ministry would take a suitable decision.

Asked whether Bangalore would be on the new alignment, he said it depended on the traffic density. Japan was keen on partnering with the Indian Railways in executing this project, he added.

Mr. Muniyappa said the Railway Ministry had already sanctioned the Ludhiana-Howrah and Delhi-Mumbai dedicated corridors. Asked whether the increased freight loads on the existing tracks would lead to faster decay of the rails, the Minister said freight corridors were designed to prevent such an eventuality.

While the 1,600-km East Corridor was expected to cost Rs. 15,000 crore, the 1,300-km West Corridor was likely to cost Rs. 12,000 crore, both of which were being undertaken under public-private partnership (PPP).

With the Railways facing severe funds constraints to take up new ventures, the Ministry was keen on evolving the PPP model to execute new projects, Mr. Muniyappa said.

He said Karnataka, which was already sharing the costs of several projects and was now ready for the PPP too for new projects, had become a model for other States.

How is it East west corridor ? Shouldn't they call it south west corridor. East west is more suitable for Kol-Mum corridor.

Boss this is also like metro, same sizing.
why can't they experiment in a smaller location in GOA itself where they tested it , run it with success and market it.

I do agree with your point. But also the fact is that the skybus in it's present might not be suitable to replace metros in dense and populated cities because of the fact that it is an untested technology. The indian railways should not dump this technology in fact it should take it fwd with IIT Kharagpur (It is setting up a research center with IIT KGP) and hash out the pitfalls. It should also continue to try it out in the small sections of GOA before it can furthur commercialize it.

source (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/indian-railways-to-setiit-kgp%5Cs-largest-research-centre/385376/)

The Indian Railways will set up IIT-Kharagpur's (IIT-KGP) largest research and development (R&D) centre. The investment may exceed Rs 120 crore.
Currently, the largest R&D centre at the institute is with the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), towards setting-up an energy park over a five-year period beginning 2007. The estimated cost of this project is close to Rs 100 crore.

Union Railway minister Mamata Banerjee recently said the Railways will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IIT-Kharagpur on February 13 to rope in students of the institute for research work involving her ministry. Officials at IIT-Kharagpur, however, point out that the establishment of a R&D centre would be central to the arrangement.

"The Indian Railways will set up an R&D centre at the IIT Kharagpur campus. The MoU to this effect is also for a long-term framework for advanced training for railway staffs," an official said on condition of anonymity.

When contacted, P P Chakraborty, dean - sponsored research and industrial consultancy, IIT-Kharagpur, confirmed the development but refused to share further details.

IIT-K is expected to carry out research on behalf of the Indian Railways on areas like equipment, manufacturing and technology upgradation for building a modern rail eco-system.

The Railways is also looking at sponsored research and staff training in collaboration with IIT-Kharagpur.

Last year, Banerjee had said that the Railways intended on forging a stronger relationship with instituions such as IIT-Kharagpur and IIT-Kanpur. Currently, almost all Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) handle sponsored research projects for Indian Railways.

But IIT-Kharagpur would be the first to partner for a dedicated R&D centre.

During the 2008-09, IIT Kharagpur received 167 research projects from the government, private and international funding agencies for a total value of Rs 158 crore and 142 consultancy projects worth Rs 13 crore, aggregating to a total of 309 projects for Rs 171 crore.

This is a record for the institute. Over 60 per cent of the funds have come from the industries in India and abroad.

Source (http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_railways-ministry-to-follow-highway-model-for-track-laying_1347946)
New Delhi: The Mamata Banerjee-led railways ministry is likely to focus on infrastructure development in the Rail Budget this month.

The initiative has perhaps been triggered by the observation made by the prime minister’s Office (PMO) on slow pace of rail infrastructure development.

Sources said Banerjee is likely to announce a mega public-private partnership (PPP) push in the track laying sector on the highway model and is charting out a policy for that.

At a meeting with industry representatives earlier this month, Banerjee said there is a huge opportunity for the private sector in track-laying works.

“We are looking at a policy for developing tracks in participation with the private sector on a model similar to the National Highways Development Programme. The ministry is studying various models of revenue-sharing for developing tracks in private participation,” a ministry official said on the condition of anonymity.

The official did not divulge the revenue sharing models being looked at.

Meanwhile, the rail ministry has charted out ambitious targets for track-laying in the next ten years.

The ministry is planning to add 25,000 km of new lines in the next ten years.

Of this, at least 10,000 km will be socially desirable lines regardless of their viability in the short run.

The plans specifically aim at connecting far-flung areas of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, J&K and all the states in the North East. Interestingly, Indian Railways inherited 53,996 km network in 1947, but has added only 10,000 km of lines at 64,099 km in the last 62 years. Additionally, more than 30,000 km will be double/multiple lines compared with around 18,000 km today.

Of this, more than 6000 km will be quadrupled lines with separate passenger and freight services. With the new lines in place, maximum speed of the trains will go up from 110 kmph to 130 kmph.

Similarly in case of the freight trains, maximum speed will go up from 60-70 kmph to 100 kmph.The railways, meanwhile has tried its hand on models to invite private participation in development of rail sidings (tracks connecting industries, plants to main line), as mainline tracks to tap the upcoming freight potential in the areas that do not have rail connectivity.

The models allow the private players to develop the tracks on their own, and avail an opportunity of freight rebate on traffic commitment, thereby enabling them to redeem their initial investment over a period of time.

The scheme was initiated on a pilot basis in 2008. It was, however, meant only for cement fertilizer, food grain and not for coal and iron ore traffic.

Source (http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/indian-railways-plans-to-increase-number-of-ac-threetier-coaches-in-existing-trains-9557)
According to a PTI report, Indian Railways are planning to increase the number of AC three tier coaches in existing trains to cater to the increasing number of waiting list passengers. The move comes as the AC three tier has turned out to be the most sought after rail class travel option, effectively registering a growth of over 21 per cent during the first ten months of this financial year, higher than any other class. Indications are that forthcoming Railway Budget this month could lay emphasis on accelerating production of AC three tier coaches.

A source from the Indian Railways said that though the Railways has been periodically introducing more AC three tier coaches depending on the rush, they now intend to add more of such coaches permanently and increase their numbers in coach composition. Trains with year-round rush could see ten 12 AC three-tier coach out of 22 to 24 coaches that make a train rake.

While 3.43 lakh passengers travelled in AC three-tier in 2008-09 fiscal, the number has touched 3.68 lakh till January this year, a growth of 21.01 per cent. In terms of earnings, the growth has been 19.02 per cent, with Indian Railways making Rs 3.116 crore from AC three-tiers. In comparison, the passenger growth in Sleeper Class has been a steady eight per cent.

Doctors on board long-distance trains are all set to make a debut with the Railways deciding to depute one General Duty Medical Officer and one paramedical staff in all Duronto (end-to-end nonstop) trains as a pilot project for a year.

The medical services will come free of cost. Nine pairs of Duronto trains are currently operational. Deciding to earmark two berths in an AC-2 compartment for the doctor and the attendant, the Railways have authorised the zonal railways to purchase equipment like ECG, ophthalmoscope, glucometer and treatment equipment like defibrillators, portable suction apparatus, oxygen cylinders and nebulizers.

The mechanical and electrical departments have been told to make necessary modifications in coaches to provide oxygen cylinder holders, drip set holders, and extra lighting for patient management and extra plug points for resuscitation equipment.

Source: Indian Express

I read about the renewation plan of Bandra Terminus. I feel very nice to know about it. Because currently the area around the terminus is surrounded by slum. If one goes from Bandra station east side to BDTS the area along the road is very ugly.
I feel that if possible Railways should rehabilate to those slum people. Or if that is not possible at leaset they should be provided with enough toilets. (Who will do this BMC or MMRDA or Railway authorities?)
There are encrachments near the ticket windows of Bandra Station east side. Those should also need to be removed with proper rehabilitation.

Mr. Rajaram his skybus technology both are very unfortunate as in the initial trial runs that accident occred. Now neither state government nor any development authority will take the risk of skybus in their area.And even if anyone of them approves such a proposal then also there are very less chances that central government will approve it. It will be a miralce if skybus project will come in reality in any of the Indian city.

Source (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Gogoi-asks-Mamata-for-separate-railway-zone-for-Northeast/580071)
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday asked Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to create a new railway zone exclusively for the Northeastern region and expedite double-tracking of the only railway track in Assam.
Gogoi, who sent a letter to the Railway Minister before the Union Railway Budget, asked her to include the proposal in her budget “in the interests of the Northeast region and its people.” Poor connectivity was one reason for the region’s backwardness and creation of a separate railway zone would immensely help in improving the situation, he said.
Gogoi also requested introduction of daily Duronto trains on the Guwahati-Delhi, Guwahati-Bangalore and Guwahati-Kolkata routes.

PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/517989_Rail-line-connecting-Tripura-and-Bangladesh-by-2014)
Rail line connecting Tripura and Bangladesh by 2014
Agartala, Feb 15 (PTI) The work on the railway project linking Tripura with Akhaura in Bangladesh will be completed by 2014, officials said today.

The decision on linking the two cities was taken during Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to New Delhi.

During Hasina's visit both the countries on January 12 agreed that a railway line would be built which will address India's demand for transit through Bangladesh as Kolkata-Dhaka-Akhaura railway connectivity already exists.

The railway track from Lumding in Assam to Agartala would also be converted from narrow gauge to broad gauge and the railway line would be extended up to bordering town Sabroom in South Tripura district by 2014, the sources said.

Indian railways to get a new enquiry number
Monday, February 15, 2010,15:32 [IST]

New Delhi, Feb 15: The Indian Railways has decided to set up a new enquiry number 138 in a bid to provide faster services.
Buzz up!The new 138 number will provide a slew of value added passenger related services across the country and is expected to be launched soon.
"The new service has received the nod of the Department of Telecommunication and we hope to launch the service soon," railway sources are quoted as saying in a news agency report.
The 138 number is also expected to take the load off the existing 139 passenger inquiry number, which receives as many as 8 lakh calls everyday.
"The paid 138 enquiry number will complement the currently in use free 139 number which is already facing a problem of clogged network due to heavy traffic," the sources added.
This comes after the railway services and operations were severely disrupted due to fog among other factors over the past few months. The disadvantage of having a single passenger services number came to the forefront during this time.
Following this, the Railways upgraded its technology to cater to the passengers with quick and correct information.
An announcement on the number number is going to be made in the Railway budget, which is slated to be out on Friday, Feb 26, is reportedly going to announce the setting up of .

OneIndia News

They were going to try it out at Mumbai Airport...between terminal 1 & 2...they should have done that.

are you sure?

Boss this is also like metro, same sizing.
why can't they experiment in a smaller location in GOA itself where they tested it , run it with success and market it.

ya it will add to the landscape of Goa. And in case of Mumbai ,if we put some brains into it and design a robust structure we can run metro above and the sky bus below the same structure.