It is awaiting final go ahead from other departments.

Really?? The deadline for completion of the renovation is by October 2010. Based on what you said, that means the station is nowhere near the vision planned by the architect.

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/2007/gpsu.jpg (http://img683.imageshack.us/i/gpsu.jpg/)

I think each and every engine should be equipped with a transmitter and GPS device which will allow the drivers to visualize the movements of other trains along with theirs and thus prevent future accidents. BTW are the engines equipped with on-board speaker systems connected directly to control-station to communicate with the people monitoring the locomotives?

Tamils want more trains to Chennai

The 50,000 strong Tamil community in city has demanded introduction of more trains to Tamil Nadu from Chandigarh.Members of the Tamil population here claim that they face lot of inconvenience at the railway station every time they head for their homeland as the sole train chugging out of Chandigarh to Tamil Nadu gets full with passengers heading for on-the-way destinations.

"The issue has been taken up with the authorities several times but to no avail. The community is now planning to launch a signature campaign to press for introduction of more trains from Chandigarh, " said SP Rajshekharan, general secretary, Tamil Association.

"There are over 50,000 Tamils living in Chandigarh and most of them visit their hometown at least once a year. However, there is only one train to Chennai that leaves on Monday morning at 7:45 am," he added.

Ranjan, who hails from Chennai, said that the fact that the train leaves on the first day of the week was also a problem and demanded that it should be rescheduled for Friday evening or Saturday morning so that those employed here could utilize their weekends.

"Unruly scenes are witnessed at the station as hundreds of people try to get on the train, which comes with limited number of compartments. Since this is the only direct link to reach Chennai, most Tamils are unable to attempt important ceremonies or meet their family members in time," he said.

A large number of people of Tamil origin reside in Sectors 46, 47, Maloya and Bapu Dham and a majority of them work with central government departments or the public works department of UT administration. TNN

NEW DELHI: Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), on Tuesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide consultancy for a high speed railway line in Kerala between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasaragod.

"This is DMRC's first-ever consultancy project for a high speed rail corridor and we plan to engage Japanese experts who have been associated with bullet trains, for the study. So far, DMRC has provided consultancy for the construction of Metro corridors in many cities of the country. A MoU to this effect was signed between Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) managing director Alkesh Sharma and DMRCs director (works) Mangu Singh,'' said a DMRC spokesperson.

As per the MoU, the DMRC will provide consultancy for a pre feasibility study for the 550-kilometre long rail corridor.

It is proposed that trains on the line be run at a speed of about 275-300 kilometres per hour on the standard gauge (1,435 mm) high speed rail corridor. Initially, eight stations have been planned at Thiruvananthapuram, Quilon, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Calicut, Kannur and Kasaragod. Three more stations at Chengannur, Tirur and Thalassery may be constructed in the future.

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/DMRC-signs-MoU-for-high-speed-rly-line-in-Kerala/articleshow/6428860.cms)

Tamils want more trains to Chennai

The 50,000 strong Tamil community in city has demanded introduction of more trains to Tamil Nadu from Chandigarh.Members of the Tamil population here claim that they face lot of inconvenience at the railway station every time they head for their homeland as the sole train chugging out of Chandigarh to Tamil Nadu gets full with passengers heading for on-the-way destinations.

"The issue has been taken up with the authorities several times but to no avail. The community is now planning to launch a signature campaign to press for introduction of more trains from Chandigarh, " said SP Rajshekharan, general secretary, Tamil Association.

"There are over 50,000 Tamils living in Chandigarh and most of them visit their hometown at least once a year. However, there is only one train to Chennai that leaves on Monday morning at 7:45 am," he added.

Ranjan, who hails from Chennai, said that the fact that the train leaves on the first day of the week was also a problem and demanded that it should be rescheduled for Friday evening or Saturday morning so that those employed here could utilize their weekends.

"Unruly scenes are witnessed at the station as hundreds of people try to get on the train, which comes with limited number of compartments. Since this is the only direct link to reach Chennai, most Tamils are unable to attempt important ceremonies or meet their family members in time," he said.

A large number of people of Tamil origin reside in Sectors 46, 47, Maloya and Bapu Dham and a majority of them work with central government departments or the public works department of UT administration. TNN

can't they just take the plane or something. why must they be a pain in the ass.

can't they just take the plane or something. why must they be a pain in the ass.

u can give their air ticket fare ...hann

Would be quite fitting to develop Hub Railway Stations on the Lines of GMR Airports in Hyd & Delhi T3 and provide the poorer and less afluent sections of the country with much convenience and comfort that is still lacking in 2010.

Stations like Del, Kanpur, Bhopal, Mumbai, Hyd., Bang, Chennai, Kolkata, Patna etc...and many more...

Though our extensive Rail Network is a proud possession and a reason for envy of other countries but Stations are a real sore in the eye..

So much more is needed 4 d poor Janta yet Mamta is missing in Action:bash:

SCR announces 30 more special trains to clear rush

South Central Railway will run 30 more special trains between Hyderabad-Ajmer, Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam, Kacheguda – Bengaluru and Machilipatnam-Secunderabad from August 31 to September 27 in order to clear extra rush of passengers.

Train No 0778A Hyderabad-Ajmer Weekly Special Train will depart Hyderabad on September 3, 10, 17, 24 (Fridays) at 9:35 PM, arrive /depart Secunderabad at 10:00 PM/ 10:05 PM and arrive Ajmer at 2:30 PM on the second day (Sunday).

In the return direction, Train No 0779A Ajmer-Hyderabad Weekly special train will depart Ajmer on September 5, 12, 19 and 26 (Sundays) at 10:45 pm arrive/depart Secunderabad at 1:00 pm / 1:10 pm and arrive Hyderabad at 2:00 pm on the second day (Tuesdays).

Enroute, these special trains will also stop at Secunderabad, Malkajgiri, Medchal, Kamareddy, Nizamabad, Basar, Dharmabad, Mudkhed, Nanded, Purna, Parbhani, Jalna, Aurangabad, Manmad, Bhusawal, Khandwa, Itarsi, Bhopal, Sehore, Shujalpur, Berchha, Ujjain, Nagda, Kota, Bundi, Mandalgarh, Chanderia, Bhilwara, Bijaynagar and Nasirabad in both the directions.

These trains will have one AC II tier, one AC III tier, ten Sleeper Class, two General Second Class and two Second Class Luggage Cum Brake Van totaling to 16 Coaches.

Train No 0748A Hyderabad – Visakhapatnam special train will depart Hyderabad on August 31 and September 4, 11, 18, 25 at 11:00 PM, arrive/depart Secunderabad at 11:20 pm /11:30 PM and arrive Visakhapatnam at 12:15 pm on the next day.

In the return direction, Train No 0747A Visakhapatnam-Hyderabad special train will depart Visakhapatnam on September 1, 5, 12, 19, 26 at 7:05 pm and arrive at Secunderabad at 8:15 am/ 08:25 am and arrive Hyderabad at 08:50 am the next day.

Enroute, these special trains will also stop at Secunderabad, Kazipet, Warangal, Khammam, Madhira, Vijayawada, Eluru, Tadipalligudem, Rajahmundry, Samalkot, Annavaram, Tuni, Anakapalli, Duvvada in both the directions. . These trains will have one AC II tier, one AC III tier, ten Sleeper Class, two General Second Class and two Second Class Luggage Cum Brake Van Coaches totaling to 16 coaches.

Train No 0703 Kacheguda-Bengaluru Weekly Special Train will depart Kacheguda on September 5, 12, 19, 26 (Sundays) at 09:55 PM and arrive Bangalore at 11:55 am the next day.

In the return direction, Train No 0704 Bengaluru-Kacheguda Weekly Special Train will depart Bengaluru on September 6 , 13, 20 , 27, (Mondays) at 1:05 PM and arrive Kacheguda at 4:00 AM the next day.

Enroute, these special trains will stop at Shadnagar, Mahbubnagar, Gadwal, Kurnool Town, Dhone, Guntakal, Gooty, Anantapur, Dharmavaram, Penukonda, Hindupur, Gauribidannur, Dodballapur, Yelahanka and Bangalore Cantonment in both the directions. These trains will have two AC II tier, one AC III tier, twelve Sleeper Class, three General Second Class and two Second Class Luggage Cum Brake Van Coaches, totaling to 20 coaches.

Train No 749 Machilipatnam-Secunderabad Weekly Special Train will depart Machilipatnam on September 5, 12, 19, 26, (Sundays) at 8:30 pm and arrive Secunderabad at 4:55 am on the next day.

Enroute these specials trains will also stop at Chilakalapudi, Pedana, Kavutaram, Gudlavalleru, Gudivada, Vijayawada, Khammam, Mahbubabad, Warangal and Kazipet. These trains will have one AC II tier, one AC III tier, six Sleeper Class, six General Second Class and two Second Class Luggage Cum Brake Van Coaches, totaling to 16 coaches. www.deccanchronicle.com

Bengal's wagon unit draws global majors

All roads lead to Kanchrapara. Global biggies in railway transportation are making a beeline for the proposed hi-tech coach facility to be built about 50km from Kolkata.

This town in North 24-Parganas could well mark the beginning of Bengal's industrial resurgence and fill the vacuum left behind by the Nano's exit. Top companies like Siemens of Germany, Bombardier of Canada, Alstom of France, Stadler of Switzerland, Hitachi and Kawasaki of Japan, Korea's Rotem Hyundai, ABB of Sweden and Spain's Caf have filed requests for qualification (RFQ) for the Kanchrapara project. All of them have a turnover of at least $10 billion ('50,000 crore). Siemens alone has a global turnover of close to $300 billion (Rs 15 lakh crore).

A top railway official associated with the project told TOI: "You name it and we have got their application. We had never imagined such a response. It's just great. There is hardly any company left in railway transportation that has not applied for the project." It's learnt that the Kolkata-based Titagarh Wagons Ltd (TWL) of J P Chowdhary, and Texmaco of the KK Birla Group have also filed RFQs in consortium with global partners.

TWL has tied up with Stadler and ABB, while Texmaco has formed a consortium with Kawasaki. TOI was the first to report that Bombardier was keen to participate in the Kanchrapara project. The Berlin-based global major provides coaches for trains like Regina in Sweden, Electrostar in UK, Talent 2 in Germany and Spacium in France. TNN

Durga Puja special trains between Puri & Howrah

In view of the demands from the passengers and to avoid rush in regular trains, Railways have decided to run two pairs of weekly Puja Special trains between Puri & Howrah.

The first pair puja special train 0861/0862 Puri-Howrah-Puri weekly Puja Special will run on every Tuesday from Puri and on every Wednesday from Howrah w.e.f. 7th September to 29th December 2010. 0861 Puri-Howrah Weekly Puja Special will leave Puri at 10.15 p.m and will arrive Howrah at 07.05 a.m on the next day. In the return direction, 0862 Howrah-Puri Weekly Puja Special will leave Howrah at 08.55 p.m and will arrive Puri at 05.55 a.m on the next day.

This train has one AC-2 tier, 02 AC-3 tier, 09 Sleeper Class, 06 General Second Class and 02 Guard-Cum-Luggage Vans in its composition having stoppages at Sakhigopal, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kharagpur between Puri and Howrah.

Similarly, the second pair of weekly Puja Special train 0807/0808 Howrah-Puri-Howrah weekly Special will run on every Tuesday from Howrah and on every Wednesday from Puri w.e.f. 12th October 2010 to 5th January 2011. This train will leave Howrah at 09.15p.m and will arrive Puri at 07.45a.m on the next day. In the return direction, this train will leave Puri at 11.35 p.m and will arrive Howrah at 09.00 a.m. on the next day.

This train has 02 AC-2 tiers, 02 AC-3 tier, 10 Sleeper Classes, 02 General Second Class coaches and 02 Guard-Cum-Luggage Vans in its compositon having stoppages at Kharagpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Khurda Road between Howrah and Puri.www.orissadiary.com

Konark and Gurudev express to have one more ac-3 tier coach

In view of demands from the passengers and rail users, it has been decided to augment one AC 03 tier coach permanently in Konark and Gurudev Express with immediate effect.

Earlier, 1020/1019 Bhubaneswar-Mumbai (CSTM)-Bhubaneswar Konark Express was running with 20 coaches i.e. 01 AC-2 tier, 03 AC-3 tier, 11 Sleeper Class, 02 General Second Class, 02 Guard –cum-Luggage van and 01 Pantry Car in its composition. After augmentation of one AC-3 tier coach, this train will run with 21 coaches.

Similarly, 2659/2660 Nagercoil-Shalimar-Nagercoil Gurudev Express earlier running with 21 coaches has now run with 22 coaches after permanent augmentation of an AC-3 tier coach in its composition.

http://www.orissadiary.com/ShowBussinessNews.asp?id=20815

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6446613.cms)

SHIRDI: The famous temple town of Shirdi, the abode of the Saibaba, was put on the country's railway map with the inauguration Friday of a tri-weekly superfast train connecting it with Mumbai.

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan flagged off the special Sainagar Shirdi-Dadar train at Sainagar Shirdi, the railway station named after Maharashtra's most popular and famous saint.

The inaugural train was bedecked with flowers and festoons with a huge poster of the Saibaba on the engine.

Chavan also announced the extension of the Manmad- Secunderabad Express, Manmad-Kakinada Town Express and Manmad- Vijayawada Express up to Shirdi to facilitate devotees.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that the new train service connecting Mumbai with Shirdi would prove to be a boon for millions of Saibaba devotees from India and abroad who throng there round the year.

A Central Railway official said that the tri-weekly train will leave Dadar at 9.45 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, arriving at Sainagar Shirdi the following morning at 3.55 a.m.

In the return direction, the train will leave Sainagar Shirdi at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, arriving at Dadar at 16.05 p.m the same day.

En route, it will have halts at Thane, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Nashik Road, Manmad and Kopargaon in both directions during the 240-km long journey.

The train has 18 coaches, including one airconditioned two-tier, one airconditioned three-tier, eight sleeper, six general second class and two luggage-cum-brake vans.

Not bad. 4 hours for a 240 km journey.

Not bad. 4 hours for a 240 km journey.

Are u ok

9.45 p.m. to 3.55 a.m. = 6 hour and 10 minutes

10 a.m. to 16.05 p.m = 6 hour and 5 minutes

240 kms /6 hour = 40 kms per hrs is too bad :bash:

May be he thought it is a wagon train not passenger.

Are u ok

9.45 p.m. to 3.55 a.m. = 6 hour and 10 minutes

10 a.m. to 16.05 p.m = 6 hour and 5 minutes

240 kms /6 hour = 40 hrs per kms is too bad :bash:

superfast train :lol:

May be he thought it is a wagon train not passenger.

babaji wagon par devotees kaise travel karenge!!

I meant may be he overlooked that it was a passneger train and thought otherwise.babaji wagon par devotees kaise travel karenge!!

Are u ok

9.45 p.m. to 3.55 a.m. = 6 hour and 10 minutes

10 a.m. to 16.05 p.m = 6 hour and 5 minutes

240 kms /6 hour = 40 kms per hrs is too bad :bash:

Oh yeah man. Still had a hangover.

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Howrah-bound-Rajdhani-derails-in-Bengal/articleshow/6459905.cms)

Rajdhani derails near Kolkata, sabotage not ruled out
PTI, Aug 30, 2010, 11.36am IST

KOLKATA: Passengers of the Howrah-bound Rajdhani Express escaped unhurt on Monday when the engine derailed at a station in Hooghly district with the Railways not ruling out sabotage as 300 pandoral clips on the tracks were found removed.

The New Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express was at a slow speed while it was passing through a platform of the Baruipara station, around 27 km from Kolkata, when two front wheels of the engine jumped the tracks, Eastern railway CPRO Samir Goswami said.

None of the coaches were affected by the derailment, which occurred at around 9:15 am, he said.

Eastern Railway sources had earlier said that two coaches had also derailed.

"Since none of the coaches were affected there was no casualty or injury," the CPRO said.

"Prima facie 300 pandoral clips on the tracks were found removed, therefore we are not ruling out sabotage," Goswami said.

The chief operations manager, ER, Ambarish Mukherjee who was on the train, took charge of the situation immediately after the derailment, the CPRO said.

A EMU rake was sent from Howrah to bring the stranded passengers of the Rajdhani to the terminus, he said.

Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Aug 27 – The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has assured the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) early completion of the construction of the broad-gauge (BG) railway line from Kamakhya Railway Station and Pandu Inland Port. The NFR made the above assurance at a meeting held by it with the representatives of the IWAI on Wednesday, said a press release here.
This line is being constructed by the NFR as a deposit works on behalf of the IWAI, to facilitate transportation of cargo or goods by railway from the Pandu Inland Port. The Port is to receive ship-load of consignments from Haldia Port via Bangladesh and cargo or goods from other areas to be sent to destinations like Bangladesh etc. the railway is hence of much importance for the Pandu Port to boost its performance.

The Pandu Port is being modernised by the IWAI with construction of two jetties – one for low level operation during the lean season and the other for high level operation during the monsoon season.

The NFR made the above assurance to the IWAI at the meeting attended by NFR general manager Keshav Chandra and IWAI chairperson B Prasad.

While Keshav Chandra was assisted by other principal heads of the departments of the NFR, IWAI chairperson was assisted by the senior officers of the Authority’s Guwahati office.

The IWAI chairperson also elaborated other projects planned to be undertaken in the NE region for enhancing its connectivity through waterways, said the press release

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Howrah-bound-Rajdhani-derails-in-Bengal/articleshow/6459905.cms)
^^ Mamata ke raj mein ek aur derailment :bash:.. Thank god no casulties this time .

Track doubling between Hospet & Vasco by SWR

The South Western Railway (SWR) has obtained approval from the Railway Board for doubling the track between Hospet in Karnataka and Vasco in Goa. The track doubling is essential as there is huge potential of freight traffic from Mormugao Port Trust in Goa, which predominantly deals with iron ore exports, to other parts of the country. The project has been sanctioned by the Railway Board for a cost of Rs 2,127 crore and the work has been assigned to Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd.

FOUNDATION STONE FOR KADAPA-BANGALORE RAILWAY LINE TOMORROW

Shri K.H. Muniyappa, Hon’ble Minister of State for Railways will lay the Foundation Stone for Kadapa-Bangalore Railway line on Wednesday, the 1st September, 2010 at 10.30 a.m. at Kadapa Railway Station. Shri A. Sai Pratap, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Steel will preside over the function.

Smt. G. Aruna Kumari, Shri Md. Ahamadullah Syed, Hon’ble Ministers, Govt. of A.P. and Shri M.V. Mysoora Reddy and Shri Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Hon’ble Members of Parliament will grace the occasion as Guests of Honour.
Shri P. Ravindranath Reddy, HW, Mayor , Smt. Jyothi Reddy, Hon’ble chair person, Zilla Parishad, Shri D.L. Ravindra Reddy, Shri G. Veera Siva Reddy,MLA Smt. Y.S. Vijayalakshmi,MLA, Shri Adinarayana Reddy, MLA, Shri A. Amaranth Reddy, Shri K. Srinivasulu,MLA, Shri G. Sreekanth Reddy, MLA, Smt. Kamalamma, MLA , Shri M. Linga Reddy, MLA, Shri Shaik Hussain, MLC, Shri Y.S. Vivekanand Reddy, MLC, Shri P. Subba Reddy, MLC and Shri Changala Rayalu, MLC will also participate in the programme.

The new Railway line is one of the largest projects of the South Central Railway and estimated to cost Rs.1785 Crs. for a length of 258.3 Kms. Out of this about 208 Kms is in the State of Andhra Pradesh while remaining 50 kms forms part of the Karnataka State. This project is being executed on 50 :50 cost-sharing basis by the Railways and the State Govts.

In the current financial year an amount of Rs. 80 Crs. has been sanctioned for undertaking the works.The new line will pass through Kadapa & Chittoor districts of Andhra Pradesh and Kolar district of Karnataka. It will join the Pakala-Dharmavaram line at Madanapalle. The new line when constructed will have 54 major bridges and 315 minor bridges, apart from 18 crossing stations and 13 halt stations have been proposed.

The New line will help in cutting short the distance between Kadapa-Bangalore by about 181 Kms shorter than the route via Gooty and Dharmavaram and about 226 Kms. Shorter route via Renigunta, Jolarpettai and will also lessen the distance by about 125 Kms shorter via the route from Renigunta, Pakala, Katpadi and Jolarpettai. It will also be a shorter link between North Indian and the capital city of Bangalore in Karnataka. This new line will help enrich the economy and boost the industrial growth in the region. http://www.scrailway.gov.in/scr/web/press/index.jsp?id=485

No dustbins at railway stations (http://www.hindustantimes.com/No-dustbins-at-railway-stations/Article1-594938.aspx)
The railways are desperately looking for dustbins, lots of them, and fast.

While doing up the three big stations in the Capital for the expected passenger rush during the Commonwealth Games next month, railway authorities realised that New Delhi, Old Delhi and Nizamuddin — the trio that serves as the face of Indian Railways in the Capital — do not have a single dustbin.

All dustbins had been pinched from the spots and no one knows since when.

Horrified that the Games were just over a month away — and with the Railways being the lead partner of the Organising Committee (OC) after pledging R 100 crore as sponsorship — they quickly did a recce of the stations to figure out where to put dustbins, how many of them and how big.

The result: The three stations need 440 giant, swivelling dustbins made of stainless steel, each with a capacity to hold 120 litres of garbage.

They are bigger than the 90-litre ones the stations earlier had before they vanished or got damaged beyond repair.

The estimated cost of the procurement is R 50 lakh. An average household dustbin is of eight-litre capacity.

But here's the glitch: the procurement process is taking time. So far, officials are busy preparing bureaucratic modalities of the process of procurement.

"We are clear about what we need. These dustbins will be huge and heavy, so that this time they cannot be dislodged and flicked or easily damaged," said Ashwani Lohani, Divisional Railway Manager, Delhi.

"We will install them in time for the Games."

Find the highlighted points a little hard to digest.. I mean, not even a single dustbin across all 3 stations... how can that be possible?! And to top it, no one has got a clue about it:bash:

2010-09-02 19:40:00
Last Updated: 2010-09-02 20:19:39

Bangalore: The Commonwealth Express, featuring rare CWG memorabilia, arrived here on Thursday to afford Bangaloreans a glimpse of the history of the games.

Five coaches of the Special Exhibition train on Sports and Information Technology are devoted to the Commonwealth Games.

They offer: History of the Games, Commonwealth Nations and the Mascot of New Delhi Games 'Shera'; Queen's Baton Relay and interesting facts about the Games; Details of venues and the Games; Display of sporting events and calendar of sporting events; Portraits and action photographs of Indian sports legends and Railways' role in nurturing budding Indian sportsmen, star railway sportspersons and display of trophies bagged by Indian Railways.

The special train, comprising 11 coaches, has been journeying through India since June 24 to promote the Oct 3-14 Games to be held at New Delhi.

The train is stationed at Cantonment, the second major railway station in Bangalore, till Friday. It will next leave for Hubli, about 320 km north of Bangalore. It arrived here from Mysore.

News and tweets from Bangalore

The six other coaches are devoted to showcasing Information Technology.
The Commonwealth Express is being run jointly by the Ministry of Railways (through its Railway Sports Promotion Board) and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Source:http://sify.com/news/commonwealth-express-arrives-in-bangalore-news-national-kjctEfhchhc.html

By: Rang7 Team September 2, 2010

Golden Chariot, the luxury train of Karnataka is all set to get a brand new look at the cost of Rs. 50 Lakh. The luxury train with its grand amenities has been ranked by Vanity Fair, a UK Magazine as one among the six best trains catering to tourism worldwide.

Karnataka State Transport Development Corporation has been running this train for over two years. The organization is now going to spend Rs. 50 lakh on revamping the interiors and exteriors of this luxury train.

In order to carry out the refurbishments, the train will not undergo any journey till 20th September. However the train will not miss out on any of its scheduled journeys, as the makeover plans have been purposely coincided with the monsoon season or the off season for the Golden Chariot. Apart from an aesthetic makeover, the Indian Railways will fund the overhauling of the electric system of the train.

Golden Chariot- Pride of the South takes its name after Stone Hampi, a World Heritage Site. The services of the luxury train are fit to serve those of a Maharaja and its royal surroundings have been inspired by the various dynasties that have ruled Karnataka.

The interiors of the train are beautiful aesthetic inspirations from the ruins of Hampi and Halebidu with intricate carvings on ceilings and wall panels which are further enhanced by furniture inspired by Mysore and Hoysala architecture. The luxury train with its traditional blend has all the modern facilities for the comfort of its tourist. The train is well equipped with air conditioned cabins, LCD TV’s, wardrobes, private bathrooms, vanity or writing desk, four and two seater dining cabins, veg and non-veg restaurants, a conference coach, Lounge Bar where one can enjoy some soulful music and an Ayurvedic Spa.

Golden Chariot takes visitors on a 7 nights/ eight day tour of the various heritage destinations of Karnataka starting from Bangalore every Monday. The journey takes visitors to various places in Karnataka such as Bangalore, Mysore, Srirangapatna, Nagarhole National Park in Kabini, Shravanabelagola, Belur, Halebidu, Hampi, Badami, Pattadakal, Aihole and Goa.

Thus the train traverses through a variety of mixed landscapes of the state ranging from historical sites, palaces, National Parks and beaches.

Source:http://www.rang7.com/news/rail/golden-chariot,-luxury-train-karnataka-get-aesthetic-makeover-641.htm

Global majors vie for rail project

Global majors, including GE, Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens, are among firms short-listed for implementing Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee's pet project of setting up an electric locomotive assembly and ancillary unit at Dankuni under the public private partnership (PPP) mode. Contracts will be awarded this year and factory construction will begin early next year, Amit Mitra, chairman of the Railways expert committee on innovative financing told Hindustan Times.

Construction work began last month at a diesel loco component factory at Dankuni. Big ticket projects, including the electric loco and diesel loco factories at Madhepura and Marhoura respectively, besides the rail coach factory at Kanchrapara in West Bengal, have also shown progress.

Early this month, eight bidders were short-listed for implementing the Kanchrapara project — which has the Railways as a 26 per cent equity partner. The short-listed firms include Alstom, Hyundai Rotem, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler.

Bid documents for the setting up of the electric loco factory at Madhepura have been issued and final contracts are scheduled to be shortly awarded.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/business-news/global-economy/Global-majors-vie-for-rail-project/Article1-595317.aspx

In most of the cases, the power plants have been bogged down by supply constraints of coal due to inadequate rakes of the Railways.

“We are also not getting adequate rakes from the Railways to transport coal. As against our daily average requirement of around 200 rakes per day, we are getting 160-170 rakes pr day. Transportation of food grains being the top priority for the Railways, they are also not in a position to divert adequate rakes for other purposes”, he added.

Out of these eight power stations in West Bengal, four plants- Mejia, Bandel, Sagardihi and Farakka are facing super-critical coal stock. All these power stations barring Farakka, which is a pithead power plant, receive coal through the rail route.

what is mamata doing :bash:

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/25-thermal-power-plants-facing-critical-coal-stock/406932/

ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/Many-long-distance-trains-ready-for-launch-Mamata/articleshow/6502573.cms)
Many long-distance trains ready for launch: Mamata


KOLKATA: Several long-distance new trains including Duranto Express between Howrah and Pune are ready to be launched soon, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today said.

"Several new trains like Howrah-Pune Duranto Express, Howrah-Digha Duranto Express, Kamakhya-Dhupguri Fast passenger and Alipurduar-Lamding Intercity Express are ready to flag-off", Banerjee said after inaugarating 17 pairs of new local trains.

Howrah-Pune Duranto Express would be inaugurated before the Pujas, she said.

Several railway projects announced in the rail budget including an axle factory at New Jalpaiguri and a diesel multiple unit in Sankrail of Howrah district were being taken up for West Bengal, she said.

The axle factory would be set up at a cost of Rs 284 crore while a Rs 135.82 crore wagon manufacturing unit at Haldia. The DMU factory at Sankrail would be set up at a cost of Rs 249.3 crore, she said.

She also announced that an wagon manufacturing unit would be set up at Guwahati.

Railways eyeing captive nuclear plant to meet energy needs

The Indian Railways, preparing for captive power plants to meet its energy requirements, is now eyeing nuclear energy.

"Indian Railways has expressed interest for captive nuclear power of 1000 MW (500 MW x 2). The Railways want to examine the possibilities. We are looking into it," Department of Atomic Energy's secretary Srikumar Banerjee told PTI here.

The two proposed units would not impact the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL)'s plan for ten nuclear plants of which four plants have received approval.

According to the current cost, the two small 500 MW nuclear power plants, for which the Railways has adequate land, would cost around Rs 10,000 crore. NPCIL, which would be the executing agency, might use indigenous high pressure water technology reactor, regarded as cost effective.

"Our 500/700 MW nuclear power plants are more cost effective than imported technology," Banerjee said. If the plans fructify, the arrangement might be on the lines of the Indian Railways-NTPC joint venture 'Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company' to set up a captive power plant at Nabinagar in Bihar's Aurangabad district.

The plant would have a capacity of 1000 MW. The Indian Railways are also planning to set up another power plant of 1,320 MW at Adra in West Bengal's Purulia district to avail traction supply at economical rates.

Out of the four units of the 250 MW at Nabinagar power plant, the first unit was likely to be commissioned by March 2012 and the other three after every three months thereafter.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

Railways set March 2015 as deadline for DFC in eastern region

The Railway Board has set the deadline of March 2015 for the commissioning of a dedicated freight corridor (DFC) in the eastern region. It has asked the railway officials concerned to expedite work on the eastern region DFC. The project will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore.

The board has, however, fixed March 2014 for commissioning the western freight corridor.

The railways recently awarded contracts to an agency to carry out the civil work on the Mughalsarai-Sonenagar route. The eastern region DFC will link Dhankuni in West Bengal to Ludhiana in Punjab as per the approved plan. The railways is yet to finalize tenders for the civil work between Sonenagar and Dhankuni.

According to the chief commercial manager (CCM), planning-cum-DFC project in-charge, Amritanshu, the eastern freight corridor project is likely to give a boost to the railway economy. This ambitious project is being taken up in a stretch of about 1,850 km.

While 80 percent of the new alignments (laying of tracks) of the DFC will be done along the Grand Chord (GC) tracks, only 20 percent of it is to be laid at new places in the city areas, he said.

According to Amritanshu, the Indian Railways is facing a keen competition from roadways transport while carrying goods and other consignments across the country. Goods traffic has been undoubtedly the mainstay of the Indian Railways as it yields about 80 percent revenue from freight traffic only.

Though the railways has, of late, registered an increase of about 3.08 percent in the goods loading segment, completion of the dedicated freight corridor would attract more market and business for the railways to carry goods from one corner to another in the country, he said, adding that the railway is still cheaper, faster and a safer mode of transportation.

The eastern dedicated freight corridor will be a gift to the business community of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Punjab as goods would be carried to their destination directly. To ensure the consignments reach fast, the Board has allowed the goods trains to run at the speed of about 100 kmph on DFC route. Besides, there will be stations located at a gap of 30 km only on this route, Amritanshu said.

The greatest advantage of the DFC will be to carry iron, coal, cement and other mineral materials easily from Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal to other parts of the country. These states are the major recipients of other products from Punjab and Haryana to fulfil the needs of the business community. Thus, the completion of this project by the end of March 2015 would give a fillip to the railway economy, the CCM (planning) said. TOI

Will trains travel at a better speed than the usual ones, i tried google to get avg speed targeted, i cannot get it.

Railways eyeing captive nuclear plant to meet energy needs

The Indian Railways, preparing for captive power plants to meet its energy requirements, is now eyeing nuclear energy.

"Indian Railways has expressed interest for captive nuclear power of 1000 MW (500 MW x 2). The Railways want to examine the possibilities. We are looking into it," Department of Atomic Energy's secretary Srikumar Banerjee told PTI here.

The two proposed units would not impact the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL)'s plan for ten nuclear plants of which four plants have received approval.

According to the current cost, the two small 500 MW nuclear power plants, for which the Railways has adequate land, would cost around Rs 10,000 crore. NPCIL, which would be the executing agency, might use indigenous high pressure water technology reactor, regarded as cost effective.

"Our 500/700 MW nuclear power plants are more cost effective than imported technology," Banerjee said. If the plans fructify, the arrangement might be on the lines of the Indian Railways-NTPC joint venture 'Bhartiya Rail Bijlee Company' to set up a captive power plant at Nabinagar in Bihar's Aurangabad district.

The plant would have a capacity of 1000 MW. The Indian Railways are also planning to set up another power plant of 1,320 MW at Adra in West Bengal's Purulia district to avail traction supply at economical rates.

Out of the four units of the 250 MW at Nabinagar power plant, the first unit was likely to be commissioned by March 2012 and the other three after every three months thereafter.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com

now thats some news

The first thing that comes to my mind is the way toilets are handled on trains. Sewage should be stored in holding tanks in cars instead discharging it between the tracks. Some people don't have the sense to not use the toilet when the trains is topped at a station.
Until cars are equipped with holding tanks, toilets can be locked before a train enters urban area and unlocked when it leaves an urban area.

Another nasty habit of Indian travellers when ravelling by a bus or train with open windows is to through rubbish out the window.

New infra-structure being built can be ruined by people who don't show respect for what they are using.

Will trains travel at a better speed than the usual ones, i tried google to get avg speed targeted, i cannot get it.

The article mentions the speed of 100 km per hours and i think more or less it will be about that speed only.

Also, as you must be aware that the goods trains are the last priority and these trains are given green signal to pass only when the track is free from passenger trains, a dedicated fright track with 80-90 kmph will also do wonders.

Mark my words this is the one of the best think happening in India that will boost our economy and create jobs. Our goods will be more competitive in the world as the raw materiel and finished goods will reach on time. :cheers::cheers:


Railways set March 2015 as deadline for DFC in eastern region

The Railway Board has set the deadline of March 2015 for the commissioning of a dedicated freight corridor (DFC) in the eastern region. It has asked the railway officials concerned to expedite work on the eastern region DFC. The project will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 12,000 crore.

The board has, however, fixed March 2014 for commissioning the western freight corridor.

The railways recently awarded contracts to an agency to carry out the civil work on the Mughalsarai-Sonenagar route. The eastern region DFC will link Dhankuni in West Bengal to Ludhiana in Punjab as per the approved plan. The railways is yet to finalize tenders for the civil work between Sonenagar and Dhankuni.

According to the chief commercial manager (CCM), planning-cum-DFC project in-charge, Amritanshu, the eastern freight corridor project is likely to give a boost to the railway economy. This ambitious project is being taken up in a stretch of about 1,850 km.

While 80 percent of the new alignments (laying of tracks) of the DFC will be done along the Grand Chord (GC) tracks, only 20 percent of it is to be laid at new places in the city areas, he said.

According to Amritanshu, the Indian Railways is facing a keen competition from roadways transport while carrying goods and other consignments across the country. Goods traffic has been undoubtedly the mainstay of the Indian Railways as it yields about 80 percent revenue from freight traffic only.

Though the railways has, of late, registered an increase of about 3.08 percent in the goods loading segment, completion of the dedicated freight corridor would attract more market and business for the railways to carry goods from one corner to another in the country, he said, adding that the railway is still cheaper, faster and a safer mode of transportation.

The eastern dedicated freight corridor will be a gift to the business community of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Punjab as goods would be carried to their destination directly. To ensure the consignments reach fast, the Board has allowed the goods trains to run at the speed of about 100 kmph on DFC route. Besides, there will be stations located at a gap of 30 km only on this route, Amritanshu said.

The greatest advantage of the DFC will be to carry iron, coal, cement and other mineral materials easily from Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal to other parts of the country. These states are the major recipients of other products from Punjab and Haryana to fulfil the needs of the business community. Thus, the completion of this project by the end of March 2015 would give a fillip to the railway economy, the CCM (planning) said. TOI

Kumod Verma, TNN, Sep 7, 2010, 12.43am IST

PATNA: Railway minister Mamata Banerjee's dream to run double-decker trains on Indian Railways tracks may become a reality soon with the railways making a successful trial of the double-decker train on the Mathura- Agra route on Sunday.

The prototype design of the double decker, which was built by Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala was successfully tested to run at 180 kmph by the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow.

Talking to TOI, RDSO director general K B L Mittal said the trial was immensely successful from safety point of view. A report about the successful test would be submitted to the Railway Board. The board would, accordingly, announce details about the introduction of double-decker trains for the first time, he said.

According to a Railway Board official, the railways intends to introduce it on a few select routes this year. While railways would prefer to introduce it on the crowded routes in metropolitan cities, there is every possibility of its running on all those routes where the number of commuters is high, where track condition is up to the mark and there is no danger from over head electric (OHE) wires, he said.

According to Mittal, the permissible speed of the proposed double-decker train is likely to be 160 kmph. However, the trial was conducted at 180 kmph. It was the second trial on Sunday. Earlier, the railways held the successful trial on Lucknow-Moradabad route at 110 kmph, he said.

According to sources, the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation ( MRVC), Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) have already given their consent for introducing double-decker trains in their respective crowded corridors. The railways is of the view that a two-storeyed local double-decker train seems to be a better idea than simply adding to the number of coaches on local trains to clear rush of passengers, sources said.

The double-decker trains could be run at short distance with the limited number of coaches to clear rush of passengers. For that railways will have to improve the existing infrastructure on tracks including re-spacing of signals ,increase in platform length and slight alternation in track alignment work, a board official said adding every double decker coach will have 30 per cent more space compared to the present conventional coaches.

Welcoming the successful trial of the double decker train, an ECR official expressed the hope that it would prove to be a boon for Patnaites and passengers commuting daily in jam-packed bogies. In view of the fact that the mainline route from Mughalsarai to Jhajha under Danapur division of ECR has reached about 160 per cent saturation point, introduction of double-decker trains would benefit the local passengers, he said.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Rlys-likely-to-introduce-double-decker-trains-soon-/articleshow/6509071.cms

Now, 10,000 rail sevaks to cart your luggage

KOLKATA: Railway minister Mamata Banerjee has come up with a new scheme that she believes will not only provide jobs to unemployed youth, but aid passengers at stations without sufficient porters. Her department will now appoint 10,000 rail sevaks.

"They will not have to carry luggage on their heads, but will be provided with trolleys. It is still to be decided whether they will charge passengers or receive money for their services from the railways," Mamata said, while laying the foundation stone for doubling of Circular Railway tracks between Talla and Prinsep Ghat.

The minister has already allotted `150 crore for this project. At present, nearly 40,000 people travel to and from work by the Circular Railway system. Officials believe that the number will go up substantially once the tracks are doubled. In fact, this may well turn out to be similar to the Metro that connects the suburbs to the central business district. The only issue to be resolved is that of land. There are some stretches where the railways does not have sufficient land to lay tracks.

"On the stretch between Prinsep Ghat and Eden Gardens and near the Burrabazar station, we will ask for some land from the Kolkata Port Trust. We don't think there will be too much of a problem over transfer of this land," a senior official said.

Mamata said that she planned to extend the Circular Railway network from Majerhat to Budge Budge. "The line will connect places like Kidderpore, Akra Santoshpur, Garden Reach and Metiabruz," she added.

While speaking on the railways' new catering policy, the minister said Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation ( IRCTC) staff wanting to rejoin the catering department of the railways could do so. Mamata also said railway staff who believed they couldn't continue in service any longer might opt for retirement. "Their jobs will be given to their sons or daughters," she added.

"We shall start will safety-related posts. We don't want to compromise with safety," Mamata said.

The railways will also set up diagnostic centres at 8,000 stations across the country. This was announced by Union minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi.

Read more: Now, 10K rail sevaks to cart your luggage - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Now-10K-rail-sevaks-to-cart-your-luggage/articleshow/6527261.cms#ixzz0ftO4mOkg

One room houses for those living beside Rly tracks: Mamata

Kolkata: A project to build a one-room houses for families living along railway lines in different zones in the country has been cleared, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced today.:bash::bash::bash:

"I have just cleared a project to build one-room houses for those living alongside railway tracks and railway land will be used for commercial projects," Banerjee told a programme here.

"The people living beside railway lines in shanties face problems and their children are often in danger of accident while crossing tracks," she said.

The pilot project would be called 'Sukhi Griha Kon' (Happy Home) for which the Railways would provide land.

It would be implemented in collaboration with local bodies in different states under joint venture.

She said the Kolkata Municipal Corporation was planning to build 12000 flats for the poor for which railways would give land.

"KMC has funds for constructing the flats and railways will provide the land," she said.

Banerjee said that as part of a safety-related scheme, jobs would be offered to children of railway employees who opted for voluntary retirement after 20 years of service.

"I have just cleared a scheme for eight categories engaged in safety-related work in railway like gangman and gateman. If necessary, it will be extended to other categories later."

She said that to meet the shortage of coolies, she had also cleared a project called 'Rail Sevaks' which could provide employment to an estimated 10,000 people.

Railways would arrange trolleys for those engaged as rail sevaks and the job could be on a no-work-no-pay basis, she said.

http://www.zeenews.com/news654044.html

Most of these are illegal occupants, still many will go to court.

India-Bangladesh finalize railway links

Agartala, Sep. 9 (ANI): Railway officials of India and Bangladesh
have finalized railway link alignment to improve connectivity between the two countries in Agartala.

It will reduce the distance to Kolkata by nearly three times.

The distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Guwahati is 1,200 kilometres (km) at present which would be reduced to 519 km if the linkage was completed.

Officials of Tripura government, the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) and Bangladesh Railways met here on Wednesday to complete technical formalities for laying the Akhaurah-Agartala railway link.

"Indian party also visited and now we will finalize the alignment. Both the government will decide if they can accept it, or they can modify it, whatever they will decide. We will propose today," said Y. Ali Mirdha, Bangladesh Railway's Chief Engineer.

The proposed railway link is 13 kilometres long, 5.4 kilometers of which would be in the Indian territory.

The construction of the Akhaurah-Agartala railway link, to be financed by India, was agreed upon during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January 2010.

http://news.oneindia.in/2010/09/09/indiabangladesh-finalize-railwaylinks.html

Indian Railway revenue earnings up by 7pct

The total approximate earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis during April 1st to August 31st 2010 were INR 37015.28 crore as compared to INR 34289.58 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 7.95%.

The total goods earnings have gone up from INR 23129.08 crore during April 1st to August 31st 2009 to INR 24768.16 crore during April 1st to August 31st 2010 an increase of 7.09%.

The total passenger revenue earnings during first five months of the financial year 2010-11 were INT 10592.53 crore compared to INR 9715.78 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 9.02%.

The revenue earnings from other coaching amounted to INR 1028.90 crore during April to August 2010 compared to INR 941.69 crore during the same period last year, an increase of 9.26%.

The total approximate number of passengers booked during April to August 2010 was 3251.33 million compared to 3067.14 million during the same period last year, showing an increase of 6.01%. In the suburban and non-suburban sectors, the number of passengers booked during April to August 2010 was 1640.53 million and 1610.80 million compared to 1564.43 million and 1502.71 million during the same period last year, showing an increase of 4.86% and 7.19% respectively.

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/Indian_Railway_revenue_earnings_up_by_7pct/164645.html

Indian Railways finalizes INR 1000 crore wagon order

The Indian Railways has finalized its wagon order for sourcing about 17,500 to 18,000 wagons. Railway Ministry officials said that the total order value will be over INR 1,000 crore, though official sources were unwilling to comment.

The order is important for wagon manufacturers as the Indian Railways had not been able to place major part of the wagon procurement for 2009-10 fiscal till date. The price bids for the wagon had been called earlier this year.

The order will accrue to companies including Texmaco, Titagarh Wagons, Hindusthan Engineering and Industries, Cimmco Ltd, Modern Industries. But, the Ministry officials declined to share the exact break up of the order.

A ministry source said that “The decision was taken on Wednesday evening.”

The Railways proposes to procure another 18,000 odd wagons in 2010-11 fiscal. The bidding process for the current fiscal has not yet been initiated.

The cost for each wagon will depend on the kind of wagon to be procured. An industry source indicated that the cost per wagon will be roughly INR 2.5 million for the Railways.

The industry source that from a wagon manufacturer's perspective each wagon order should be around INR 1.7 million or so since there are free supply items as well.

Free supply items are those components required in wagon manufacturing that are procured by the Indian Railways and supplied to wagon manufacturers. The free supply items include steel sheets, wheels and ball bearings.

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news/Indian_Railways_finalizes_INR_1000_crore_wagon_order/164809.html

Railways to run pilgrimage trains from October

The Indian Railways will run 16 special trains from October connecting various important pilgrimage sites of the country, said a railway ministry release Friday.

Rechristened 'Bharat Tirth', these trains, besides promoting pilgrimage tourism, would also emphasise the country's culture of unity-in-diversity, said the release.

The trains would run in keeping with Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee's budgetary promise of launching special tourist trains connecting various pilgrimage sites in the country, said the release.

In her 2010 budget speech, Banerjee had promised to run 'Bharat Tirth' trains, connecting popular tourist sites in different parts of the country - from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, from Dwarka to Vindhya Parbat, from Ajmer Sharief to Gangasagar and from Madurai to Patna Sahib.

The objective of the Indian Railways in running these trains is to provide a comfortable, affordable and memorable experience to the passengers of different segments, the release said.

The itineraries of these trains would be so designed that the passengers would be taken to the rail heads nearest to the destination, stated the release.

From the various rail heads, the tourists would visit various places of tourist importance, said the release adding that the road journey for sightseeing would be organised in comfortable buses with tour escorts accompanying them in trains as well as buses.

http://sify.com/news/railways-to-run-pilgrimage-trains-from-october-news-national-kjktkddghee.html

Rlys to launch own portal for e-ticketing

PATNA: The Indian Railways, following frequent complaints, has decided to launch its own portal for e-ticketing to cater to the needs of the people. The new portal is likely to be launched by September-end. However, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will continue to issue e-tickets to passengers on its website.

According to a Railway Board official, the railways will start issuing e-tickets online on its own website www.indianrail.gov.in from the last week of September providing an option to the needy and computer savvy passengers to procure their e-tickets either from IRCTC or Indian Railways website as per their convenience, he said.

The board official said the railways' move would end monopoly of private sectors, who have been given franchise by IRCTC to book e-tickets from different places across the country. At present about 30 per cent of all rail ticket bookings are being made by the IRCTC. The railways is, in fact, considering to provide multiple e-ticket booking choice to passengers at a time of computerisation and globalization, he said.

The Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS), which is a wing of railways, has been working hard to make e-ticket booking functional on its own portal. Recently it became difficult for most of passengers to access the IRCTC website for booking their tickets through e-ticketing system. The recent scam related to e-ticketing booking and fake cancellation of trains in Samastipur division of East Central Railway (ECR) has forced Indian Railways to work out an alternative website for procuring e-tickets across the country, the board official said.

The official admitted that railways was forced to ban about eight lakh e-ticketing agents at the country level for booking Tatkal tickets between 8 am and 9 am on the IRCTC portal due to glaring misuse of this facility by these agents. These agents have been grabbing berths to sell them at a premium at all important stations. The ban imposed on them to access the IRCTC website in the first one hour has so far yielded good results. The new railway portal will become an easily accessible portal for the common people to procure e-tickets by any mail and express trains, he said.

It may be recalled that the Indian Railways has, of late, stripped the IRCTC of catering services on all long distance mail and express trains. Railways intends to take up the catering responsibility on itself to serve passengers with meals and breakfast on running trains, sources said.

Read more: Rlys to launch own portal for e-ticketing - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Rlys-to-launch-own-portal-for-e-ticketing/articleshow/6534469.cms#ixzz0zCwpteCG

:cheers:

Now, 10,000 rail sevaks to cart your luggage

KOLKATA: Railway minister Mamata Banerjee has come up with a new scheme that she believes will not only provide jobs to unemployed youth, but aid passengers at stations without sufficient porters. Her department will now appoint 10,000 rail sevaks.

"They will not have to carry luggage on their heads, but will be provided with trolleys. It is still to be decided whether they will charge passengers or receive money for their services from the railways," Mamata said, while laying the foundation stone for doubling of Circular Railway tracks between Talla and Prinsep Ghat.

The minister has already allotted `150 crore for this project. At present, nearly 40,000 people travel to and from work by the Circular Railway system. Officials believe that the number will go up substantially once the tracks are doubled. In fact, this may well turn out to be similar to the Metro that connects the suburbs to the central business district. The only issue to be resolved is that of land. There are some stretches where the railways does not have sufficient land to lay tracks.

"On the stretch between Prinsep Ghat and Eden Gardens and near the Burrabazar station, we will ask for some land from the Kolkata Port Trust. We don't think there will be too much of a problem over transfer of this land," a senior official said.

Mamata said that she planned to extend the Circular Railway network from Majerhat to Budge Budge. "The line will connect places like Kidderpore, Akra Santoshpur, Garden Reach and Metiabruz," she added.

While speaking on the railways' new catering policy, the minister said Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation ( IRCTC) staff wanting to rejoin the catering department of the railways could do so. Mamata also said railway staff who believed they couldn't continue in service any longer might opt for retirement. "Their jobs will be given to their sons or daughters," she added.

"We shall start will safety-related posts. We don't want to compromise with safety," Mamata said.

The railways will also set up diagnostic centres at 8,000 stations across the country. This was announced by Union minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi.

Read more: Now, 10K rail sevaks to cart your luggage - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Now-10K-rail-sevaks-to-cart-your-luggage/articleshow/6527261.cms#ixzz0ftO4mOkg
Why should Railway pay them?? They should be paid by the passengers using their services!

India-Bangladesh finalize railway links

Agartala, Sep. 9 (ANI): Railway officials of India and Bangladesh
have finalized railway link alignment to improve connectivity between the two countries in Agartala.

It will reduce the distance to Kolkata by nearly three times.

The distance between Agartala and Kolkata via Guwahati is 1,200 kilometres (km) at present which would be reduced to 519 km if the linkage was completed.

Officials of Tripura government, the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) and Bangladesh Railways met here on Wednesday to complete technical formalities for laying the Akhaurah-Agartala railway link.

"Indian party also visited and now we will finalize the alignment. Both the government will decide if they can accept it, or they can modify it, whatever they will decide. We will propose today," said Y. Ali Mirdha, Bangladesh Railway's Chief Engineer.

The proposed railway link is 13 kilometres long, 5.4 kilometers of which would be in the Indian territory.

The construction of the Akhaurah-Agartala railway link, to be financed by India, was agreed upon during the visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in January 2010.

http://news.oneindia.in/2010/09/09/indiabangladesh-finalize-railwaylinks.html

As far as I can recall from previous news related to this, this link will not be used for passenger services, but only freight. IMO, even starting with freight services is a welcome start, and as the two countries develop some confidence over each other in this line, they can then consider extending it for passenger services.

As far as I can recall from previous news related to this, this link will not be used for passenger services, but only freight. IMO, even starting with freight services is a welcome start, and as the two countries develop some confidence over each other in this line, they can then consider extending it for passenger services.

They will carry passenger too. Also if we can have rail services with pakistan our known enemy why not BD. Also you must be aware that china also wants to have a rail network with BD if we looses china will grab it. china is building its rail network in pakistan and POK to Iran for Oil & Gas and also to send its goods in middle east. And Via Pakistan-Iran-Turkey to Europe.

After reading this, its a Wish that one day World Celebrities will check out Indian HST also....:nuts:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39128733/ns/world_news-asia-pacific

The Chinese will have 16000+ Kms of HST by 2020...:nuts: Guess we would still be in planning stages by then..:ohno:

When we are catching up in Roads, Airports, Metro Trains etc..why cant we have HST like others..knowing well that it will be a necessity rather than a luxury in future..being Fast, Efficient,Safe & Mass Transport compared to Air Travel..Jaag Mamta Jaag:bash:

After reading this, its a Wish that one day World Celebrities will check out Indian HST also....:nuts:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39128733/ns/world_news-asia-pacific

The Chinese will have 16000+ Kms of HST by 2020...:nuts: Guess we would still be in planning stages by then..:ohno:

When we are catching up in Roads, Airports, Metro Trains etc..why cant we have HST like others..knowing well that it will be a necessity rather than a luxury in future..being Fast, Efficient,Safe & Mass Transport compared to Air Travel..Jaag Mamta Jaag:bash:

i agree wid u that we need to build HST connecting capital and other imp cities and border towns(esp along china and pak)

But dont compare wid china...it is insane...:banana:its developing at a crazy pace..and one day it will get saturated......Chineses plan 2 buil 25k skyscrapers by 2020...cn u believe dat?????:bash:

^^ and 50k by 2025 :nuts:.. the main part is that from where they will get so much energy and various other goods to meet their demands

2j-ypNuNg8Y

They will carry passenger too. Also if we can have rail services with pakistan our known enemy why not BD. Also you must be aware that china also wants to have a rail network with BD if we looses china will grab it. china is building its rail network in pakistan and POK to Iran for Oil & Gas and also to send its goods in middle east. And Via Pakistan-Iran-Turkey to Europe.

anidel Ji :

I trust you are referring to the Chinese bound Oil & Natural Gas from Persian Gulf and Africa being transported via the Port of Gwadar by Rail and Pipe Lines to China.

The main manufacturing areas of China are in East and South China and you may have an opinion of the China Bound Oil & Natural Gas as well as Chinese Manufactured Goods being Exported worldwide as well Chinese Imports through Gwadar.

Please read the following Article and nominate the "Forum" where we can discuss further :

Government and Policy Construction of Sino-Myanmar pipeline starts (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-09/10/content_11288046.htm)

Many thanks in advance

Cheers :cheers:

After reading this, its a Wish that one day World Celebrities will check out Indian HST also....:nuts:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39128733/ns/world_news-asia-pacific

The Chinese will have 16000+ Kms of HST by 2020...:nuts: Guess we would still be in planning stages by then..:ohno:

When we are catching up in Roads, Airports, Metro Trains etc..why cant we have HST like others..knowing well that it will be a necessity rather than a luxury in future..being Fast, Efficient,Safe & Mass Transport compared to Air Travel..Jaag Mamta Jaag:bash:

i agree wid u that we need to build HST connecting capital and other imp cities and border towns(esp along china and pak)

But dont compare wid china...it is insane...:banana:its developing at a crazy pace..and one day it will get saturated......Chineses plan 2 buil 25k skyscrapers by 2020...cn u believe dat?????:bash:

Somewhere buried in the SSC archives is the article about the High Speed Rail (300-350kmph +) from Pune to Ahmedabad. I think it was an HT article. The major obstacle is construction cost per Km of HSR. It's extra ordinarily high. Below are few old links talking about the feasibility of Pune-Ahmedabad HSR corridor.

Also during a recent interview(Youtube video posted here in SSC), Dr. Sreedharan said that they will be looking into the 250kmph+ HSR corridors which is comparatively less expensive than the 350kmph HSR.

Links:

The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article244282.ece)

India Post (http://www.theindiapost.com/west-post/french-co-to-study-pune-mum-ahemedabad-bullet-train-project/)

Indian Express (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/railways-to-invite-bids-for-puneahmedabad-highspeed-corridor/326276/)

Economic Times
(http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4843889.cms)

No doubt its a huge investment initially..as was the metro but now its being built in 8-10 cities ya...:) If its a lot 4 the Govt..they should go for BOT or PPP like expressways n matro trains.

Moreover since millions of Indians can now afford Flying then it really makes sense in HST which will be a cheaper option though more expensive than d regular Bharatiya Rail!! Imagine the scenario in 2030 with 1.5 Billion population.

We r already running 30 years behind d network of Japan,France n by 2020 we will b 40 years 2 late..:bash:

Wonder how much longer we hav 2 wait to have a 21st century Rail tech or sadly remain with the 18th century one!!:ohno:

They will carry passenger too. Also if we can have rail services with pakistan our known enemy why not BD. Also you must be aware that china also wants to have a rail network with BD if we looses china will grab it. china is building its rail network in pakistan and POK to Iran for Oil & Gas and also to send its goods in middle east. And Via Pakistan-Iran-Turkey to Europe.
What I'd meant here was that it will not be used for end to end passenger services. Say I want to travel from Kolkota to Agartala via this new direct route, then I can not just hop in at Kolkota, enjoy my journey, and get down at Agartala.

Since I really wish that above should be allowed, and would be keen to know the modalities of same, I would be more than happy to stand corrected supported by source(s) of that correction.

Pvt firms get R4,000-cr railway order bonanza

It is raining orders on wagon manufacturers, with the Indian Railways having placed orders worth approximately R4,000 crore for the current fiscal. In its most ambitious wagons procurement plan of the last five years, the Railways last week released orders for the manufacture of a record number of 22,180 wagons.

Firms contracted include the public-owned Burn Standard Company Ltd and the Braithwaite Company Ltd, besides the Modern Industries, Texmaco Ltd, Titagarh Wagons and the Jessops Ltd.

With an inventory of 216,417 wagons, the Indian Railways runs 6,000 goods train each day. Over the last five years, freight loading figures have continued an annual climb of between 8-9 per cent. At its five in-house wagon factories, the Indian Railways manufactures 1,200 wagons annually.

Apparently, this is not enough. Railways estimates are that it will need approximately 70,000 more wagons over the next 10 years.

In her last Budget speech, Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee announced plans to set up two wagon manufacturing units at Haldia and Guwahati.

She is also working on the idea of establishing a third unit in West Bengal in collaboration with the steel ministry.

"Banerjee's initiatives on capacity enhancement in this important area will leave a lasting impact", a senior ministry official said.

Of every rupee earned by the Railways, 64 paisa comes from freight, while 60 paisa is ploughed back for improving passenger amenities.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pvt-firms-get-R4-000-cr-railway-order-bonanza/Article1-599321.aspx

:cheers:

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/2271/toinefrlyadv13sep2010.pnghttp://yfrog.com/6ztoinefrlyadv13sep2010p

We r already running 30 years behind d network of Japan,France

sigh. i wish

What I'd meant here was that it will not be used for end to end passenger services. Say I want to travel from Kolkota to Agartala via this new direct route, then I can not just hop in at Kolkota, enjoy my journey, and get down at Agartala.

Since I really wish that above should be allowed, and would be keen to know the modalities of same, I would be more than happy to stand corrected supported by source(s) of that correction.

Yes, they will also carry passengers apart from goods. The north East of India will benefit as the famous chicken neck area in siliguri can be bypassed.

And India is also building ports in Bangladesh and Mayanmar or getting MOU to use ports of these countries and North East India will have acess to sea also.

Calcutta ▶ Dhaka by direct train (started 14 April 2008)...

A new train service started on 14 April 2008 between Calcutta (Kolkata) and Dhaka. Called the 'Maitree (Friendship) Express', its run by the Indian Railways & Bangladeshi Railways. The distance via the somewhat round-about route is 538 km (120km in India, 418km in Bangladesh), and it's routed via the border points at Gede & Darshana. Train services from Calcutta to Dhaka were suspended following the India/Pakistan war in 1965 and this is a major step forward.
Calcutta ► Dhaka

Dhaka ►Calcutta
"Maitree Express" Wednesdays

Saturdays
"Maitree Express"

Tuesdays


Sundays

Train number:


3108


3109


Train number:


3107


3110
0 km Calcutta (Chitpur station) depart 07:10 07:10 Dhaka (Cantonment station) depart 08:30 08:30
114 km Gede (Indian time) arr/dep 09:25 / 11:25 09:25 / 11:25 Darshana (Bangladeshi time) arr/dep 14:15 / 15:20 14:15 / 15:20
130 km Darshana (Bangladeshi time) 11:35 / 13:25 11:35 / 13:25 Gede (Indian time) arr/dep 14:00 / 16:00 14:00 / 16:00
375 km Dhaka (Cantonment station) arrive 18:00 18:00 Calcutta (Chitpur station) arrive 18:45 18:45

Remember that Indian time is always GMT+5½, Bangladeshi time is GMT+6 or (in summer) GMT+7. Times shown are always local time for the location concerned.

Check times locally, as sources disagree about the departure time from Dhaka southbound!

Trains 3107 & 3108 use Bangladesh Railways carriages, 3109 & 3110 use Indian railways carriages.
Fares
Non-AC seat AC seat AC first class
$8 $14 $23

http://www.seat61.com/Bangladesh.htm


http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41999

Mamata Banerjee announces an award of Rs 10 lakh for wrestler Sushil Kumar

NEW DELHI: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an award of Rs 10 lakh to wrestler Sushil Kumar after he won a gold medal at the World Wrestling Championship in Moscow.

Congratulating Kumar on becoming world champion, Banerjee said it was his spirit, drive and dedication that lead to personal achievement and national glory.

Complimenting him for meeting the spectacular challenge with determination, strength and total confidence, Banerjee added "His victory is a victory for the 'Rail Parivar' and dedicated to the Nation."

Kumar is posted as an Assistant Commercial Manager with Northern Railway. He is the third railway employee to have a podium finish at the World Wrestling Championship.

Twenty-seven-year-old Kumar made history by becoming the first Indian to win a world wrestling championship gold medal when he overpowered home favourite Alan Gogaev to win the 66kg freestyle title in Moscow on Sunday.

The exciting 3-1 victory in the title-bout also made Sushil the first Indian grappler to bag Olympic and World championship medals.

He already has under his belt the Asian and Commonwealth titles.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=63633915

Sushil deserves it.

Mamata rail plan hits steel wall

Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee’s grand plan to set up a third rail coach factory in her poll-bound state of West Bengal has suffered a jolt. The steel ministry has stonewalled the proposed agreement for a joint venture between Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES), a subsidiary of
Indian Railways, and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to set up the factory on the surplus land owned by SAIL at Kulti in Burdwan district.

Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh is understood to have objected to the agreement in a file noting.

Singh is learnt to have posed a query on what SAIL would gain from providing its prime land to the railways, except earning “some amount of rent”.

The minister has suggested it would be better for the railways, which owns “huge tracts of land in West Bengal”, to use its own resources for the ambitious project.

The setback is a double whammy for Banerjee who — after announcing plans to build the “world’s best rail coach factory” at the abandoned site of the Tata Nano car factory at Singur — had had to beat a quiet retreat after the West Bengal government offered to provide land.

With Banerjee’s politics revolving around popular passions concerning land acquisition, she had apparently pinned hopes on building the rail factory on land provided by SAIL — which is geographically close to Chittaranjan Loco Works in Bengal.

Banerjee, who had used the land acquisition issue to turn the tide against the Left Front government, was hoping to showcase this factory as an employment-generator in the run-up to the Bengal polls. And she had wanted to do this without entering the mess of actually having to acquire land. By getting the land from SAIL, she would have avoided that headache.

“Banerjee is feeling the heat of her own destructive politics on land. The present mess is a result of her attempts to project a larger-than-life image of herself — ahead of the 2011 assembly elections”, said CPM central committee member Mohammad Salim, a senior leader of the ruling Left Front in the state.

The steel minister was tight-lipped. “I discuss inter-ministry issues only in cabinet meetings and with the Prime Minister separately when I feel his intervention is required. I also take up matters with my cabinet colleagues, but not publicly,” Singh told HT.

Last month, SAIL announced its plans to enter into a pact with RITES. “We will sign the agreement next month for the joint venture unit with RITES,” SAIL chairman C.S. Verma had said on August 18. http://www.hindustantimes.com/Mamata-rail-plan-hits-steel-wall/Article1-599349.aspx

India Railways moves ahead with Freight Corridor

The seeds for the project were sown as early as in April, 2005, wherein, the Prime Ministers of India and Japan made a joint declaration for feasibility and possible funding of the dedicated rail freight corridors. Accordingly, Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a special purpose vehicle created to undertake planning and development, mobilization of financial resources and construction, maintenance and operation of the Dedicated Freight Corridors was registered as a company under the Companies Act 1956 on 30th October 2006 and has been a wholly-owned Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Ministry of Railways.

To start with, it is proposed to develop dedicated rail freight corridors on the Western and Eastern trunk routes. The DFC project on the Western and Eastern routes is one of the most ambitious projects that Indian Railways has ever taken up and once completed would meet the transport requirements of the two busy trunk routes for the next 15 to 20 years and would also help segregation of passenger and freight traffic on these routes. The project is targeted for completion in 2016-17.

The Western DFC (1514 kms) will be from Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT) in Mumbai to Tughlakabad and Dadri near Delhi and would cater largely to the container transport requirements between the existing and emerging ports in Maharashtra and Gujarat and the Northern hinterland. The Eastern DFC will be from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni (1806 kms) near Kolkata to be extended in future to serve the new deep sea port proposed in Kolkata area and will largely serve coal and steel traffic.

The entire Western DFC will be funded substantially by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the Special Terms of Economic Partnership (STEP) scheme of the Government of Japan and will be a tied loan with the 30 per cent of the total value of contracts being sourced from Japan. The loan agreement for Engineering Services for phase-I (Rewari-Vadodara section of 920 kms) for 2.6 billion Japanese Yen (approx. Rs. 130 crore) was signed on 27.10.09 and contract for Engineering Services consultancy has been finalized by DFCCIL in May 2010 and consultants have commenced work. First tranche of main loan agreement for 90.262 billion Japanese Yen (approx. Rs.4500 crore) was signed on 31.03.2010. JICA assistance for phase-I is estimated at 405 billion Japanese Yen (approx. Rs. 21,000 crore).

Negotiations for funding for phase-II (JNPT-Vadodara and Rewari- Dadri, 564 kms) are on with the Government of Japan who are sending preparatory survey team in early August 2010 to undertake Environmental and Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) Studies for phase-II of the project. The main loan agreement is expected to be signed in May/June 2011. Contract for design and construction of 54 major and important bridges in Vaitarana-Bharuch section has been awarded by DFCCIL in February 2009 and work is in progress. This work is being executed from Railways’ resources.

For Eastern corridor – Mughalsarai-Kanpur- Khurja-Ludhiana section (1131 kms) funding is in advanced stage of negotiation with World Bank. World Bank loan for this section is estimated at US$ 2.4 billion. Adaptable Program Loan (APL) scheme has been suggested by the World Bank for the three phases. These are: Khurja-Kanpur in financial year 2011, Khurja-Ludhiana in the financial year 2012 and Kanpur-Mughalsarai in the financial year 2013. General Consultants for Khurja-Kanpur section are in position and Pre Qualification document for civil works was issued on 05.04.2010 and pre-bid conference held on 29.04.2010. Draft reports for this section finalized in consultation with World Bank was put on DFCCIL website on 02.06.2010. World Bank loan for this section is targeted to be considered for approval by World Bank Board in October 2010.

Mughalsarai-Sonnagar section is being implemented with Indian Railways, resources and civil construction contract for 109 km section (New Ganjkhwaja to New Karwandia) was awarded in December 2008 and work is in progress. Sonnagar-Dankuni section is to be implemented through PPP mode for which appropriate PPP model is being developed by DFCCIL with assistance of consultants. Final Location survey of this section is being undertaken by DFCCIL and is targeted for completion in July 2010. Notifications for land acquisition under have been issued for land area of 5780 Hectares. Award for compensation under has been declared for 508 Hectares. Total land acquisition required is 11179 Hectares excluding Sonnagar-Dankuni section for which location survey is in progress.

The plan to construct dedicated freight corridors across the country marks a strategic inflexion point in the history of Indian Railways that has essentially run mixed traffic across its network. Once completed, the dedicated freight corridors will enable Indian Railways to improve its customer orientation and meet market needs more effectively. Creation of rail infrastructure on such a scale - unprecedented in independent India – is also expected to drive the establishment of industrial corridors and logistic parks along it

http://www.commodityonline.com/news/India-Railways-moves-ahead-with-Freight-Corridor-31693-3-1.html

:cheers:

good to know japan funding a lot but with this and metro it will be difficult for govt. to fund the HSR in future

HSR is a long way off.. if they can get the damn freight trains off of the main lines, the average speeds of the normal trains should will go up substantially!!! that will be worthwhile in itself!!

RITES, SAIL to sign pact on wagon manufacturing unit

New Delhi: RITES, a public sector unit of Indian Railways, will sign an agreement with Steel Authority of India (SAIL) on Tuesday to set up a wagon manufacturing factory at Kulti in West Bengal. The factory will have a capacity to manufacture 1,200 wagons per annum.

“The project cost is envisaged to be around Rs 85 crore in phase I going up to Rs 120 crore in phase-II,” the railway ministry said. The agreement will be signed by SAIL director (finance) Soilesh Bhattacharya and RITES MD VK Aggarwal in the presence of steel minister Virbhadra Singh and railway board chairman Vivek Sahai.

In addition to manufacturing 1,200 wagons, the factory will have the capacity to rehabilitate 300 wagons. The factory can manufacture BOXN type wagons including specialised high-end wagons, the ministry said. It can also undertake manufacturing modern stainless steel wagons with marginal investment in plant and machinery, the release stated.

As per sources, SAIL will provide its surplus land at Kulti for construction of the factory. Railways has planned to increase the supply of wagons by procuring 18,000 units this fiscal.

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee has also announced plans to set up five wagon factories in joint venture or PPP mode at Secunderabad, Barddhaman, Bhubaneshwar/Kalahandi, Guwahati and Haldia.

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/RITES--SAIL-to-sign-pact-on-wagon-manufacturing-unit/681125/

11 MPs, 1 MLA and the Railway Minster Mamata Banerjee to inaugurate the New Jalpaiguri railway service :gaah: !!!
If the MPs represent the constituencies where this track is laid then why not call those MPs/MLAs who represent constituencies where the steel/coaches/locos/station building material etc came from. Why just stop at 12 representatives? The more the merrier. After it's the public exchequer that will pay for their security & other amenities.

self delete

ICVL eyeing mines in Indonesia, ropes in RITES for JV


International Coal Ventures Ltd is eyeing coal mines in Indonesia and has joined hands with the Indian Railways' engineering consultancy arm RITES to develop the necessary infrastructure for a possible buyout.

"International Coal Ventures Ltd (ICVL) is collaborating with RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic Services) for coal mines in Indonesia. The joint team will leave for Indonesia soon," SAIL Chairman C S Verma told reporters here.

As per the JV, RITES will develop the necessary rail infrastructure for transporting coal.
"We will be looking at Mozambique also," Verma added.

Railway Board Chairman Vivek Sahai said that RITES is already present in Africa and is in the process of expanding its operations in the continent.

ICVL is a special purpose vehicle of SAIL, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd, Coal India, NMDC and NTPC, which was formed to scout for coal properties abroad.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/icvl-eyeing-mines-in-indonesia-ropes-in-rites-for-jv/108656/on

Firms can set up cold storage centres near railway stations


A railway ministry proposal to allow corporate entities set up cold storage centres alongside railway stations will help check the wastage of perishable commodities due to lack of proper storage facilities.

In a move which may finally initiate the Kisan Vision project outlined by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in her Budget speech last financial year, the railways have invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from corporate entities to set up cold storage centres alongside the stations.

"Every year, fruit and vegetables worth around Rs 40,000 crore are lost due to lack of proper storage facilities. The railways want to encourage creating facilities for setting up cold storage and temperature-controlled perishable cargo centres and facilitate its transportation on the public-private partnership basis,” a senior railway ministry official said.
Indian Railways operates refrigerated parcel vans on mail trains on some routes. The EoIs have been invited to frame a policy to extend the service on identified routes. The ministry eventually intends to increase the number of refrigerated vans on the network and modify one luggage compartment to a temperature-controlled unit in some mail and express trains based on traffic projections.

The prospective operators would facilitate cold chain movement of perishable cargo like fruits, vegetables, milk products, fish, egg, meat and processed food products by collecting, aggregating, transporting, storing and distributing cargo at origin and destination stations. The agreement will be valid for a period of three years.

Opportunities have also been offered to set up cargo centres on railway land, where available, in lieu of a licence fee. The centres would be developed at the cost and responsibility of the operator.

“Indian Railways operates on almost all major routes and connects all major cities in the country. Besides, the rail transport is faster, safer and cost effective. We hope that the project would be received well by industry players,” the official added.

All logistics and transportations companies, cold chain operators, agri-retail chain operators, freight forwarders, exporters and importers, corporate houses engaged in contract farming, food processing industries, state marketing federations are eligible for applying for the project.

In November 2009, Banerjee had laid the foundation stone for setting up a perishable cargo centre with a capacity to store 1,500 tonnes of produce at Singur in West Bengal. The temperature-controlled unit, which will come up at a cost of Rs 3 crore, would be the country’s first such rail-linked facility. Five other sites have been identified to initiate pilot projects at Dankuni, Mechcheda, New Jalpaiguri, Nasik and New Azadpur.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/firms-can-setcold-storage-centres-near-railway-stations/407768/

:cheers:

More seats for NRIs, tourists in trains

The Indian Railways will roll out the red carpet for foreign tourists and non-resident Indians during the Commonwealth Games. On trains like selective Shatabdis, Rajdhanis and express trains, the number of berths reserved for foreigners and NRI tourists will be extended, the railways
said.

The International Tourists Bureau, which acts as Indian Railways' arm to connect to the foreign tourists, will go the extra mile.

"The counters of the International Tourist Bureau will be opened for more hours and we will also have extra counters," said a Northern Railway spokesperson.

Expecting a huge rush of foreign tourists, the railways have decided to also run some special trains on certain popular routes such as Agra, Jaipur, Kerala, Dehradun, Amritsar and more, in which the foreign tourist quota will be more than normal.

"Usually, certain trains have up to 10 berths reserved for foreign tourists as a convenience to the tourists. Now the number will be slightly higher," said an official.

The International Tourist Bureau office at the New Delhi railway station is being remodeled to look swankier, more spacious and passenger friendly.

The foreigners and NRIs can also obtain 'Indrail' pass apart from reserved tickets in Indian Rupees at these counters against the encashment certificate and can travel whenever and in whichever train they like but within the validity period of the pass.

Northern Railway is also training its staff to be friendlier and be better guides to tourists, especially foreigners, who have limited knowledge of the city and the places to visit. http://www.hindustantimes.com/More-seats-for-NRIs-tourists-in-trains/Article1-600197.aspx

World-class Thane station proposal gets green signal

Thane’s dream of housing a world-class railway station will soon become a reality. “We have been asking for world-class development of the station for several years. The Central Railway (CR) has finally agreed to it,” said Thane MP Sanjeev Naik, a day after he met Z.A. Siddiqui, chief commercial
manager of Indian Railway Traffic Service. “A technical and feasibility survey needs to be done, which will cost Rs 5-6 crore. It will take a year to complete the survey after which work will actually begin. The project will be implemented on a public-private partnership basis,” he added.

CR will set up a passenger reservation counter at the district office if space for queues are provided by the zilla parishad. http://www.hindustantimes.com/World-class-Thane-station-proposal-gets-green-signal/Article1-600325.aspx

IRCTC receives IATA accreditation, to get into international ticketing soon

REEMA LOKESH - New Delhi

Nalin Shinghal

In a recent landmark development, Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has received IATA accreditation, which will enable IRCTC to further strengthen its portfolio as an all encompassing tourism service provider. The plan is to soon commence operations in the field of international ticketing, firstly through its offline units and then later through its well established online presence.

Sunil Chopra

Speaking on the development, Sunil Chopra, assistant director, Industry Distribution and Financial Services (IDFS), said, “After lengthy discussions and processes, we were able to confirm accreditation for IRCTC. This is an interesting development for IRCTC and it opens up new arenas of work. We hope that this will bring in more seamless travel for the customer.”IDFS is IATA's business unit that develops the industry standards, infrastructure, products and programmes that enable airlines and agents to provide high-quality services worldwide.

Further, IRCTC projects its turnover to increase to `1,000 crore by 2015 from its current turnover of `725 crore. Speaking about the new developments, Dr Nalin Shinghal, director (Tourism & Marketing) IRCTC, said, “We function as a full fledged travel and tourism operator with a website which is user friendly and are only aiming to improve the same to suit our customer needs and requirements. Our product offer ranges from the most luxurious to those that can suit the budget traveller.” He further explained that the IRCTC packages and hotel offers follow the travel agent friendly 'cut and pay’ policy and hence IRCTC works closely with various business partners and associates in the gamut of travel.

Adding further, Arun Srivastava, joint general manager, tourism, IRCTC said. “IRCTC has revolutionised the way of rail travel in the country. Our website is extremely user friendly and we do about three lakh rail ticket transactions in a day. Our portal, www.railtourismindia.com, won the national tourism award for best customer friendly portal. The corporation’s key product, the national award winning Buddhist circuit train is ready to roll out on its four season journey from September 2010 to March 2011. Till now tourists from over 30 countries have enjoyed the offers on this circuit.”

http://www.expresstravelworld.com/201009/market01.shtml

New WDG5 locomotive design finalised

Lucknow, Sept 16:
Indian Railways and Electro-Motive Diesel Inc (EMD), one of the leading global locomotive manufacturers, today announced the final design of the new WDG-5 locomotive.
In a landmark achievement for the Railways, a complete high horsepower locomotive design has been completed by Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) and Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) of the Railways with the support of EMD.
This diesel locomotive has an output of 5500 bhp, which makes it the strongest diesel locomotive ever run on the Indian rail network.
In combination with its record high tractive effort of 560 KN, it can pull significantly more load at higher speeds, thus enabling the Railways to increase the system in the rail network.
Mr Sanjiv Handa, Member Mechanical, Railway Board, Indian Railways, said, ''The partnership between Indian Railways and EMD has brought the latest diesel locomotive technology to India.
WDG5 is the latest outcome of this association, where RDSO, DLW and EMD have jointly worked and come out with a state-of-art locomotive design which will prove to be the most versatile and powerful diesel locomotive, capable of running on existing tracks on Indian Railways.''



http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=47449

:cheers:

Bombardier looks to expand footprint in India

KOLKATA: Bombardier Transportation, part of the $19-billion, Montreal-based global transportation company, Bombardier, says it could look at two new facilities in India to widen its manufacturing footprint in the country.

Bombardier, which has established a e33-million facility at Salvi near Vadodara, says its hopes are riding on possible orders from Indian Railways and upcoming new metro systems in cities like Mumbai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad.
The company makes one metro car a day at its Salvi plant. “Given the scope of our plans in India, we could look at setting up one or two new loco facilities for EMUs and metro cars,” Luis Ramos, Bombardier Transportation’s director (communications and public affairs) for South Europe, Brazil and India told ET from Berlin.

Bombardier Transportation has submitted a proposal, or an RFQ, for the Railways Dankuni locomotive project, West Bengal to set up an electric locomotive assembly and ancillary unit. The project will also supply carbody to equip 800 locomotives that will be assembled at the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works and Indian Railways workshops.

The company has also bid for the Kanchrapara electrical multiple unit, or EMU, project, that includes an MEMU and metro coach manufacturing unit on 150 acres of land to produce EMUs 5,000 cars over a period of 10 years. It is also pitching for an electric loco project being set up by Railways at Madhepura in Bihar.

Interestingly, the Salvi unit is the only Bombardier plant in the world capable of producing a complete metro car, including car bodies, bogies and the final assembly. “We have been associated with Delhi Metro and are committed to it. Additionally, we are also looking at Hyderabad, Mumbai and Ahmedabad metro projects,” said Mr Ramos.

Demand for metro cars in India is estimated at 2,000 units over the next 3-5 years. Apart from catering to the Indian market, the Salvi unit is also set to become the hub for Bombardier’s exports to South Asia. In the first phase, the plant will focus on meeting Railways’ demand. “We would respond to demand from the Indian market first. Thereafter, we would look at exports to south east Asia.” added Mr Ramos.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/Bombardier-looks-to-expand-footprint-in-India/articleshow/6569085.cms

:cheers:

Passengers booking tickets in Mail and Express trains need to add prefix 1 before the existing four-digit numbers while checking the reservation position through the enquiry system.

Aiming at bringing uniformity and logical basis for numbering of trains, the Indian Railways has decided to introduce five-digit numbering system for all passenger trains.

The new five-digit numbering system will be effective from December this year.

Currently, trains have varying numbers including three-digit, four-digit and alpha-numeric ones.

Five-digit train numbering has become necessary as the four-digit system has been exhausted, a senior Railway Ministry official said. However, the official clarified that the names of the trains are not being changed.

The five-digit scheme proposes to cover all passenger carrying trains including Duronto, Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Garibrath and suburban holiday specials. However, it will not cover freight trains.

“CRIS (Centre for Railway Information Systems) has been instructed to make necessary changes to modify the software accordingly,” said the official.

After the software is ready, the new numbers will be reflected in the passenger reservation system and the train enquiry system.

Link : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article695041.ece?homepage=true

Railway Revenue Earnings up by 6.07 Per Cent during the Period 1st – 10th September 2010

The total approximate earnings of Indian Railways on originating basis during the period from 1st to 10th September, 2010 were Rs. 2293.41 crore compared to Rs. 2162.08 crore during the same period last year, registering an increase of 6.07 per cent.

The total goods earnings have gone up from Rs. 1458.79 crore during the period from 1st to 10th September 2009 to Rs. 1502.80 crore during 1st September – 10th September 2010, showing an increase of 3.02 per cent. The total passenger revenue earnings during the period 1st to 10th September 2010 were Rs 705.88 crore compared to Rs. 625.28 crore during the same period last year, reflecting an increase of 12.89 per cent. The revenue earnings from other coaching amounted to Rs. 66.27 crore during this period compared to Rs. 59.43 crore during the same period last year, showing an increase of 11.51 per cent.

The total approximate numbers of passengers booked during the period 1st to 10th September 2010 were 214.58 million compared to 208.37 million during the same period last year, showing an increase of 2.98 per cent. In the suburban and non-suburban sectors, the numbers of passengers booked during 1st to 10th September, 2010 were 113.24 million and 101.34 million compared to 115.05 million and 93.32 million during the same period last year, registering a decrease of 1.57 per cent and an increase of 8.59 per cent respectively.


http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=65830

US-based EMD to invest $100 Million in India

To set up manufacturing unit in the country

US-based Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD) Inc will invest $100 million in India over the next three years.

The investment will be used in setting up a diesel locomotive unit, upgrading its technology centres in the country and in joint development projects.
Headquartered in LaGrange, Illinois, with facilities in London, Ontario, Canada, EMD designs, manufactures and sells diesel-electric locomotives for commercial railroad applications and sells its products in more than 73 countries.

“Although, the exact location of the plant has yet not been finalized, the company has prospective sites in consideration, including Uttar Pradesh,” EMD COO Ossama Hassan said on a conference call.

He said the factory could either become a Greenfield or Brownfield project through takeover and acquisition. “After North America, India is our most important market.”

The company is also planning to hire about 120 engineers to add to the current tally of 30 and bring more technology to India.

“While still in the initial stages, the production unit would cater to the domestic demand in India. We will later try to tap the export market too,” he said.

EMD Locomotive Technologies is the subsidiary of EMD, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Progress Rail Services, USA.

The company today launched the EMD Centre of Excellence at Lucknow.

EMD has been working with the Indian Railways for the last 50 years to build diesel locomotives at Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi.

Meanwhile, Research, Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Lucknow and DLW have finalized the design of the new 5,500 horsepower WDG5 diesel locomotive, which has been developed in support of EMD.

The new locomotive has various safety features such as crash protection and defogger.

“The new locomotive is likely to run on the Indian Railways track by the end of December 2011,” EMD Locomotive Technologies Managing Director Vishwas Moktali said.

Hassan said the upcoming freight corridors in the country would give further impetus to the demand of diesel locomotives in India.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/us-based-emd-to-invest-100-million-in-india/408295/

:cheers:

the countries of the "BRIC" has to invest heavily in railroads if they want to reach the development < FOR BRAZIL particularly!!!

For the first time in the 150-odd-year history of Railways, the four-digit number of trains will give way to five-digit numbers, the switchover process starting with superfast and express trains with effect from December 20.

Under the new five-digit numbering scheme, all the express trains will have the existing four-digit numbers.The addition will be in the form of a prefix 1(one). The name of the trains will also remain the same.

The new five-digit number will be applicable to all sheduled and regular express and superfast trains, including the Durantos, Yuva trains, Rajadhani Express, Shatabdi Express, Jan Shatabdi Express, Garibrath Express, Sampark Kranti Express and all categories of mail and express character trains, according to a Railway Board circular.

KEC Intl transforms into infra company

KEC International, which has acquired two companies recently, is transforming into an infrastructure company from an exclusive tower maker for power transmission.

The RPG Group company, which grew close to Rs 4,000 crore in 2009-10 from about Rs 500 crore in 2001-02, has big plans in power transmission, substations, railways infrastructure and rural electrification and telecom segments, besides its core competency area of engineering, procurement and construction of transmission towers, according to Managing Director Ramesh Chandak.

“Already about 30 per cent of our revenues constitute businesses other than transmission tower business. Progressively, this share will increase,” he said.
KEC yesterday announced the acquisition of Jay Railway Signaling Private Ltd, a railways signalling automation systems and technology company, for nearly Rs 14 crore. The acquisition will help KEC to become a total solutions provider in creating railway infrastructure, which involves three major components — civil infrastructure and track works, railway electrification, and signaling works.

KEC has so far electrified about 5,000 kilometres of railway tracks. In March, the company had bagged a Rs 130-crore order from Indian Railways for electrification. With this acquisition, KEC hopes to add about Rs 450 crore to its order book in the near future from the railway segment, according to him.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/kec-intl-transforms-into-infra-company/408451/

For the first time in the 150-odd-year history of Railways, the four-digit number of trains will give way to five-digit numbers, the switchover process starting with superfast and express trains with effect from December 20.

Under the new five-digit numbering scheme, all the express trains will have the existing four-digit numbers.The addition will be in the form of a prefix 1(one). The name of the trains will also remain the same.

The new five-digit number will be applicable to all sheduled and regular express and superfast trains, including the Durantos, Yuva trains, Rajadhani Express, Shatabdi Express, Jan Shatabdi Express, Garibrath Express, Sampark Kranti Express and all categories of mail and express character trains, according to a Railway Board circular.

why does this sound like a ridiculous idea to me. 4 digits allow roughly 4500 combination pairs. surely we dont have that many trains running. 5 digits is not required plus it makes numbers harder to memorize

PUNALUR: It was all over for the last metre gauge train in Kerala when the Punalur-Chencotta passenger train to Tamil Nadu pulled out of this city Sunday evening.

Since Friday, innumerable number of people had been making a dash to the railway station near this city, 75 km from state capital Thiruvananthapuram, for a last ride on the century-old metre gauge track.

A railway official attached to the Punalur station told IANS that Sunday has been a day of unprecedented rush of people to travel one last time.

"The last journey began at 6.50 p.m. and the previous three trips have been flowing with people. There are just four bogies and people are sitting on the roof top also," said the official who did not wish to be named.

"Despite the police asking the passengers to get down, no one is listening," he added.

The Kollam-Punalur (45 km) track has already been converted into broad gauge. The next stretch to be converted is the Punalur-Chencotta (46 km) and work is all set to start with this metre gauge train being pulled out of service.

"I have been using this train for the past three decades at least three to four times a week. I source my vegetables and bit of provisions from Tenkasi because they are cheap there," said Parmesweran, a local trader near Punalur.

"With this train being pulled out of service for laying a broad gauge track, I am a bit sad because the experience of travelling on a metre gauge track is different," he added.

The Kollam-Chencotta metre gauge railway remains as a monument of British engineering technology on which work started in 1890 and opened in 1901.

"We are from Kottayam and we just came to see this metre gauge train. The views are breathtaking with a few tunnels. The magnificent Pathimoonnu Kannara Palam (13 Arch Bridge) at Kazhuthurutti is unbelievable. We enjoyed the ride," said Siju Jacob and his group of friends after the ride.

The route was built mainly for the transportation of crops like pepper and other spices to erstwhile Madras from Kollam and today it is basically used to take produce from Tamil Nadu to Kollam.

Another railway official, on condition of anonymity, said the tunnels and the bridges would be strengthened.

"We were able to finish the first stretch from Kollam to Punalur in a reasonable time limit and so would be the next stretch from Punalur to Chencotta," he said.

"Today, technology is available for strengthening the tunnels and old bridges and it would be done. The new tracks would be laid and are expected to be ready in two years," he added.
Source (http://expressbuzz.com/states/kerala/incredible-metre-gauge-travel-ends-in-kerala/208198.html)
KOLLAM: When the last whistle blows for the Punalur-Chencotta passenger at 6 p.m. on Sunday, an epoch which had its memories rooted in the age of steam engine will trundle ahead and disappear into the narrow, dark and wet tunnels of history.

An unprecedented rush of passengers was witnessed the Punalur and other stations on the Kerala side of the metre gauge rail to sneak into the train and travel to Tamil Nadu for the last time.

For the past 113 years, it had been a part of the life for the thousands of villagers living in this part of the State who eke out a living by selling their agro- products in Chencotta or Punalur.

During the British raj, people had set the time of their clocks and watches according to the arrival of the train underlining the precision and punctuality of the service. With the passing of another day, they have to wait for at least two years to complete the process of gauge conversion and to hear the long nostalgic whistle of train.

C Rahim, a journalist from the capital who came to make a journey by the Punalur - Chencotta Passenger said that he had to wait till 3.40 p.m. to board the train as there was little room on the train scheduled for 1 p.m. for which he had bought ticket. “Large number of people from far and wide, even from distant places such as Alappuzha came to have an experience of a journey by the metre gauge train,” he said.

The local people residing on both sides of the heritage rail passing through the Ghat areas were jumping out of their houses each time the train pass by their place to have a last glimpse. “Many were seen waving hands. People, both young and old, were taking snaps of the crowded train. The enthusiastic people on a festive mood had even climbed to the top of the train to travel, as there was literally not an inch of space to place their foot inside the train.
Source (http://expressbuzz.com/states/kerala/metre-gauge-train-to-chug-into-history-today/208064.html)
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/477/plr.png

Source : Kerala Kaumudi (Malayalam Daily)

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/7195/plrdinakaran.jpg

Source : Dinakaran (Tamil Daily)

...and the Journey : Punalur-Shenkottai MG...!!!

nCwID0X6yIc

Underground Metro not feasible in suburbs, says MMRDA chief

Even as citizens’ groups demanding underground Metro lines in the suburbs gear up to undertake a march on Sunday, the city’s planning agency put an end to the controversy. On Friday, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority clarified that building an underground metro in the suburbs was both financially and technically unfeasible.

A single stretch of an elevated Metro line costs around Rs 200 crore, while an underground stretch would cost Rs 600 crore.

“For the metro to be partially underground we need to construct a ramp from where the Metro can go from elevated to underground and vice versa,” said Metropolitan Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad. “We are not getting any such patch in Andheri and in Bandra. So, it is impossible to construct an underground metro on this stretch.”

Gaikwad added that building an underground line would cost an additional Rs 56,000 crore and the state coffers would not be able to “withstand this pressure”.

The 145-km metro line cost is pegged at more than Rs 47,000 crore, but by building an underground stretch the cost would jump to Rs 1.03 lakh crore. “We are struggling to raise even the viability gap for the proposed metro lines. Where will we get this money from?” he asked.

Activists claim that the MMRDA has not done its homework and is forcing on the city a transport system that will further complicate problems.

“No other country is going in for elevated lines. The human cost and problems it will create are far greater then the benefits,” said activist Kunika Lall. She added that they have filed a public interest litigation against the elevated Metro and the hearing is on September 23.

Citizens’ groups have been demanding an underground Metro, which they admit will be costly but beneficial in the long run causing minimal inconvenience to residents.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/mumbai/Underground-Metro-not-feasible-in-suburbs-says-MMRDA-chief/Article1-601558.aspx

“No other country is going in for elevated lines.” said activist Kunika Lall.

:lol:

a cheap way to get famous

well, they are right in a way. no other country is building elevated lines in areas with similar densities

Waltair railway division makes strides

The Waltair Division of East Coast Railway has made strides in the current fiscal so far by earning 26.42 per cent more than what it had earned in the first five months of last financial year.

The total Waltair Division's revenue was Rs.1,318.95 crores during April 2009 and August 2009, which rose to Rs.1,667.52 crores during the same period in the current year.

Freight handling

The division carried 12.13 million passengers during the five months in 2010 compared to 10.87 millions in 2009, and the passenger earnings also registered an increase from Rs.94.90 crores to Rs.105 crore.

Freight handling increased from 16.86 million tonnes to 20.59 million tonnes and the earnings went up from Rs.1,207.19 crores to Rs.1,538.46 crores.

Out of the total earnings of Rs.3,483.32 crores during 2009-10 financial year, the sundry earnings were Rs.10.71 crores, but in the first five months of the current fiscal it was Rs.10.62 crores as against Rs.4.27 crores last year. The freight earnings for the entire 2009-10 was Rs.3,219.10 crores and 45.19 million tonnes was loaded.

The division, on an average, loads 42 rakes per day bringing good revenue, but September month saw some dip due to agitations and incessant rain.

The Jansadharan Ticket Booking Sevaks (JTBS) service in Visakhapatnam has been a failure except for the one in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant Colony.

In view of this, the railway plans to set up a number of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines on the station premises so that buying ticket becomes simpler and faster without human interference.

Willing passengers would be given smart cards, which could be periodically recharged with fixed denomination and tickets bought so that even those coming to the station in the last hour could buy a ticket and board the train without having to stand in long queues.

Amenities

Meanwhile, a number of passenger amenities were being created on the 8th platform in Visakhapatnam and 4th platform in Duvvada. Construction of the new platform would get completed soon and the Foot Over Bridge connected to it from platform 2/3. The ramp constructed by the NTPC would, however, be not extended. The Hindu

TO,
HON’BLE MAMTA BANERJEE
MINISTER OF RAILWAY
RAIL MANTRALAYA, BHARAT SARKAR
RAIL BHAVAN,NEW DELHI-1
Sub: Start The Express Train Between Jodhpur To Delhi via Churu- Ratangarh-Ladnun-DeganaJn.
Dear sir/Madam,
With refer to above that the Delhi-Rewari-Sadulpur_Ratangarh-Ladnun-Degana-Jodhpur section of NWR , the section was innogartued by hon’ble chief Minister of Rajasthan and running of passanger Train from Degana to Rewari from 1st August 2010.
Many people of Sadulpur-Churu-Ratangarh ( Churu District of Rajasthan) Ladnun-SujangarTalchapar-Parihara-Choti kahtu-Didwana (Nagaur Dist.of Rajasthan) live in delhi and other state and they travel every year from delhi & other state to their native place but no direct communication available at present from Delhi to Churu-Ratnagarh-Sujangarh-Ladnun, before 1993 their was a train between Delhi to Jodhpur route on MG track under NR and the train was Famous on this route and called by ‘Jodhpur mail” and above said train had won many awards for right timely running, if the same train was announce on this route then they get direct communication from Delhi & other state to their native place and also save time and money
If presently the express train without budget not possible then start a holiday special train from Delhi to Jodhpur via Churu-Ratangarh-Ladnun-Deganajn.
Ladnun Town is Famous for Jain Religious people , and it is famous jain Pilgrims in india and world, Famous Jain viswa Bharati university and sansthan are situated here.
Tal chhappar is World famous Black Bug sanctuary and through out the world tourist came here.
Sujangarh is also famous for it nearest Located salasar Balaji Dham,most Famous Hindu Pilgrims
If the above suggestion are implementation Then the Entire Nagaur and Churu district of Rajasthan people get benefitted and they Get direct communication to their native place from Delhi
Declare the Ladnun and Talchhapar of NWR are Tourist Model Station
We hope you will do the needful action on their genuine demands
Thanks

Anil Kumar Khater(convenor)
Email:anilkhater@yahoo.com.
C.C To: -Chairman railway Board,Dircetor Traffic,
G.M. NWR jaipur,Ex.dir.coaching,Member traffic,

TO,
General Manager
Eastern Railway
Fiarle place
Kolkata-1
Sub: 1) NEW HOLIDAY SPECIALTRAIN Or EXTN THE TARIN FROM HOWRAH TO JPDHPUR Via:-Delhi -Rewari –Sadulpur and Ratnagrh-Degana-Jodhpur
2) PRS facilities at Uttarpara Subburban Station of Howrah E.Rly

Dear sir/Madam,
With refer to above that the Delhi-Rewari-Sadulpur section of NWR , in this section we are demand the extension of Train no.2323/24 up to JODHPUR via Rewari –Ratangarh-Ladnun-Degana jn.-jodhpur at present this Train was runing in between Howrah to Delhi.
Or otherwise Annouce new Holiday Special train Run On this route :-from Howrah To Jodhpur Via-Rewari-Churu-Ratnagrh-Ladnun-Degana up to Jodhpur
Many people of Rewari(Haryana) and Sadulpur-Churu-Ratangarh ( Churu District of Rajasthan) Ladnun-Didwana (Nagaur Dist.of Rajasthan) live in Kolkata and they travel every year from Kolkata to their native place but no direct communication available at present, if this train was extended/or new Holiday special Train announce on this route then they get direct communication from Kolkata(Howrah) to their native place and also save time and money
Ladnun Town is Famous for Jain Religious people , and it is famous jain Pilgrims in india and world, Famous Jain viswa Bharati university and sansthan are situated here.
Tal chhappar is World famous Black Bug sanctuary and through out the world tourist came here.
Sujangarh is also famous for it nearest Located salasar Balaji Dham,most Famous Hindu Pilgrims
If the above suggestion are implementation Then the Entire Nagaur and Churu district of Rajasthan people get benefitted and they Get direct communication to their native place from Kolkata

We also demand the PRS facilities at Uttarpara suburban station of Howrah E.Rly in main line of howrah –burdwan sec.and the uttarpra is main revenue generated suburban station of howrah division.
But due to PRS facilities are not available at present this station therefore passanger/Railyatri of uttarpara station face to many problem for booked the reserved ticket ,please Look it your end and solve the problem.
We hope you will do the needful action on their genuine demands
.Thanks

Anil Kumar Khater(convenor)
Email:anilkhater@yahoo.com.
C.C To: - Chairman railway Board,Dircetor Traffic, ,director coching Railway board,CPTM E.RLY

not the place for all this dude

Express News Service
Tags : Indian Railways, RDSO

The Research Design & Standards Organisation (RDSO) of the Indian Railways at Lucknow has successfully carried out a test run of India’s first high-speed, double-decker air-conditioned chair car.
The test run was completed recently and the coach was found fit to run at a maximum speed of 160 kmph. The project was undertaken by the RDSO around March. The design was ready within months and the first coach was manufactured at the Rail Coach Factory, Kapoorthala.
AK Mathur, Executive Director (Administration and Public relations) at RDSO, Lucknow, said: “The double-decker AC chair car can accommodate 130 passengers – nearly 70 per cent more than the usual ones. The coach has two floors connected with staircases. It has been provided with better suspension arrangements for comfort.”
Mass production of coaches will take place in Kapoorthala. The trains may be run on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad and Howrah-Daund routes. In 2011-2012, six such trains will be built, said RDSO officials, besides the non-AC double-decker trains that are already in use.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/doubledeck-ac-train-passes-test/686946/

:banana::banana::banana::banana:

We need these trains in the South!!!!!

Mamata promises coach factory on Singur land

KOLKATA: Union Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday that the Indian Railways would set up two factories on the land that had been allotted by the state government to the Tata Motors in Singur.
Addressing a political rally held in Singur, nearly 30 km away from here, she demanded that the state government should return 400 acres to the unwilling farmers, which was forcibly acquired by the state government for setting up the small car manufacturing unit by the Tata Motors.
The Tata Motors had shelved the project in Singur in October, 2008, following the agitation by the Trinamool Congress, which demanded that the state government return 400 acre out of the 996 acre acquired for the project to the unwilling farmers. The Tata Motors relocated the project to Sanand in Gujarat where the small car---Nano-- is now being manufactured.
“Indian Railway has no land in Singur. If the state government gives us the land allotted to the Tata Motors, we are willing to set up two factories. But before that, the state should return the 400 acre to the unwilling farmers,” she said.


http://expressbuzz.com/nation/mamata-promises-coach-factory-on-singur-land/209984.html

ah!! she is making good use of her ministry... :bash:

she has the masses already in her grip. but i guess she would lose it by overdoing it time and again

MNCs tender bids for railway projects (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100927/jsp/business/story_12986445.jsp)

New Delhi, Sept. 26: Some leading multinationals have bid to partner the railways for three projects in eastern India, vindicating rail minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to open up the bidding process to private players and bring the latest proprietary technology.

Alstom, General Electric (GE), Bombardier, Siemens, Hyundai, Hitachi and ABB are vying to pick up a stake in the three factories — an electric locomotive unit at Madhepura in Bihar, a diesel locomotive unit at Marhowrah (Bihar) and an electric multiple unit (EMU) at Kanchrapara in Bengal — involving an investment of over Rs 4,100 crore.

The railways are also finalising the bid documents for a fourth factory to make 400 engines a year at Sankrail in south Bengal.

Mamata has chosen two sites in Bihar, possibly to prove her credentials as an all-India leader and honour pledges made by her predecessor Lalu Prasad Yadav to set up factories there.

Expert panel

An expert committee, under Ficci secretary-general Amit Mitra, has finalised the bid documents earlier this month for the Madhepura and Kanchrapara facilities. Top firms have started applying, and the documents will be opened later this year. The selection process for the partner at Marhowrah has already started.

The railways will pick up a 26 per cent stake in the joint ventures by offering land, while the private partner will take a 74 per cent stake and bring the money and technology.

“Mamata has helped push through these projects at great speed and we have been able to meet the timelines set for them,” said Mitra, who has been chosen by the minister to help out with the projects.

Applications for the Madhepura unit, which is expected to cost around Rs 1,293 crore and produce locomotives worth about $4.5 billion over 10 years, will close by October 11. Alstom, Bombardier Traction, GE and Siemens are in the fray. Lalu Prasad had won from Madhepura in 2004.

Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc (EMD) and GE are the only two to bid for the Marhowrah factory, which is expected to cost Rs 1,200-1,300-crore. The railways will pick the winner by year-end.

The Kanchrapara factory, which will make EMUs that operate on suburban rail networks, will cost about Rs 1,500 crore; eight global players, some in combination with Indian partners, have bid for it. The factory is expected to have an annual turnover of Rs 2,500 crore.

Multinationals in the fray include France’s Alstom, Germany’s Siemens Canada’s Bombardier, France’s CAF and Korea’s Hyundai Rotem. Three joint ventures are also bidding: the Jindals in collaboration with Japan’s Hitachi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Japan) in collaboration with Birla-owned Texmaco and Switzerland’s ABB in collaboration with Stadler and TWL .

Analysts see the Kanchrapara bidding, expected to be finalised by the third week of January to be a close one.

The Sankrail factory, expected to have an annual turnover of over Rs 700 crore, will be split into two phases. State-run Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd will set up the plant in the first phase, while bidding will take place for the second phase.

^^It is good that IR is realizing that PPP is the only way forward to completion of projects in a timely manner and with the required quality.

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/5797/darjeeling.png

Railways trying to accommodate growing demands

The Railway Ministry is trying its best to accommodate the growing demands from various quarters seeking more train services, passenger facilities and new routes wherever possible, Minister of State for Railways E. Ahamed said here on Monday.

Railways is the cheapest mode of transport for the public today, Mr. Ahamed said after flagging off the Tiruchi – Mangalore Central weekly superfast express at a function held at Tiruchi railway junction.

With a huge network covering 64,000 route kilometres across the country, the Railways carried 2 crore passengers every day. Making a comparison with the aviation sector, the Minister said air services in the country carried 8 crore passengers every year, while the Railways carried the number in just four days.

Though the Railways had its own constraints, it was sensitive to the growing demands and trying to accommodate them wherever possible, he pointed out. Amid demands for more coaches, the Railways had envisaged projects for establishment of coach factories.

He said 20 out of the 107 new trains announced in the 2010-11 railway budget would be introduced in Southern Railway. Efforts were on to upgrade and make the railways hi-tech, he said adding that number of research and development were taking place in the railway sector.

To the demands made by the people's representatives on the occasion, the Minister said he would ask the Southern Railway General Manager to examine them.

Tiruchi Member of Parliament P. Kumar, MLAs Anbil Periyasamy and K.N. Sekaran appealed to the Railway Ministry to operate the Rockfort Express from Tiruchi once again following the opening of the mainline section.

Mr. Kumar also urged the Ministry to operate a day time train from Tiruchi to Madurai and trains from Tiruchi to Kanyakumari; Tiruchi to Bangalore and Tiruchi to Chennai. He also made a plea to upgrade the Golden Rock Railway Workshop in Tiruchi on the lines of the Integral Coach Factory at Chennai and entrust it with the task of manufacturing passenger coaches.

He said that Pudukottai railway station lacked basic amenities and steps should be taken to provide them for the benefit of the travellers.

State Transport Minister K.N. Nehru said 30 railway over-bridges had been constructed over the last seven to eight years in Tamil Nadu. The Hindu

7 railway projects on cost sharing basis for AP

The Railways and State government will execute seven railway projects in Andhra Pradesh the State on a cost sharing basis in the ratio of 50:50. The government would also allot land for these projects, said Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa.

After a meeting with Chief Minister K. Rosaiah at the Secretariat here on Monday, Mr. Muniyappa told a press conference on Monday that the projects include connectivity between Nadikude – Srikalahasti, Manuguru – Ramagundam, Ghadchendur – Adilabad, Akkannapet – Medak, Bhadrachalam – Kovvur and doubling works on Vijayawada – Gudivada – Machilipatnam – Nidadavole – Narsapur and Guntur – Tenali – Repalle lines.

The seven projects, however, do not include the prestigious Kadapa – Bangalore line which was sanctioned by the Railway Ministry at a cost of Rs. 2,000 crore on the recommendation of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Besides releasing Rs. 29 crore for land acquisition, the Railways has contributed Rs. 40 crore in the first year with an equal share from the State government. The tenders would be invited soon. Mr. Muniyappa also said 27 of the 75 road over and road under bridges proposed at unmanned railway crossings in the State would be completed by March.

At the meeting, it was decided to constitute a nodal agency of the government to speed up land acquisition, handing over land and look into other issues pertaining to the railway projects.

The agency comprising Principal Secretaries S.P. Singh who will be its secretary and Anil C. Punetha will meet South Central Railway general manager M.S. Jayanth fortnightly.

Mr. Rosaiah handed over to Mr. Muniyappa a cheque for Rs.22.9 crore towards acquiring 36 new coaches for MMTS trains in the city. The trains now have 66 coaches in all. The Hindu

yerSh8xEdBM

Modern telemetrics with satellite-aided location, VoIP communication and an integrated cloud back end will be the enabling factor for integration into the Indian Railways locomotives. Through the use of a unified solution for information processing of line and locomotive data, we enable the Indian Railways to have a network centric infrastructure.

The tool from the start will be designed for modularity, interoperability, and will allow the Indian Railways to economically oversee the knowledge of rolling stock positioning per train, per line and per region. By accurately capturing this data, we provide the end user with the capacity to accurately calculate maintenance periods, implement better routing, and streamline operational management.

http://www.solfice.com

India's first high-speed train to connect Panipat and Delhi :cheers::banana:

India’s first high speed train project has been proposed to connect Panipat with Delhi with high speed trains that would run at an interval of 10 minutes.

Haryana Government on Monday finalized the alignment for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) on Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat Corridor in a meeting held at Chandigarh on Monday under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) gave a presentation to Mr. Hooda regarding the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) on Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat Corridor.

It would benefit the people of Panipat, Samalkha, Gannaur and Sonipat and Delhi towns in a big way and also the adjoining townships and villages. It would have stations at Panipat city, Samalkha, Gannaur, Murthal, Rai, Kundli, Narela, Mukarba Chowk Badli and Kashmiri Gate.

The train would have average speed of 200 kilometre per hour.

The RRTS would bring integrated development of region and allow the commuters to move across the region efficiently. It would be a high quality system with seated accommodation of good comfort.

http://stockmarkettoday.in/2010/09/28/haryana-govt-finalizes-alignment-for-rrts-on-delhi-sonipat-panipat-corridor/


Panipat-Delhi high-speed train planned

CHANDIGARH: India's first high-speed train project proposes to connect Panipat with Delhi in 45 minutes to one hour, with trains running at 200 kmph.

A meeting presided over by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here on Monday finalised the alignment for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) on the Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat corridor.

An official spokesman said the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) made a presentation for Mr. Hooda on the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS). — PTI

http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/28/stories/2010092857990100.htm



India's first high speed train project goes to Haryana

Punjab Newsline Network
Monday, 27 September 2010
CHANDIGARH: India’s first high speed train project has been proposed to connect Panipat with Delhi with high speed trains that would run at an interval of 10 minutes.

Haryana Government Monday finalized the alignment for the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) on Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat Corridor in a meeting held here today under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS) gave a presentation to Mr. Hooda regarding the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) on Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat Corridor. It would benefit the people of Panipat, Samalkha, Gannaur and Sonipat and Delhi towns in a big way and also the adjoining townships and villages. It would have stations at Panipat city, Samalkha, Gannaur, Murthal, Rai, Kundli, Narela, Mukarba Chowk Badli and Kashmiri Gate.

National Capital Region Planning Board had assigned the DIMTS to conduct a survey. The DIMTS has proposed train connectivity from IOCL complex Panipat to Kashmiri gate, Delhi. It would be elevated and dedicated train corridor of 103.5 kilometre length for the high speed connectivity which is likely to connect Delhi and Panipat in 45 minutes nonstop and maximum of 60 minutes with stops. The train would have average speed of 200 kilometre per hour.:cheers::banana:

The RRTS would bring integrated development of region and allow the commuters to move across the region efficiently. It would be a high quality system with seated accommodation of good comfort. The survey team explained the Chief Minister that the interiors of the trains would be such that would suit daily commuters as well as frequent travelers. It would have interchange provisions with the metro and bus system. Such RRTS systems are functioning in South Africa, France, Japan, United Kingdom and Sweden.

The DIMTS has conducted traffic and transportation planning study and detail project report would be submitted very soon. The feasibility report for this project is likely to be submitted by the end of December this year. It was found that more than 50 per cent of the traffic on the Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat Corridor is cars only. Twelve per cent share of the total passenger trips is bus, 45 per cent is of rail while for private cars and taxis, it is 43 per cent.

Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Chhatar Singh, Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, R.S. Doon, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Town and country Planning, K.K. Jalan, Director Town and Country Planning Department, T.C. Gupta and other senior officers were also participated in the meeting.

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/indias-first-high-speed-train-project-goes-haryana/24341

^^ btw it will be interesting to see who funds it??

Its "PLANNED" OOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I plan to become the ruler of the world!! and i stand a better chance of doing that before the railways gets anywhere near building that line! :P

:lol:

Source (http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/business/general/1_12_6768928.html)
रेलवे नेटवर्क से जुड़ेगी पूर्वोत्तार की राजधानिया

नई दिल्ली। केंद्र सरकार ने पूर्वोत्तार राज्यों की सभी राजधानियों को रेलवे नेटवर्क से जोड़ने के लिए बुधवार को एक महत्वाकांक्षी परियोजना की घोषणा की। इसके तहत वर्ष 2016 तक 17,000 करोड़ रुपये का अनुमानित निवेश किया जाएगा।

पूर्वोत्तार विकास मामलों के मंत्री बी.के. हांडिक ने कहा कि परियोजना का क्रियान्वयन रेल मंत्रालय द्वारा किया जाएगा। उन्होंने कहा कि रेलवे ने हमें बताया है कि परियोजना वर्ष 2016 तक पूरी कर ली जाएगी बशर्ते कि संबंधित राज्य सरकारें इसके लिए आवश्यक भूमि जल्द से जल्द सौंप दें।

यह परियोजना विजन दस्तावेज, 2020 में प्रस्तावित थी जिसे 2008 में प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह ने जारी किया था। अभी रेलवे नेटवर्क संपूर्ण असम में और अरुणाचल प्रदेश एवं नगालैंड के कुछ हिस्सों में उपलब्ध है।

India's first high-speed train to connect Panipat and Delhi :cheers::banana:





http://www.hindu.com/2010/09/28/stories/2010092857990100.htm

I can confidently tell you, that it's not gonna happen for the next 30 years boss!:lol:

I can confidently tell you, that it's not gonna happen for the next 30 years boss!:lol:

wait!!wait!! i found that this was under the DMIC if so then japan will fund and we may get it by 2020

Mumbai: Soon, locals will give weather updates

You can keep yourself updated on city matters as you travel in the locals. The railway plans to experiment using the LED (light-emitting diode) scrollers inside the new coaches for multiple use, such as flashing weather updates and public service messages, and also putting them to commercial use.

At present, these scrollers indicate the approaching stations and other messages. If the trials undertaken by WR are successful, commuters will be able to see additional use of the scrollers.

The railways have various options to put them to public benefit by using them to inform commuters about traffic diversions and weather, and flash public service messages and advertisements.

"These scrollers can be put to use for much more than one can think of, and there are nearly 70 lakh eyeballs that would see them. It would be a great hit if they can also be put to commercial use," a senior divisional railway official said.

He added that the WR had taken trial runs with features such as weather updates and temperature readings. The railway had already added a few messages such as the one that promotes the railway smart card and warns against trespassing.

"If we intend to put them to commercial use and other such purposes, the technical functioning of these scrollers has to be of high quality in all seasons and we are working on it," he added.

The LED scrollers are a new addition to public transport in Mumbai and even the new BEST buses, funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, have such scrollers.

"Once we work on a policy, we can always alert commuters on public transport modes through messages and updates," another official said.

The new violet suburban trains have been bought under the Rs4,500-crore phase-I of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project and introduced since 2007. NDTV

Project for linking NE capitals with railway network

The Centre today announced an ambitious project for linking all capital cities in the Northeastern states with railway network at an estimated investment of Rs 17,000 crore by the year 2016.

Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) B K Handique said the will implement the project. "The have told us that the project will be completed by 2016 provided the state governments concerned ensure early handing over of the land required for it," Handique told reporters.

The project was proposed in the Vision Document 2020, a blueprint for overall development of the region, which was released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the year 2008. Till now, railway network is available in entire Assam and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

Identifying lack of proper transportation network as the main bottleneck for development of the region, he said DoNER Ministry was ready to provide subsidy to any private airline if it starts an exclusive "intra-state" operation.

"We are even ready to provide subsidy to any private airline for offering intra-state air connectivity in the region," he said, adding although all the states have air link with major cities in the country, the network among the states was not satisfactory.

He said a meeting of the , attended by several chief ministers and governors of the North Eastern states, has sanctioned Rs 700 crore annual plan for the body.

The 59th meeting of the North East Council, which is a regional planning body for the region, was held here yesterday in which representatives of several Union ministries explained about practical problems being faced by them in implementing various projects.

Handique said representatives of Telecommunication Ministry has assured the Council that they will substantially improve their services in the region soon.

In the meeting, Handique asked the NEC to play a more proactive role in improving key infrastructure like road and power in the region. He said his Ministry has sanctioned Rs 703 crore to the NE states since February this year to improve road network. The Economic Times

wait!!wait!! i found that this was under the DMIC if so then japan will fund and we may get it by 2020

You're right, but I still have doubts as to how feasible HSR will be on this route. Extending the line to Chandigarh may make more sense, since a feasibility study was being conducted for that route AFAIK.

You're right, but I still have doubts as to how feasible HSR will be on this route. Extending the line to Chandigarh may make more sense, since a feasibility study was being conducted for that route AFAIK.

this can be feasible because many working people, students commute daily...
16 IR trains run daily on this route....
so i think with NCR expanding in the near future this is possible.. also delhi-panipat is like industrial corridor with large number of industries on the route...

but i am still on my stand that first they should build HSR on the golden quadrilateral lines connecting delhi-mumbai-chennai-kolkata-delhi

PATNA: While Railways has been focusing more on its modernization plan for safety reasons, it has also decided to provide entertainment to passengers on running trains.

It recently held talks with a renowned service provider to install live television facilities on a few select trains.

Depending on its successful implementation, railways could provide this facility in more premier trains.

According to a railway board official, earlier the music system was introduced in a few select trains including Rajdhani Express on several routes. But it was later withdrawn for one reason or the other. Now railways is keen to provide Live TV services on running trains for the entertainment of passengers during their long journey, the official said.

The board official told TOI that the railways has decided to launch Live TV services on the most luxurious trains Palace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels first on trial basis. These two luxurious trains are already fitted with flat screen LCD televisions. Thus it would not be a problem for railways to introduce TV channels on running trains, he said adding it would facilitate passengers of these two trains to get in touch with latest news.

According to the Board official, railways is chalking out a comprehensive plan to provide more amenities to passengers on running trains on the pattern of trains in European countries. While safety has been the main priority of the railways, improved amenity for the passengers on the running trains is now other concern of the railways. Indian Railways is still the cheapest means of communication compared to railway services in foreign countries, he said.

Meanwhile, railways has started the process to install close circuit cameras (CCTV) in all super fast trains across the country to step up security measures on running trains. This decision has been taken in the wake of repeated attacks on railway property and passenger trains, the Board official added.

According to him, the new system will also help railway security personnel to keep a tab on the activities of criminals or terrorists. Under the new plan, railways intends to install master computers at different places in various zones to keep under watch running trains through CCTV. Railway vigilance staff are working to prepare a foolproof security system on running trains, the official said.

Besides, railways is likely to introduce a new system in the Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express trains under which doors would remain locked throughout the journey. In any emergency, passengers could press the button provided in coaches and then a security staff would be available to them for assistance, sources said.

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Live-TV-facility-for-train-passengers-soon/articleshow/6654545.cms)

Donno if this has been posted (i don't like SSC search doesnt give exact thread matches)
I hope these are prototypes. The exterior finishing feels crude and bumpy. Still - Its much better looking than the Cast Iron Grilled Windows monstrosities!!


First look of India’s first Double Decker AC Railway Coach

Rail Coach Factory (RCF), rolled out India’s first air conditioned double decker coach for oscillation trials on Delhi- Muradabad section.

These futuristic high speed-stainless steel AC coaches would be introduced to cater to the heavy rush of commuters in high density corridors offering AC travel at a low cost. The first double decker train would be seen running on rail tracks by end of this year. The new coach with pleasing green-yellow colour scheme has all the features and the comforts of a Shatabdi coach.

A totally new coach shell design capable of running at a speed of 160 kmph was developed by RCF engineers in tandem with Research Design and Standard Organisation (RDSO) within a short span of just nine months. In the new design, 128 passengers can be seated as compared to 78 passengers in Shatabdi chair cars, thus increasing the capacity by almost 70 per cent.

The overall height of double decker coach has been increased marginally (four and a half inches) keeping in view the constraints like overhead structures, bridges, electric traction equipment, platforms etc. so that these coaches can be used without modifying any of the fixed structures except for clearing some minor infringements. Space for the two decks has been generated by optimally using the well space between the two bogies. To save upon space, it was decided to use End-On-Generation configuration where power for train lighting and air-conditioning is supplied by two power cars, attached at both ends of the train.

The new air-conditioned design uses many superior technical features like aesthetically pleasing stainless steel body, high speed Eurofima design bogies with air springs for superior ride quality and many other safety related features. This coach is fitted with control discharge toilet system. The successful development of AC Double Decker Coach is a clear illustration of Indian Railways’ capabilities in design and manufacturing.

The Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee inspected the sample AC double decker coach at New Delhi Railway Station after its arrival from RCF, Kapurthala on Wednesday. She had earlier announced the introduction of AC double decker trains while presenting the Railway Budget 2010 in the Parliament in the month of June, 2009. RCF will start manufacturing the double decker coaches after successful completion of oscillation trials.

Sh. Pradeep Kumar, General Manager, RCF congratulated all the officials of the organisation who worked relentlessly on this project and gave it a final shape in record time of only 9 months. He said that double decker trains would herald a new era in rail travel in the country, because now a common man would be able to afford air conditioned travel at a low cost.

http://www.pib.nic.in/photo/2010/Mar/l2010033127956.jpg
http://www.pib.nic.in/photo/2010/Mar/l2010033127957.jpg

thanx for the pics... we had the article but not the pics

btw it is typical IR what more we should have expected from IR :bash:

^^^ Double decker AC---eeek-- trash!!!

yes - seeing a lot of IR's crappy take on aesthetics. Take a look:
The reds are the jagged, boxy finishing (curves - hello? ) and joints which are already falling to pieces
The greens are some consolation - looks like power outlets - and not the clunky, disheveled, unreliable kind that you can find in many current bogies(Brindavan Express fried my Laptop :bash:)

http://img198.imageshack.us/img198/5402/l2010033127957.jpg

thanx for the pics... we had the article but not the pics

btw it is typical IR what more we should have expected from IR :bash:

The pics had been posted earlier too. I recall making a comment about Green Bay Packers colors.

Yes. They have been posted earlier.

This should win an award for "worst designed railway coach of the century". They were definitely designing better coaches in 1900. Indian Railways is actually going backwards.

Why does it look like they have used hammer or a mallet to even out the exterior surface? Why can't we have a smooth finish?

because there definition of world class ends there

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Get new Train Number of IR:


http://www.indianrail.gov.in/inet_trnno_enq.html
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^^

Looks like they have added 1 to the existing train numbers for the time being.

Train No xxxx becomes 1xxxx.

Is this the new logo for IR ? This is on the CWG site

http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org/sites/default/files/leadpartnerRailways.gif

What does that logo represent? The bold transition from metre gauge to standard gauge?

Is this the new logo for IR ? This is on the CWG site

http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org/sites/default/files/leadpartnerRailways.gif

I hope someone didn't get 5 lakhs for that!

looks more like a pakistan ka jhanda..
and considering the green colour it must have been her excellency's choice.

looks like the DD logo

I think IR is honest now. They are saying tracks are broken, may be due to recent accidents.

Is this the new logo for IR ? This is on the CWG site

http://www.cwgdelhi2010.org/sites/default/files/leadpartnerRailways.gif

LOL

Mysore railway station to have a website soon

Special Correspondent

It will be the first in the country to have one

MYSORE: In view of the city's growing popularity as a tourist centre, the Mysore railway station will soon have a website, which will be launched during Dasara for the benefit of tourists.

Though there are websites for different railway zones and divisions, Mysore railway station will be the first in the country to have a dedicated website.

Anup Dayanand Sadhu, senior divisional commercial manager, told The Hindu that it would provide complete details, including a geographical map of the station, apart from the facilities available in the station such as a waiting room, lounges, dormitory, location in the city, various telephone numbers, parking lots and reservation counters. As new facilities will be added to the station, the website will be updated so that in-coming tourists know what to expect.

In addition to this, the city railway station website will also have all relevant information necessary for the tourists visiting the city. This includes important links to information about places of tourist interest in-and-around Mysore — restaurants, hotels, shopping centres, markets, commercial venues, entertainment centres etc.

Though such a website is the norm for major airports, it is a novel initiative for a railway station. This is in addition to the general website of the Mysore Division which only provides details about the train services, reservation status etc.

Meanwhile, there are plans afoot to have a dedicated photo gallery, highlighting the heritage of the railways. Mr. Sadhu said a photo exhibition showcasing the role of the railways in nation-building and its importance during the freedom struggle would be projected in the photo exhibition, which is to be launched in due course. Though the photo exhibition will be a temporary one, there are plans to have a dedicated section exclusively for Mysore Division on a permanent basis at the city railway station. This would provide a glimpse of how the Mysore station looked almost 75 years or 100 years ago.

The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/2010/10/04/stories/2010100451980300.htm)

^^ This is very good . Other major railway stations should copy this and have their own websites too.

Railways line up 5 wagon facilities

The railways plan to set up five wagon factories over the next few years to produce about 6,000-7,500 units annually.

A committee under Ficci president Amit Mitra has proposed units at Kazipet (near Secunderabad) and in Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and Haldia, besides the factory being set up in joint venture by Steel Authority of India Ltd and RITES at Kulti, near Durgapur.

Each of the four factories — that will be set up in a public-private partnership model — will produce 1,200 wagons.

According to a vision document prepared by the railways earlier this year, 18,000 wagons are produced in a year now against a demand of 25,000. The capacity needs to be stepped up to 75,000 by 2020.

A spurt in demand is likely once the freight corridors come up.

The high-speed corridors carrying goods trains will pass through industrial enclaves, which will use them to transport raw materials and finished products.

The western freight corridor will connect Delhi’s Tughlakabad and Dadri inland ports with Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru sea port, running through Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The eastern corridor will cover 1,806km, from Ludhiana in Punjab to Dankuni near Calcutta. It will be extended further to serve the proposed deep sea port in the Calcutta region, besides Haldia, and mainly cater to coal and steel traffic.

The Haldia and Guwahati factories are looking for partners who will bring in new technology as well as finance. “Haldia and Guwahati are in the immediate zone, Bhubaneswar has some land problems, but as you can see the railways is spreading its investments,” Mitra told The Telegraph.

In her two rail budgets, railway minister Mamata Banerjee had proposed the procurement of 18,000 wagons each fiscal. The Telegraph

KRCL invites global EoI to market sky bus

The Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) is seeking global partners to develop and market its eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative rail transportation system sky bus to the world.

The subsidiary of the Indian Railways has invited global expression of interest “for further development of technology and its commercial development on a revenue sharing basis,” Siddheshwar Telugu, chief public relations officer of KRCL, told reporters here.

Sky bus construction is economical, quick and needs minimal land. Konkan Railway has demonstrated the feasibility of this by conducting speed trials speed of 70 Km on its sky bus test track located in Margao, Goa, he added.

“Sky bus technology promises tremendous business potential as an alternate urban transportation system for medium and large cities,” Telugu said, adding the applicants should have a combined net worth of Rs.2 billion, with the networth of at least Rs.1 billion

Railways mulls development of perishable cargo centres

ALLAHABAD: Indian railways is mulling the development of perishable cargo centres at potential railheads and cold chain transportation by rail with the help of public-private partnership. It plans to attract private investment in transportation and logistics of perishable items like fruits, vegetables, meat through provision of refrigerated vans and Modified Refrigerated Luggage Compartment( MLRC).

For carrying these perishable items, railways would modify luggage compartments (SLR) into refrigerated luggage units. The MLRC will have a temperature controlled chamber of 2/4 tonne capacity for carrying fruits and vegetables. In addition, the railways will also ply refrigerated van (VPR) which has a capacity of carrying 17 metric tonnes of cargo, having a deep freezer (upto -20 degrees Celsius) of five tonnes capacity for carriage of frozen items and additional 12 tonnes of capacity for carrying perishable cargo like fruits and vegetables at four degrees Celsius. Subsequently, full trains will be considered depending upon traffic potential/demand. This effort will be supplemented, wherever feasible, by making available land/space at originating and destination stations to the operator to set up temperature controlled storage capacity.

Under the scheme, railway ministry has invited Expression of Interest from prospective operators for cold chain movement of perishable cargo on selected routes on round trip basis based on traffic potential. The VPR/MRLC will be provided to the operator by inviting bids through open tenders for three years or more, based on the policy. The operators would be responsible for arranging loading and unloading the cargo in the VPR/MRLC for each scheduled trip.

Railways would also be responsible for transporting the cargo from originating rail head to the destination rail head. No loading/unloading would be allowed on intermediate stations. In addition, wherever feasible, railways would provide land/space at the originating and destination station subject to availability as per railways extant policy.

The private operators will develop requisite infrastructural facilities, operate and maintain the temperature-controlled perishable cargo storage centres to facilitate collection, storage, aggregation and transportation of perishable cargo at these centres.

Railway minister Mamata Banarjee in her Rail Budget speech this year had stated that under Kisan Vision Project, railway would encourage creation of facilities for setting up of cold storage and temperature controlled perishable cargo centres (CPC) and facilitate its transportation through public-private partnership model.

Talking to TOI, public relations officer of North Central Railway Amit Malviya said, "Keeping the customer friendly image of the railways, development of perishable cargo centres and cold chain transportation would help in providing fresh fruits, vegetables to the customers from all over the country."

Read more: Railways mulls development of perishable cargo centres - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/Railways-mulls-development-of-perishable-cargo-centres/articleshow/6686535.cms#ixzz11VkZ1CGw

:cheers:

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/CWG-tourists-take-tickets-for-heritage-ride/articleshow/6686338.cms)
CWG tourists take tickets for heritage ride

GURGAON: Commonwealth Games opening ceremony wasnt the only display of the heritage of Indian Railways, the one-and-a-half centuries old organisation has a lot more to offer to tourists. One such major attraction is the countrys only steam loco (steam) shed cum museum in Rewari.

Indian Railways is going to run two tourist special trains on October 9 and 16 between Delhi and Rewari. The 80km-long journey is expected to take two hours and each train will have three passenger coaches, including those made of wood and one service coach.

These special trains are going to be once in a lifetime experience for many international tourists. What makes it special is the fact that you get the real experience of traveling in a steam engine-run train. Most developed countries have phased-out such engines a railways official said.

Indian Railways has spent Rs3 crore on renovation of heritage loco shed in Rewari ahead of Commonwealth Games.

We have received a very good response from Commonwealth tourists. Soon we may have to declare a houseful, the official added.

In next phase, Indian Railways is planning to spend Rs7 crore more to develop Rewari loco shed as a permanent tourist point.

The Rewari loco shed was built in 1893, a decade before the Old Delhi station and has an extinction of being Indias only such museum.

Besides displaying parts of the steam engine, the museum exhibits old Victorian era artifacts used in the Indian rail network along with the old signaling system, gramophones and seats.

Its our pleasure to show railways rich history to tourists. Its also a good source of revenue generation, said Suresh Chpora, Gurgaon railway station superintendent.

Source (http://www.afaqs.com/news/story.html?sid=28451_Ogilvy+flags+off+Indian+Railways+first+ad+journey)
By Ashwini Gangal, afaqs!,
Mumbai, October 06, 2010
Historical brand, Indian Railways rolls out its first large-scale corporate campaign, which attempts to capture on film the emotional nuances that surround train journeys.
Indian Railways (IR) has come out with a large-scale corporate campaign, making this the very first time it is advertising via an ad film on TV. As the result of a well-considered, deliberate move, the release of the campaign coincided with the opening day of the ongoing Commonwealth Games (CWG).

The campaign will run through the course of the event and will also be used in the long term. By virtue of being one of the lead partners for the CWG, Indian Railways will utilise a lot of the FCT (Free Commercial Air Time) that it has received from the CWG authorities, for this campaign.


"The campaign is meant to showcase Indian Railways specifically for the Commonwealth Games. The goal of the campaign is to position the organisation as a responsive one with a human face; and to make a statement that it is an organisation - for the people, by the people - that connects people, places and hearts," a source at IR tells afaqs!, on condition of anonymity.

Ogilvy Delhi has worked on this campaign on a project basis. The creative brief was very 'open' -- to showcase the place that IR occupies in the hearts and minds of 1.3 billion Indians.

Ajay Gahlaut, executive creative director, Ogilvy Delhi tells afaqs! that the objective was to create a simple, yet endearing, communication, which would touch audiences and bring alive the romance and emotions that Indians associate with trains.


"Everyone has played 'chuk-chuk gaadi' in their childhood and has certain memories and feelings attached to trains. All Indians have a story to tell when it comes to trains. We aimed to tap into this excitement and these sentiments, and portray how trains bind the country together like a lifeline," Gahlaut explains.

It thus follows that the insights used for the campaign were those drawn from the lives of Indians, including the lives of the creators of this campaign.

Two 60-second TVCs have been released, one in English and the other in Hindi. At the end of the former, 'The Magic of India- Indian Railways' is supered on the screen, along with a VO. For the Hindi TVC, the catchphrase, 'Desh Ka Mel- Bhartiya Rail' has been used.

The film shows a large number of enthusiastic men forming a never-ending human train, complete with accompanying actions, as they traverse the busy streets of a city. As they move along, they make interesting patterns over roof-tops, inside homes, along sidewalks, on the road, amidst traffic; while a peppy soundtrack keeps the tempo going. The track used is the old Hindi film song, 'Railgaadi' that featured Ashok Kumar.

The ad film has been shot in and around Kolkata over a span of two days. It has been scripted by Piyush Pandey and executed by Prakash Varma of Nirvana Films. Apparently, the script was converted into a finished film at break-neck speed. The media duties have been handled by an in-house team at IR.

The current TVC is the only film that has been created; 30-second and 10-second edited versions will be used in the days to come. TV is the lead medium for this corporate campaign and the TVC is being aired across TV channels both nationally (including GECs, news channels and sports channels) and internationally (in the Commonwealth countries, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa). Besides TV, radio and print will also be used.

Industry viewpoints



Industry experts have taken to the commercial in a big way.

Sainath Saraban, executive creative director, Leo Burnett thinks the TVC is brilliant and claims he cannot stop watching it. "I am very proud of Indian Railways. I have seen it thrice already and will watch it a few more times hereafter," he enthuses.

Saraban goes on to explain the campaign has good production values; and opines that using Kolkata to shoot the ad film was a great idea. "And the metaphor that it brings India together is so simply, yet so fabulously done. I also love the choice of music -- I'm a huge fan of Ashok Kumar," he quips.

"This is a great first attempt from Indian Railways, considering they could have easily succumbed to a picture postcard, 'India Tourism' montage treatment," he adds.

Amit Shankar, executive creative director and creative head, Grey Delhi says that this film works fantastically as a "first time ever" attempt from Indian Railways. In his opinion, the idea is extremely simple and the TVC is very engaging.

"The best thing about the script is that without trying too hard, it manages to connect with the entire nation by conveying that trains are the nation's vehicles. Even the music works very well. It has been woven into the ad such that it forms an integral part of it, unlike other ads that use old Hindi film songs simply for the sake of it," he explains.

He concludes, "Once I start viewing the film, I watch it till the end, uninterrupted, each time!"

^^
Here is the ad


LCmI1dWbLCQ

Will fill two lakh railway vacancies soon: Mamata

Kharagpur (West Bengal), Oct 6 – Railway Minister Mamata Benerjee Wednesday said her ministry would clear the backlog of over two lakh job vacancies across the country within the next six months.

‘The railway ministry is trying to clear the backlog of two lakh vacancies countrywide within six months. All the youths who have undergone diploma courses from railway training institutes and retired army men will be absorbed,’ Banerjee said here in West Midnapore district.

Banerjee was here to lay the foundation stone for a centre for excellence in wagon prototyping, an advanced loco pilot training centre and launch the ‘Alchiki Express’.

The railway minister said the process of recruiting people for the class-III posts had already been initiated.

Speaking on the increasing incidence of railway accidents and development of an anti-collision device, she said: ‘Ninety-nine percent work of the anti-collision device has been completed and it is almost ready for commissioning.’

Stating that the railways had incurred a loss between Rs.500 crore and Rs.1,000 crore in the last two years due to shutdowns and blockades of trains, mainly in the Maoist affected areas of the state, Banerjee said: ‘How can the railways run high-speed trains if such things take place?’

The Maoist problem exists in many places, including Jungalmahal region that includes forested areas of West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura, Banerjee said.

‘We want to run high-speed trains, but such shutdowns and blockades pose serious difficulties in running trains smoothly.’

She also said that the budgetary allocations for providing rail connectivity between Lalgarh and adjoining areas have already been made but the survey work cannot be conducted because of the ongoing trouble in Lalgarh area.

Banerjee added: ‘The railways have signed a MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, to set up a centre for railway research. The IIT would provide technical know-how and support to the railways to introduce high-speed trains and develop the wagon-prototyping unit.

‘Since IIT is a knowledge industry, the railways will tie up with it to launch a technology express, which will interconnect the IITs in the country and exchange technical ideas,’ she said.

‘A train equipped with apparatus and displaying the research works of the IIT students will start from Hijhli station near Kharagpur and will run across the country shortly,’ added Banerjee.

The railway minister also said that she would introduce a Howrah-Digha Duronta Express train before the Durga puja.

source (http://www.indiatalkies.com/2010/10/fill-lakh-railway-vacancies-mamata.html)

Railways has come up with a new plan to crack down on rooftop travellers. On Wednesday, it instructed all station masters to halt the trains with rooftop travellers at the nearest station and allow it to proceed only after the commuters are brought down and booked.

The RPF has initiated several drives to discourage rooftop travellers in the past but the practice continues. However, after two cases of electrocution caused by the new AC traction of 25000 V on the overhead equipment in the first week of October, the WR administration has taken a strong stand against rooftop travelling.

On October 4, an unidentified person died after being electrocuted at Bhayander station. On October 1, a 23-year-old man suffered severe burns after coming in contact with the OHE of a suburban train in Mira Road. According to railway officials, the victim, Zeeshan Ali Hasan, was a resident of Mira Road. A railway official said that the victim was so badly burnt that they had to switch off the power to bring him down from the roof.

Since January this year, there have been five such cases on WR alone — four of them suffered injuries and one died. Sharat Chandrayan, Chief Public Relations officer with WR, admitted that instructions have been given to railway staff to halt trains with rooftop travellers. “This is a special drive being conducted by WR to control such cases in future.” As per the railway records, WR has seen fewer cases since January 2010 as compared to the past few years. In 2009, nine cases of electrocution were reported — 3 commuters were injured and 3 died.

Source:http://www.indianexpress.com/news/rlys-puts-its-foot-down-says-will-halt-trains-with-rooftop-travellers/693837/

That's a cool ad.

^^ +1 indeed

source (http://www.indiatalkies.com/2010/10/fill-lakh-railway-vacancies-mamata.html)

i thought railways was already over staffed :shocked:

^^
Here is the ad


LCmI1dWbLCQ

cool ad/short film. :cheers:

i thought railways was already over staffed :shocked:

+1
there are 15 lac employees and still vacancies :nuts:

Railways'earnings up by 7.83 percent in first half of fiscal

The Indian Railways Wednesday said it earned a revenue of Rs.44,323.70 crore in the first half of this fiscal, registering a growth of 7.83 percent over the corresponding period last fiscal when it had earned Rs.41,104.78 crore.

While the revenue by passenger movement went up by 9.64 percent, the earnings by freight movement rose by 6.57 percent. The earnings by miscellaneous activities rose by 10.10 percent, said a railway ministry statement.

Between April 1-Sep 30 this year, the railways earned a freight revenue of Rs.29,443.32 crore as compared to Rs.27,629.01 crore for the corresponding period last year.

Similarly, the railways' earned a revenue of Rs.12,689.36 crore through passenger movement and Rs.1,234.89 crore thorough its miscellaneous activities during the first half of 2010-11 fiscal, compared to Rs.11,573.60 crore and Rs.1,121.64 crore on the two counts respectively.

The ministry statement the railways carried approximately 3,904.57 million passengers, compared to 3,683.53 million during the first six months of last year, registering a 6 percent increase in passenger movement.

Source: http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/694192

IIT-Kgp to provide rlys tech support for wagon

Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, will not only help the Indian Railways to develop high-speed corridors through which passenger trains can move at speeds between 250-350 km per hour, it will also provide assistance for the Advanced Loco Pilot Training Centre (ALPTC) and wagon prototyping unit that are being set up at Kharagpur.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of these two establishments, IIT, Kharagpur director Damodar Acharya promised technological support in wagon prototyping.

"We would also like to develop simulators to train loco pilots. The IIT came to Kharagpur only because of the large railway set-up here. The Centre for Railway Research that is being set up at IIT, will be a one of its kind facility, not only in the country but also the world. We can't rely on technology from abroad but develop our own. As many as 14 different projects for the railways will be undertaken here," the IIT director said.

For this purpose, IIT will create links with universities in the US, Sweden and Australia, Acharya revealed.

The ALPTC, that is being set up at a cost of Rs 12 crore will help train drivers enhance and upgrade their skills, in keeping with the technological advancements that modern-day locomotives have undergone. Senior South Eastern Railway officials said that these courses would help in bringing down the stress levels of drivers. The course will include topics like meditation.

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee hailed this development and said that the railways would continue to work in close association with the IIT. TNN

Bi-weekly Howrah-Pune air conditioned Duronto from October 9

It's a Durga puja gift for the Bengalis of Pune from Union Railway Minister, Mamata Banerjee. The Indian Railways will introduce the bi-weekly Howrah-Pune air conditioned Duronto from October 9.

The train from Howrah will be flagged off on Saturday and reach Pune on Sunday. The train from Pune would start on Monday and reach Howrah the next day.

This would be a non-stop train connecting Howrah and Pune. The senior divisional commercial manager of Pune railway division, Alok Badkul, told DNA that the train would depart from Howrah on Thursdays and Saturdays and from Pune on Mondays and Saturdays.

The departure timing from Pune will be 3.15 pm and arrival time at Howrah the next day, 7.40 pm.

The departure timing from Howrah will be 8.20 am and arrival time at Pune the next day, 11.35 am. The total journey time is around 28 hours.

Banerjee had announced the introduction of the train while presenting the railway budget. The train would benefit Kolkata-bound passengers from Pune and vice versa.

At present, there is only one train, Azad Hind Express, which plies everyday. This train takes about 34 hours to reach Pune from Howrah and vice versa.

According to Badkul, the new train would have 16 coaches - one first AC with 28 berths, three 2nd AC with a total of 138 berths and nine III tier AC coaches with 594 berths. There would be one pantry car.

"The fares of the train would be announced in due course of time," he added. According to him, the train would not have any stops and only Howrah and Pune-bound passengers can travel in the train. NDTV

Source (http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/anticollision-device-signalling-system-ready-banerjee/388635.html)
Anti-collision device, signalling system ready: Banerjee

Kolkata, Oct 7 (PTI) The Railways have developed an anti-collision device and a technologically-improved signalling system for introduction in the system shortly, Railway minister Mamata Banerjee said here today."The anti-collision device is almost ready and we will also soon introduce a technologically-improved signalling system in the system countrywide," she said."The anti-collision device and the new signalling system will help prevent accidents," Banerjee said.Stating that there was lack of initiative by her predecessors on the anti-collision device and the signalling system, Banerjee said that the Railway had to bear with the old infrastructure, while passenger traffic increased from 1.08 crore to 2.20 crore in last few years.Calling for vigil against sabotage, Banerjee said "there can be one or two mischief-mongers among railway employees." Speaking about railway accidents, she said that human error was responsible for some of them, but they were less in comparison to road accidents."Road accidents take a toll of 1.40 lakh lives in India each year, while 1,000 persons die in rail accidents," she said.Railway will be self-sufficient in the next two years and a 'Vision 2020' have been developed for plans and programmes in this regard, she said inaugurating a three-km Metro Rail stretch from Kavi Nazrul to Kavi Subhas stations here

NDLS
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/51/86444602.jpg

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/train-numbers-change-dec-721

Oct. 7: Southern Railway will introduce a new number system from December 20 to help public identify their trains easily. This will replace the existing four digit train numbers.
Henceforth all the express/ mail, superfast, Duronto, Rajadhani, Shatabdi, Garibrath train numbers will start with 1. For example No: 2673 Cheran Express will become 12673.
All passenger trains will have 5, EMU, diesel EMU, mainline EMUs will have 6 and special trains 0 as the first digit. “This will categorise the trains and help public to locate trains with ease,” said an official. “Already, the Southern Railway has started implementing the new system in the train tickets and 159 trains in Tamil Nadu will undergo number change.”
According to the official, the railway ministry took this decision to bring uniformity. Also, the four digit system has got exhausted. “Our studies proved that the existing system is not people-friendly,” he said.

...

KOLKATA: The railways plan to introduce toilets and washbasins on local trains soon, railway minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday.

Speaking at Howrah, on the occasion of flagging-off of two more Duranto Expresses, she promised a ride to Digha in 2 hours 15 minutes after three months. The two new Durantos will run between Howrah and Pune (bi-weekly) and Howrah and Digha (daily). The frequency of Howrah- Bangalore (Yeshwantpur) Duranto has been increased to four days a week.

''There are some local trains that run for 3 hours. I've plans to introduce toilets and washbasins in them for benefit of elderly and women. DEMU local that will run between Burdwan-Azimgunj soon will have toilets,'' she said.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Toilets-in-local-trains-soon/articleshow/6721773.cms

IR to soon manufacture high power locomotives

Sanjeev Handa, member (mechanical) of the Railway Board, said the Indian Railways (IR) would soon manufacture high power locomotives of 12,000 horsepower.

Handa was addressing a function at the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) on Saturday. He also flagged off a duel cab WDP 4D locomotive of 4,500 HP on the occasion. Addressing the function, he appreciated the work of DLW personnel in manufacturing the ultra modern locomotive. He said the operation of high speed trains was a challenge before the Indian Railways for which high power locomotives were needed.

Speaking on the occasion, DLW general manager KK Saxena highlighted the performance of DLW and said locomotives were being exported to countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Chief mechanical engineer Rakesh Vatash highlighted the features of WDP 4D locomotive. The DLW manufactured the duel cab locomotives with front and rear options for the first time. It can run at 130-km per hour maximum and 22.5km minimum speed. TNN

Mamata to Obama, a prize gift - Rail deals lined up that will create jobs in US

US President Barack Obama, struggling to cope with worsening unemployment at home and under pressure to prevent outsourcing of work to India will receive an unexpected gift of a few thousand jobs for Americans from a surprising source when he is in New Delhi next month.

If all goes well, railway minister Mamata Banerjee would close deals during Obama’s stay in New Delhi, which would create jobs either in Erie, Pennsylvania or in LaGrange in Obama’s home state of Illinois.

And that is only a beginning. Negotiations now under way are expected to provide orders of up to $4.5 billion from Indian Railways in the next 10 years, of which a substantial share may go to Americans firms, aiding the US economy which under severe strain and promises to get worse.

The deals between the Indian Railways and American companies will not be a oneway street. Also next month, the railways will invite financial bids from six companies, including one from the US, which have been shortlisted for building a Rs 500crore coach factory in Kanchrapara in Bengal.

At least 3,000 jobs will be created when the new factory goes into production in Kanchrapara where more than 10,000 people are already employed in a railway workshop established in 1863.

America’s General Electric is also among four bidders which have been shortlisted for a Rs 860crore electrical engine components unit in Dankuni, also in Bengal.

The unit, aimed at import substitution, will supply components to the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works. The request for quotations for the project have already been completed.

But the prize deal which is exciting officials here preparing for the Obama visit is a proposed factory in Marhowra in Bihar to manufacture diesel locomotives.

Only two companies, ElectroMotive Diesel (EMD) and GE, both from the US, bid for the project with an initial investment of between Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,500 crores, according to Amit Mitra, chairman of an experts committee set up by the railway minister on publicprivatepartnership and innovative financing for the development of railways.

The Americans are excited because they will get the contract irrespective of which of these two companies is picked for this project, creating jobs in the US.

Unemployment has become Obama’s Achilles heel in the Congressional elections next month. If new jobs are not created here in the next one year, Obama may find it hard to be reelected for a second term as President.

Employment figures released yesterday revealed that a further 95,000 Americans became unemployed in September. The government shed 159,000 jobs last month, but it was offset by the creation of 64,000 private sector jobs, balancing the total job losses in a month at 95,000.

Ripple effect from the unemployment figures pushed the US dollar yesterday to its lowest level against the Japanese yen in 15 years.

A bigger challenge for Obama is the 2010 poverty census released here last month which showed that a shocking 14.3 per cent or one in seven Americans are now living below the poverty line.

Mitra, who is also secretarygeneral of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), was here to work with Indian and US teams finalising Obama’s business agenda in Mumbai, Amritsar and New Delhi.

He also coordinated the seventh annual India Investment Forum in New York organised by Ficci and Euromoney magazine.

Anything that will add jobs in America will be seized upon by Obama and his delegation in India. Pennsylvania, Illinois and Ohio where EMD was founded in 1922 are reeling from the effects of the recent financial crisis and the expansion of the Indian Railways holds out prospects of increased US exports to India.

Yet another big railway project which the Obama team will have its eyes on is a factory to manufacture electric locomotives at Madhepura in Bihar. But GE has three other firms from outside the US to contend with in this bid.

The Madhepura project which requires an investment of just under Rs 1,300 crore will manufacture 120 electric locomotives a year. The railways are committed to buying these over a 10year period.

The new projects envisioned by Banerjee and examined by experts led by Mitra have the potential to mute constant American complaints about tardy imports by India which have led to a big trade imbalance favouring India.

In the preparations for Obama’s visit, India is already underlining the advantages for Americans from a growing economic partnership between New Delhi and Washington. The Telegraph

go go kolkata..go go bengal..go go india.

Cross posting from China's HSR thread

Chinese dedication and determination to be NO 1. And no wonder why they are no 1.

LOT TO LEARN FROM THEM

MODS delete the post if inappropriate.

High Speed Rail (HSR) in China: 5 Years Equals 40 Years

Issued on March 1, 2010 by Xinhua News Agency 2010-03-05
Beijing, February 28, 2010

By ZHAO Cheng, ZHANG Xudong, QI Zhongxu and LIN Hongmei of Xinhua New Agency

Dream Coming True – HSR History in China

The Chinese people have made the following equations:

5 Years = 40 Years;

3 Hours = 11 hours; and

1 Type = 4 Types, etc.


In 5 years’ time, China has fulfilled what took other countries 40 years in HSR development. Now it takes only 3 hours to travel via HSR from Wuhan to Guangzhou, which used to take 11 hours. With the most advanced 4 HSR technologies in the world, China has made a distinctive HSR brand of its own.

Rapidly, China has stepped into the HSR Era ahead of all other countries after experiencing several stages of development, namely, introducing the 200 km-per-hour high-speed train technologies, developing its own 350 km-per-hour and 380 km-per-hour Harmony CRH, putting Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city Rail and Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR into operation, and the Beijing-Shanghai HSR which is about to be put into use.

Shocked by the speed of China, the medias of all other countries report that HSR in China has transformed from a follower into a pace-setter of the world.

Even US President Obama feels pressure and proclaims in his State of the Union Address, ‘There is no reason Europe or China should have the fastest trains.’

Touched by the China model, some countries are studying the innovations made by China and starting their efforts to overtake China.

However, what they might not understand is that ---

The speed of China’s HSR comes from its never-ending pursuit of ‘speed’;

The history of China’s HSR has recorded the Chinese mentality of innovations and making the world’s best;

The model of China’s HSR has demonstrated the power of concerted efforts in R&D, which is the strong point of a socialist country;

The spirit of China’s HSR is represented by the loyalty of rail engineers and workers to their motherland and by their strong belief.

Pursuit of dreams --

With dreams of speed, China is making never-ceasing efforts to rejuvenate the glory of the Chinese nation.

With dreams of competing against the wind and the ambition to make the world’s best, China is developing its HSR in a heroic spirit.

Beijing South Railway Station on June 24, 2008

At 08:45, the siren of a Harmony CRH blew and the train marched out of Beijing towards Tianjin, swiftly.

In the cabin were Ministry of Railways’ Chief Engineer HE Huawu, Chief Planner ZHENG Jian, Chief Safety Officer GENG Zhixiu, Deputy Chief Engineer ZHANG Shuguang and AN Guodong. These leading figures of China’s HSR were joined by the Minister of Railways in the cabin. With their eyes focusing on the LCD monitor in front of them, they could feel their hearts beating faster as the train speed rose.

219, 278, 300… As the figure climbed, the train speed rose rapidly. 15 minutes later, the monitor read 394.3.


The train was flying on the rail, competing against the wind.

Like a white flash of lightning, the Harmony CRH left a dreamlike track on the vast land.

This was a historical moment. On the independently-built railway and CRH, a new rail speed record was made.

…
Now their dream has come true and these tough guys jumped with joy with tears in their eyes.

While look backing into the history of China’s HSR, the experience of pursuing the dream is really unforgettable.

In the past, it was a charming but hard-to-realize dream for the Chinese rail engineers and workers to create speed of the wind.


HE Huawu comes from Ziyang of Sichuan Province. Chengdu-Chongqing Rail, the first railway built after the PRC was founded, passed right through his hometown. He grew up listening to the train siren blowing. Just as his colleagues, HE also has an HSR dream in the depth of his heart.

In 1979, HE Huawu was enrolled by the China Academy of Railway Sciences. Once in the library, he was shocked by a book about the Japanese Shinkansen that ran at the speed of 210 km per hour. It was the first time that he knew the world had such a high speed on rails. Can China also do it? ‘It was really a dream that I dare not speak out. At the time, the speed on Chinese rails was only a few dozens of kilometers per hour.’, HE recalls his college time.


Also in that year, China adopted the national policy of reform and opening up.

Over the following 20 years, highways, water transport and civil aviation in China grew rapidly. But the railways, which should have the backbones of transport in China, were still lingering at a low level. The average speed of rails in China was only 62 km per hour. And the rail length per capita was only 5.5 cm, less than that of a cigarette.

The railways in China ran at a low speed and suffered losses. At the same time, it was difficult for the passengers to buy rail tickets and for businesses to transport their goods. In which direction should China develop its rail transport?

Backwardness will always encourage reforms and progress. The rail officials, engineers and workers in China started to open their eyes to observe the outside world and think about changes.

It was a normal day in 1991. A high-speed train sped out of Paris towards Lyon at 200 km per hour.

In the train, several scholar-like people with Eastern faces were discussing something excitedly. They were engineers from the Ministry of Railways of China and were studying how France was renovating its Southeast Rail. Among them was HE Huawu. ”


HE was experiencing in person the same speed of Japanese Shinkansen that he read about 12 years ago. At the same time, he was also experiencing the arrogance of his overseas counterparts, which hurt them sharply. ‘Chinese rail transport is not doomed to lag behind. We will definitely catch up one day in the future.’

At the time, HSR in Germany, France and Japan was growing mature. And China was just starting its study. Most of the Chinese had no idea of HSR. In China, the path towards HSR was filled with doubts, misunderstanding and even quarrels.

In 1990 when the Beijing-Shanghai HSR proposal was made, it triggered a lot of discussion and disagreements. The quarrels about ‘Does China really need HSR?’ and ‘What kind of technologies will be adopted on our HSR?’ lasted for 10 years.

In the 10 years when China was suffering from weak technological strength and fierce controversies, the Chinese rail people have adhered to their dreams, silently and persistently.

In 1994, the blowing siren of the training running on the sped-up Shenyang-Dalian Rail marked the start of the following 6 rounds of rail speeding-up in China.

It started the march towards the dream and hope. The speeding-ups and progress are shortening the distance between China and HSR.


On April 17, 2007, the staff at Train 8060 were removing the ID plate from the train before starting from Hangzhou Rail Station. It would make its last travel as a normal-speed train between Hangzhou and Jiaxing. On the next morning, the railways in China will make the 6th round of speeding-up and new diagram.


Differing from the previous rounds, this round of speeding-up will rank the speed of China’s existing railways among the leading club in the world. The busy trunk rails will be sped up to 200-250 km per hour, the maximum of the sped-up existing rails in the world. And Harmony CRH became part of the life of the Chinese people.

6 rounds of train speeding-up has brought more expectations. Will there be a new round of speeding-up? What is the ultimate goal of rail speeding-up in China.

The answer is HSR!

The Central Party Committee and the State Council have always concentrated their attention and efforts on rail development in China. After the 16th Congress of CPC, the Central Party Committee with HU Jintao as the leader has made the strategic decision to speed up the rail development, while holding the scientific outlook on development and achieving a sound and rapid growth of the national economy in the mind.

HU Jintao points out that rail transport, the artery of national economy, major national infrastructure and mass transport means, play a crucial role in economic growth and social progress in China. He hopes all Chinese rail people understand their mission, grasp the opportunity and work hard to speed up the rail development and contribute their part to build an overall well-off society and accelerate the socialist modernization.

On the trains to study visits outside Beijing, Party Secretary HU Jintao has many times listened to work reports from the Ministry of Railways. He also has convened meetings on HSR construction and rail development. His proposals and directives have given direction for HSR development in China.

Premier WEN Jiabao, for many times, has given instructions on HSR construction. He points out that it is imperative to accelerate the rail network construction, which is the artery of transport, improve the modernization of rail technologies and facilities, and upgrade the capacity, quality and efficiency of rail transport to contribute better to the national economy and social progress.

The international experience tells us that the HSR R&D work will generally take about 20 years. Based on the existing rail technologies and facilities in China, if China makes R&D totally by itself, it will take 10 to 15 years to completely grasp the 200 km-per-hour-and-plus CRH technologies and even longer time to grasp 300 km-per-hour CRH technologies.

Neither rail transport, economic growth nor social progress in China can afford that long time.

The Chinese rail people have made a wise decision to absorb the advanced technologies in the world before making its own innovations. In this way, China can realize its HSR dream at the lowest cost and in the shortest period.

As required by the Central Party Committee and the State Council, the Ministry of Railways, after over 10 years of study and with the experience accumulated in the several rounds of speeding-up, officially proposed the scheme of leap-frog development in 2003, targeting the transport volume and capacity as the major breakthrough.

With this scheme, the railway network will extend even further and the trains will run even faster on the 9.6 million-square-km Chinese territory.

The dream is too charming to get bubbled or forsaken. After multiple discussions, the Chinese rail people are excited, with their mind widened and belief consolidated.


In the beginning of 2004, Beijing streets looked fascinating with cherry and magnolia blossoms. In this Spring that came earlier, the China HSR Plan was also born.

In January 2004, the State Council executive meeting discussed and endorsed in principle The Medium And Long-Term Railway Network Plan, which, in a heroic manner, maps out the 12,000-km-long express passenger rail network with 4 vertical and 4 horizontal lines.

3 months later, the State Council convened another meeting discussing issues concerning locomotives and rail equipment. The meeting clearly set the basic principles of ‘introducing advanced technologies, cooperation in design and manufacturing, and making the brand of China’. Also at this meeting, the project operation model was decided, which was featured by ‘introducing a small number of original overseas products, CKD in China and domestic manufacturing.’

A complete and advanced railway network is urgently needed for the prosperity of China and the welfare of the Chinese people. It is the long-awaiting dream of generations of Chinese rail people and the sacred mission of the contemporary Chinese rail people.

Minister LIU Zhijun of Railways recalls his dream, ‘Once we decide to develop HSR, we will make the world’s best HSR technologies and become the pace-setter in this field. Once we make the decision, we will build rails that last centuries and will make it in our generation.’

That means running at the speed of wind!

Rail transport in China has embraced the speedy golden time. And the HSR in China will drive on the fast track towards hope.

The dream steps on the way to realization!

Dream pursuit. Integrating the most advanced technologies in the world and creating China’s own brand of speed, HSR in China has made the capturing three leaps.


If you wish to experience HSR, just travel between Beijing and Tianjin via train.

First, at Beijing Railway Station you can take the normal-speed Train 2589 travelling between Beijing and Songyuan, which starts at 11:36 and arrives in Tianjin at 13:27. The trip will take 01:51 hours.

Then travel back at 13:50 on Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city HSR Train C2042, which takes only 30 minutes to arrive in Beijing South Station.


81-minute duration difference and plus 200-km speed difference is the impression of an ordinary passenger on HSR.

The Chinese people and foreigners have different idea of how many years it will take to make such speed and duration difference.

In 2004 when China was introducing the high-speed train technologies, President of Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan suggested that Chinese technicians should spend 8 years grasping the 200-km-per-hour train technologies and another 8 years grasping the 350-km-per-hour train technologies.


He believed that two 8 years might be too fast for China. After all, Japan spent almost 30 years raising their Shinkansen speed from 210 km to 300 km per hour.

But not for the Chinese, who began to race in their own way starting from absorption till independent innovations of train carriages, rails and communication signal technologies.

Between 2004 and 2005, CSR Qingdao Sifang Rolling Stock Assets Management Co., Ltd., China CNR Corporation Ltd Changchun and Tangshan Branches introduced technologies from Bombardier of Canada, Kawasaki of Japan and Simens of Germany, cooperating with them to design and manufacture CRH.

CRH represents the combinations of high-techs involving 9 key technologies including assembly, body, bogie, traction transformer, traction converter, 10 supporting technologies and 50,000 parts and components. It is extremely difficult to digest and absorb such complicated technologies in a short period.


ZHANG Shuguang was instructed to build a fresh CRH project innovation team. ‘Since what I am doing is closely related to the supreme interests of the Party and my country, I swear…’ The team members still remember, very clearly, their swearing words in a hotel on the Fragrant Hill. Each of them had tears in their eyes while swearing.


Such is the power of the team and such is the ambition of the rail people. The team members are all the elites from rail equipment designers and manufacturers, colleges, institutes and R&D centers in China. With their dreams and passions, they have created one miracle after another.


Each trivial component and technology represents the efforts they have made in the digestion-absorption-innovation process.

Few CRH passengers will notice a pair of rubber strip wind shields on the exterior joints of carriages, which seem to have little technological content. In 2005 during the joint-design stage, some overseas designers tried to play hide-and-seek game with us.

‘What are the rubber strips used for?’, asked the Chinese technicians.

‘No big use. Just to prevent the passengers from falling off the platform.’, answered them.

But such a simple explanation has aroused the doubts of CSR Qingdao Sifang technicians.

‘Really so simple? Very strict requirements are made for the rubber strips. Are they just preventing passengers falling off the platform?’, they questioned further.


‘Uh… I guess they can also reduce the air resistance.’

Such hesitant reply still left the technicians in doubt.

At the beginning of 2006 when the plant received the first batch of prototypes, CSR Qingdao Sifang technicians, after tests and analysis, found that the pair of wind shields can replace the bogie’s function of preventing the train from side rolls.

‘Only without neglecting any component and technology is it possible to grasp advanced technologies. ’ comments DENG Xiaojun, Chief Design Superviser of CSR Qingdao Sifang.


Three years of hard work finally produces results. On April 18, 2007, the 6th round of rail speeding-up was realized with the help of 140 pairs of China-made CRH running at the speed of over 200 km per hour.


These high-speed trains share one name, Harmony. From them on, China had its own high-speed trains.

ZHENG Derun, an elderly Chinese who has lived in Britain for years, was excited at the news he read on the Internet. In June 2007, he flew to Beijing from London and boarded CRH Train D133 to Zhengzhou, Henan Province, just to experience travelling on Harmony.

‘I have travelled a lot in Europe on high-speed trains. Now we finally have our own CRH. I really feel proud of it. My dream of years has come true’. ZHENG Derun was extremely excited. After getting off the train, he took a picture with Harmony, ‘I will show the photo to all foreigners I know.’

According to definition by the International Union of Railways, the rails above 200 km per hour can be called HSR. In the 6th round of speeding-up, over 6,000 km existing trunk railways in China have been sped up to over 200 km per hour.

But the Chinese rail people didn’t title their railways as HSR. ‘Though many people proposed the naming, we didn’t say yes because China will not cease its pursuit for real HSR and we have even bigger dream.’, recalls Mr. WANG Yongping, spokesperson of the Ministry of Railways.

After China’s 200-km-per-hour CRH was produced, many foreigners thought that China would stay at this level for 10 years. But 10 years is too long for the Chinese people, who immediately initiated the R&D work on 300-350 km-per-hour CRH.

Like the sport of weight lifting, even one more 1 kilo is a tremendous achievement.

On the basis of 200 plus-km-per-hour trains, each more 10 km in speed represents a fundamental leap forward.

Common technologies can be grasped via introduction. But money cannot buy core technologies, which can best be demonstrated by a porcelain insulator on the traction motor of 350-km-per-hour CRH.

Originally, the Chinese technicians had considered importing the high-voltage terminal insulator on the traction motor because the Chinese technologies didn’t reach the required standards. But the cautious overseas technicians said to them, ‘Sorry, out of stock.’

They had to make it by themselves since import was impossible. ‘We contacted almost all Chinese insulator producers and finally decided to cooperate with a producer in Wenzhou in R&D, which led to the invention of our own technologies in this field.’ Said Mr. WU Shunhai, Technical Management Manager of CSR Zhuzhou Motor Co., Ltd.

With their own efforts, the Chinese technicians have made over 100 technological results in bogie, aerodynamics, braking, traction drive, train network control, etc.

Within only 2 years’ time, China has leaped from the platform of 200-km-per-hour HSR to that of 350 km per hour.

On August 1, 2008, Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city HSR was put into operation. After a few overseas specialists boarded China’s first HSR train from Beijing to Tianjin, the staff introduced to them, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, you have boarded a train that will drive at 350 km per hour.’ ‘350 km per hour? Are you serious?’, the overseas specialists wondered. Obviously, they wouldn’t believe the Chinese trains could reach such a high speed.


The fields outside the train windows were flashing backward rapidly and the speed shown on the LCD monitor was climbing. When the number read 350 km per hour, the specialists couldn’t believe their eyes. Even after they got off the train in Tianjin and sat on the restaurant table, they were still in the shocked confusion.


The 350-km-per-hour CRH has made China catch up with the international level. The invention of the 380-km-per-hour CRH will place China in the leading position of HSR in the world.

On February 26, 2006, the Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Science and Technology signed the Agreement on Joint and Independent Innovations of China High-speed Trains. Stipulated by this Agreement, the two Ministries would cooperate in the R&D work of a new-generation high-speed trains with the operating speed of 380 km per hour, with the maximum operating speed 60 km faster than German and French high-speed trains and 80 km faster than Japanese Shinkansen trains. Besides, the energy-saving and comfort performance of Chinese high-speed trains would be better than their overseas counterparts.

How exciting it is!

ZHAO Minghua, a 46-year-old lady of Korean ethnic, is the Deputy Chief Engineer at CSR Changchun, who has worked in this field for over 20 years. Her life dream is to make China’s own high-speed trains. In 1998, she was in charge of designing China’s first power-distributed CRH called Spring City. She has experienced the joy of success and shed the tears of failure. But she has never given up her efforts or forsaken the dream of making the fastest high-speed trains in the world.

In the beginning of 2009 when she was instructed by the Ministry of Railways to invent the 380-km-per-hour CRH, she couldn’t fall asleep for the whole night. She knew the difficulties of the task, but she also knew that her dream was about to be realized. She would exert all her efforts.


On the following day, she kept herself busy in the R&D work. And the first problem in front of her was how to add on the power of traction motor.

Generally, more power means larger size of the traction motor, which is installed on the bogie at the bottom of the train with limited space. It is very difficult to expand the motor size by even one centimeter.

”
She, together with her less-than-100 team members, have made numerous tests in a year. They slept on the office desks and fed on instant noodles. ‘For many times when it seemed that success was right in hand, another failure came in the simulation test. I could see the tears coming out of the eyes of my people.’ ZHAO can never forget the days, ‘We wiped off the tears and started to work again’.

Finally, by improving the insulation and thermal dissipation of motor materials, they have succeeded in raising the motor power by 25 kw without enlarging the motor size, which is still the world’s peak technology in the field.

Success in the network control system has bestowed CRH with a ‘Chinese Chip’. Breakthroughs in the study of insulated gate bipolar transistor IGBT has given the ‘Chinese brain’ to CRH. The train body is widened by 0.4 meters and reformed, which allows CRH to have a ‘Chinese body’. The locomotive is freshly designed and has a ‘Chinese face’. The CRH Harmony has become a ‘Chinese biz card’.

Till now, CRH has attained over 900 HSR patents. The new-generation 380-km-per-hour CRH will celebrate its inauguration ceremony in the first half of the year.

First, introduce the advanced technologies followed by digestion and absorption. Then make localized 200 to 250-km-per-hour high-speed trains. Second, independently design 350-km-per-hour CRH. Third, independently make the 380-km-per-hour CRH.

Each of the three steps is done by the rail people with their wisdom and arduous efforts. Each leap forward is unforgettable.

High-speed rails and trains are twins. When China made the decision to introduce the advanced high-speed train technologies, it had already set an agenda of building its own high-speed rails.

‘Higher speed requires higher standard of rails.’, says HE Huawu. ‘Highly stationary and highly stable’ are two major requirements for high-speed rail construction.

China has experienced fierce disputes over whether the rails should have fragments.


Traditional railways have fragments, which are usually stone ones laid under the timber sleepers. And the fragment-free rails are laid on one heavy-duty concrete slab. Which way to adopt is a major technical issue. At that time, people could find the technicians sitting in the meeting room of Ministry of Railways, having serious and solemn discussions about it.

It was really a tough choice to make. Imagine a wrong technical path is taken on the high-speed rails over 10,000 km long, it will cause terrible disasters. But the Chinese rail people believe, ‘Personal pride does not matter at all. We must be responsible for the history and for the Chinese people!’

The Ministry of Railways has organized a number of technical delegations to visit Japan, Germany and France, trying to study their high-speed rail technologies. And tests have also been made on short rails in China. Before the high-speed rail construction work was started, they had already had their own ideas.


The rails with fragments can save money during the construction stage. But when the trains run on them at a higher speed, they will jolt to a larger extent, which will bring huge investment in maintenance. The fragments-free rails can make the trains highly stationary and stable, which reduces the cost of maintenance. Though the construction cost of fragments-free rails is about 1.3 to 1.5 times over that of rails with fragments, 10-year operation will save all the extra costs, even the interests.

After disputes, overseas visits, studies, comparisons, science-based judgments and prudent decision-making, the Ministry of Railways finally decided to adopt the fragments-free rail technologies in China’s high-speed rail construction.

However, at that time China didn’t have mature technologies. For the Chinese rail people who are expert in building rails with fragments, the difficulty would be the same as asking the soccer player to play basketball.


The first problem they had to solve was the geological subsidence. The allowed subsidence of high-speed rails is counted with millimeters, following higher standard than that of F1 speedways. As China has a huge distance in all directions and complex topography, the technicians were facing many problems that were not met by their overseas counterparts.


90% of areas where the newly-operated Zhengzhou-Xi’an high-speed rail runs are loess-covered area, which will subside or get deformed in rainy seasons. Once deformed, the rails will have to be rebuilt. The Ministry of Railways have invited a dozen of top Chinese academicians to study the topography, collect data and finally find a solution to the problem.

In the most collapsible soils, 1 cement-soil compaction pile is planted every one meter. At Longmen Station of Luoyang alone, which has a floor area of 2 million square meters, 500,000 such piles are planted, with each pile about 10 meters long and 0.4 meters in diameter.

‘The railway beds at the Longmen Station of Luoyang are over 8 meters high. After these piles are planted and the grouting is made, there is no space even for a nail. The bed surface is as smooth as that of a marble and you can even roller-skate on it.’ Said GUO Zhiyong, Deputy Chief Engineer at China Railway Siyuan Survey and Design Group Co, Ltd. and Chief Designer of Zhengzhou-Xi’an High-speed Rail.

Differing from ordinary railways, high-speed rails often need elevated rail bridges. The elevated rail bridges in Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city HSR and Beijing-Shanghai HSR account for over 80% of the rails’ total length. Thus it is highly significant to select the right type of bridges.

‘Time runs fast and will not wait for us.’ ZHENG Jian, who is responsible for the elevated rail bridges, always quotes the poem to encourage his team. Only 2 days after the Spring Festival Eve in 2005, at the call of the Ministry of Railways, the Chinese specialists in bridge engineering, design, construction and equipment gathered in Beijing and started the research work.

They have spent numerous sleepless nights, testing and discussing. At last, they worked out a technical plan using 32-meter charpies and bridge machines, creating a series of new technologies in manufacturing, transport and beam framing, and solving the long-lasting problem in high-speed rail construction. Five years has passed, ZHENG Jian still remembers clearly the details at that time.


Rail alignment, switches, precise positioning… ‘We can improve our ability in technical solutions. But we shall never neglect each step that we have to make by ourselves’, said HE Huawu.

‘When the train speed rises to 350 km per hour, the water glass in the carriage remains stationary.’ The ‘highly stationary and highly stable’ functions of China’s high-speed rails and trains have won high praise from the international rail specialists.

Communications signals constitute the high-speed rail command & control system, which are not in the list of transferred technologies. Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city HSR adopts the Simens technologies at the price of 1.9 billion Yuan. When Simens bidded for Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR, it offered a shocking price of 6.4 billion Yuan.

The Chinese high-speed rail technicians, who felt irritated, decided to develop their own technologies. At the end of 2007, the Ministry of Railways set up a research team working on it.

When the Chinese people were enjoying the Spring Festival holiday, over 20 specialists left their families and gathered in a building close to Beijing West Railway Station, starting the research work. On the first day of 2008 lunar calendar, the traditional day of family gathering, they came back to work after hurriedly eating jiaozi with their family members.

In a short time, the simulation lab was built. Like motors, these specialists worked in shifts and made simulation tests in turns, detected problems, revised the date and made the tests again.

What happens if there are fallen objects on the rails? The control system can sense it and give signals automatically, then the signals at that section will turn red.

The train can receive the signal when it is 6 km away from the fallen object and will stop.

When fracture is formed in the rails, the signals will detect it automatically and turn red. The train will also stop automatically.

After more than 4,000 environment simulation tests are done, the technicians adopted the control technologies on Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR to test them.

However, after the system was installed on the train, it failed because the air conditioning and generators on the train caused jamming to the system. They went back to their simulation lab in Beijing and made revisions while checking the system.

Revisions were made after tests. After hundreds of tests-revisions were made, the world’s leading wireless train control technologies finally yielded success and were employed on Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR.

Nowadays, the CRH on Wuhuan-Guangzhou HSR has travelled for 3 million km with the failure rate at 0.004 percent. This figure represents the world’s best.


Five years’ hard work has harvested results. The Chinese people, in a miraculous way, have set up the huge platform of high-speed technologies, which is made up of ‘trains, rails and signals’.

Owning one generation of technologies, putting into use the next generation and inventing the further next generation. Today, high-speed rail transport of China is presenting itselfin front of the world, strong and steadfast.

Weaving the dream – cohesion, union and cooperation help to clench the five separate fingers into a forceful fist.

‘A fast train only depends on the locomotive’ is a phrase sounding familiar to many people. But it is not true for the high-speed trains.

The power of high-speed trains is provided by motors that are distributed at the bottom of carriages, meaning each carriage will contribute to the power. Just like the innovation team of CRH, the close cooperation of the government, manufacturers, colleges and institutes has produced the mammoth collective power.

Who would take the leading post while China was trying to realize its HSR dream? Why China’s HSR has made so many World’s Best?

The railways watchdog, by using the ‘tangible hand’ of the government, has guided the ‘HSR model’ featured by independent innovations. At the same time, the watchdog gives full play to the market, which has proven to be a success.’ said ZHANG Shuguang who is in charge of introducing the high-speed trains technologies into China.

Back in 2004 when the Central Party Committee and the State Council made the decision of developing HSR in China, the move of introducing the first-class technologies in the world was started.

Simens of Germany, Alstom of France, Kawasaki of Japan and Bombardier of Canada, the four leading giants in HSR technologies in the world, were all eager to occupy the huge Chinese market.

‘Each of these four international giants has a sales revenue of over 150 billion dollars per year. And the largest Chinese rolling-stock producer at the time had only a few billions Yuan of sales each year. How can a golden fish cooperate with a whale?’ ZHANG Shuguang recalls the negotiations with them, ‘But our strong point is that Chinese producers are united to form a ‘China corps’.’

He continues in an emotional tone, ‘In the past, we used to negotiate with them separately and the result was always negative. We paid higher price without getting the core technologies.’


The Ministry of Railways finally made the decision: the rail transport market in China should integrate all trains and
‘The Ministry of Railways has started to organize all negotiations with overseas producers and deliver the orders. Facing the clasped ‘fist’, any international giant wishing to come into the Chinese market must agree to transfer all their technologies, localize production and make Chinese brands at rational prices.’

The negotiations were really heart-shaking.

The Simens of Germany was greatly interested and extremely confident. It offered a staggering price with each prototype train at 350 million Yuan and the technology transfer fee at 390 million euros. It would not make any concession even on the night before the bidding.

As the Chief Negotiator of the Ministry of Railways, ZHANG Shuguang proclaimed firmly that Simens would definitely be refused in the bid if the prototype train price was above 250 million Yuan and the technology transfer fee exceeded 150 million euros.

The Simens Chief Negotiator shrugged his shoulders and asked ZHANG conceitedly, ‘Are you serious?’

The result was announced the following year. Simens was refused. Alstom, Kawasaki and Bombardier were awarded with the bids. The news was followed by sharp falling of Simens stocks and all its negotiating team were kicked out of Simens.


The next year when Simens was bidding, the price of its prototype train was lowered to 250 million Yuan. Furthermore, Simens even transferred its core technologies at the price of 80 million euros.


This project alone has saved 9 billion Yuan.

With this tightly clasped ‘fist’, China has firmly taken the dominant position in the negotiations and introduced core technologies at the lowest price.

Also with this ‘fist’, China has sped up its innovations. LU Qiang, professor at Tsinghua University and Academician in aerodynamics has deeper understanding of it.

One day in the early spring of 2007 when the field was about to go green, dozens of specialists and scholars were having a discussion on a CRH train travelling on Jiaozhou-Jinan Rail, with sparks of excitement in their eyes.


At that time, China was making trials for the upcoming 6th round of rail speeding-up. The Ministry of Railways invited dozens of professors headed by the President of Tsinghua University to the trial operation on Jiaozhou-Jinan Rail. And Academician LU Qiang was one of the invited professors.

When the speed of the train reached 250 km per hour, the professors exclaimed.


Standing right beside ZHANG Shuguang, Professor LU Qiang started his comments.


‘The plane travels on the runway at 300 km per hour before taking off. Now the CRH is travelling at 250 km per hour.’, LU Qiang paused a little while, giving deeper meaning to his words.

ZHANG Shuguang smiled, ‘Just like planes, HSR aerodynamics is also needed. Indeed, we need it urgently.’


‘That’s it.’ LU grew more excited, knowing ZHANG was his bosom friend.


‘We are thinking about studies on this project. Can you organize a team on it?’


‘When do you want the team to start working?’


‘Today!’ ZHANG replied solemnly.


Upon going back to Beijing, LU Qiang started to draft the scheme of studies on HSR aerodynamics, which was in the hands of ZHANG Shuguang two days later.


Another two days passed and LU Qiang received the blank Study Applications from the Ministry of Railways for him to fill in.

Two days later, the study was approved by the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Science and Technology and Tsinghua University.


The second day after the research was initiated, the team headed by LU Qiang was established, which gathered the best aerodynamics specialists and experts in China coming from Tsinghua University, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Peking University and other top universities in China, China Academy of Railway Sciences and businesses attached to the Ministry of Railways.


While working in the team for the research, these specialists from all parts of China were united like a family.


‘Such an approach can guarantee that we make the right direction and fastest industrialization of the research results’, said LU Qiang.


Then how fast is it?


Studying in the perspective of aerodynamics, they found that the power loss of the high-speed train’s pantograph accounted for 14% of the entire train’s power losses. And Some decorations in the carriages would bring negative effects on energy-saving. While submitting the research results to the Ministry of Railways, they also included this finding.

After reading the report, ZHANG Shuguang headed to the CSR plant and asked the workers to remove the aesthetic decorations. After that, he asked LU Qiang to organize further studies and optimize the form of pantograph. Later, ZHANG told LU Qiang that their research results helped to reduce the high-speed train power losses by 7%.


So what does 7% mean?


It saves the consumption of over 10 million tons of coals for China.


The 7% reduction is the result of aerodynamics optimization. It is also the result of cooperation between businesses, universities and research institutes, which is organized by the government agency.


How heavy a train body should an axle bear?


The solution to this seemingly simple question pools the wisdom and efforts of hundreds of top Chinese specialists.


When CSR Qingdao Sifang introduced the Kawasaki technologies of Japan to produce CRH, the design specifications required that the axle weight should be 14 tons.


During the speeding-up tests, the train body began to tremble. It is recognized in the high-speed train community that light axle weight can help the train run faster because the load is small. But too small weight will make the train tremble.


How much should the axle weight be?


Since June, 2007, CSR Qingdao Sifang had made numerous simulation tests but failed many times to find the solution.


After group discussions at the Ministry of Railways, they believed that overall consideration should be given to aerodynamics, noises and vibration to optimize the system. Attention should not be focused on the axle weight alone.


Now they knew where the problem lay. The Ministry of Railways invited hundreds of specialists in structure, streamline and vibration. These specialists worked together with Institute of Mechanics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an Academy of Aircraft Strength, Chinese Aerodynamics Research Center, and Noise Lab of Tongji University to solve this problem. After a number of simulation tests and comparisons, the best design was finally adopted.


By the end of 2007, major breakthrough had been made. The first 350-km-per-hour CRH that was produced that month carried a 15-ton axle. The problems was finally solved.

From 14 tons to 15 tons. Behind the 1-ton difference in axle weight are arduous and concerted efforts.

For the shared dream of HSR, the motherland has called upon over 50 academicians, 150,000 technicians, 600 entrepreneurs, who have worked together and created a miracle of independent innovations in HSR.

Explaining the dream – dedication, persistence and loyalty have turned the spirit of HSR into a strong force.


Of all the happinesses brought by the 350-km-per-hour CRH,


Which one do you most wish to keep?


The travelling distance of 120 km per 30 minutes?


The joy and laughs in the carriages?


None.


I wish to keep the tear


That comes out after the blueprint is made, the rails are laid, the spikes are planted,


And the first train siren blows.’


--This is the emotional praise for the Chinese HSR people.

What kind of people are they? Some say they are steels, silent but strong. Some say they are farming cows, diligent and persistent. Some say they are wintersweets, challenging the coldness. Some say they are orchids, fragrant but silent. Indeed, they have combined all these features, loyal to the motherland and passionate for their career.

It is dedication, the HSR spirit.

Each night when HE Huahua comes home at midnight from his office, he would get into the bedroom silently, just to see his wife who has already fallen asleep.

Since taking the post of Chief Engineer at the Ministry of Railways in 2004, he has never left his office at normal off-hour or spent a weekend at home. 3 years ago, his wife contracted cancer and left weak by pains, operations and chemical treatment. After the HSR project was started, HE became even busier. His wife is left unattended because his only son is in the university.

But she, also a railway engineer, has expressed her understanding because she is fully aware what HSR means to China. HSR is her dream, too.


‘Huawu, you should value the opportunity of working for HSR in China. I can make it by myself.’ Each time when she finds her husband concerning about her health, his wife would say it, holding his hands. Clenching his teeth, HE continues to work on his HSR design.

‘I do not mind your neglect of me. But you should allocate some care for mother even if you are busy.’ complains his son.


‘Son, what I am doing is a great deed, which you will understand in the future.’ HE explains.


Extra working hours and business trips. HE is too busy to say sorry to his wife and son. They have got accustomed to it.


In June 2008 when they were doing a trial travel before Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city HSR was put into operation, HE helped his wife board the train.


The train started. Her hearts beat faster as the speed rose. The 350-km-per-hour Harmony helped her understand the genuine meaning of ‘high-speed’. She is so proud of her husband.


‘Huawu, it’s worth it.’ She grasped his hands when getting off the train. At the moment, HE couldn’t hold back his tears.


Beijing South Railway Station, Wuhan Railway Station, Guangzhou South Railway Station, Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station…The modern shapes and splendid styles are admired by the foreign visitors. Whenever talking about the new railway stations designed by him, ZHENG Jian’s eyes are full of love, as if he was talking about his own kids.


To realize his designs and make the stations stand for centuries, the gentleman-like ZHENG Jian carries the large flipchart on his back, lobbying and even quarreling, not neglecting a trivial fault.


In his eyes, the stations along the HSR are just like pearls that contain his life value. He has no hobby beyond work. Some people wouldn’t understand why he has forsaken the job with nearly 1 million Yuan of annual income and chosen to work so hard on HSR stations. He just smiles, ‘Look at the Beijing South Railway Station and board the train on the Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city HSR, then you can understand my joy, which can never be bought by money.’

How respectable they are! With their hearts, they have woven their dreams. With their lives, they are pursing the hope, giving their loyalty and love to their motherland and the Chinese people.

‘This project is larger than the heaven and heavier than my life because it relates to the interests and honor of China.’ The belief of dedication to the motherland is deeply printed in the hearts of all the Chinese rail people, whether they are the senior researchers, technicians, or workers.

On each train, there are 50,000 wires and 100,000 junctions, all of which must be connected by hand. The task looks simple. But for the wiring workers, they treat it like neurological surgeons doing operations. If one nerve is connected wrongly, the patient will become handicapped. It is the same with CRH. If one wire is wrongly connected, the fatal disaster might happen.

GAO Xiangli, a wire worker, is an introvert and shy girl who always speaks gently. One and half a year after she came to work at CSR Tangshan Company, she was awarded for ‘no mistake for wiring 10,000 wires’. While in the workshop, she sits or crouches silently beside the locomotive, facing the narrow switch cabinet and complex wires and doing her job skillfully for 10 hours in a row. ‘Dumb feet and unable to stand straight’ always happens to her.


‘Many people asked me how I make no mistake for wiring 10,000 wires. I really cannot tell it. Though I am a wiring worker, I
From one switch cabinet to another, tens of thousands of wires are connected by her, making a charming curve.


The foreigners do not understand how the Chinese people have progressed so rapidly in HSR construction.


Only the Chinese people know that it attributes to the ‘die hard’ spirit.


WANG Zhijian, President of Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR, once participated in Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city HSR construction before working on the Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR construction. After working on these two HSRs, he lost weight of over 10 kilos.


Though his home in Beijing is not far from the construction site, he only spent 10 days at home in almost two years of working on Beijing-Tianjin HSR. He misses his family, too. But his job on the HSR needs him more.


‘The Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR, which runs over 1,000 km, will take foreigners 10 years. But we only spent three and ahalf years. No knacks at all. Only hard work.’


Foreign specialists will go back to rest after finishing 8-hour work. But the Chinese rail people continue to work. They don’t have the concept of rest.


During the combined debugging period on Wuhuan-Guangzhou HSR when it was the summer, the Chinese rail people were busy with the trial operation in the day and detected problems at night with electric torches. Their skin became swollen with mosquito stings, but nobody complained.

Once in a trial operation, it was found that two rails were not welded well. They followed the technical regulations and checked all the more than 10,000 junctions on the 4 lines that were over 4,000 km long.

WANG Zhijian has a catch phrase, ‘Loyalty is more important than capability.’ On his bed side, there is a notebook, in which he writes down all problems he meets in the day. Even waking up from a dream at night, he will record something in it.

The passion for HSR and dream of speed are inexhaustible motive source of Chinese HSR people.

XIN Li, the Chief Converter Expert at CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Institute.

The days after the 2009 New Year’s day were crucial for the converter design of 380-km-per-hour CRH. The converter is a key component determining the power and speed. XIN, in his fifties, spent days and night sitting in front of his computer, with his eyes focusing on thousands of charts on the display.

In the middle of March, his eyes seemed to be blurred and felt painful. Busy with his designs, he didn’t go to hospital. But one month later, it worsened. Persuaded by his colleagues, he asked for half a day’s leave to the hospital. After examination, it was found that his eyesight had dropped from 0.8 to 0.4 and the confirmed diagnosis was cornea inflammation. The doctor told him it was caused by the long-term computer UV and advised him staying away from the computer.

However, the design was in the crucial period. How could he leave the blueprints or computers?


Asking the doctor to prescribe some waterdrops, he returned to work.


One month later, his eyes suffered from inflammation again. Because of busy work, he even didn’t go to hospital this time. Later on, his eyes pained seriously, which forced him to hospital again. The examination found that his eyesight had dropped to 0.2 and he had to change for a new pair of glasses.


Repeated eye inflammations have made his eye disease hard to cure. His left eyesight has dropped to below 0.2. According to the doctor, it is impossible for his eyesight to restore to the original level. If it worsens, he might get blind.


XIN Li smiles, ‘It doesn’t matter. I will keep working even without one eye.’


From 0.8 to 0.2, the lost 0.6 can never be retracted. For China’s HSR, XIN never regrets.


The miraculous speed of HSR in China is not donated by the God or anyone else. It was done by the Chinese people with painstaking efforts.


The running trains represent the Chinese rail people’s passion for their career, loyalty to their motherland and love of dreams.


The flashing white trains remind us of China’s first nuclear bomb and first satellite. Again, we feel the ever-lasting spirit of the Chinese people, namely, truth pursuing, inclusive, independently innovative, courage to catch up with and overtake the world’s best, loyalty to the motherland, hard work and dedication. With such spirits, the Chinese rail people give their explanation of love, persistence and passion for dreams.


That is an upward national spirit, which keeps the Chinese people energetic for ever.


Realizing the dream – running at the dream-like speed towards a rejuvenated power.


The violent typhoon blows at 180 km per hour;


The plane needs 300 km per hour before taking off;


Currently, China’s CRH has an operating speed of 350 km per hour.


And CRH is still accelerating its speed. The new generation of CRH with the speed of 380 km per hour will soon celebrate the inauguration ceremony. And R&D work is being done on the 500-km-per-hour CRH.


The dream for speed has created dream-like speed.


In the city of Wuhan on the morning of February 19, 2010, the 6th day of lunar calendar when people were still celebrating the Spring Festival, it was crowded in the Wuhan Railway Station.


In the dispatching & command center of Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR, the staff were busy and the large monitor was giving data on the starting and arrival of trains.


‘From the first lunar calendar day till today, each day there are a number passengers from Wuhan or Guangzhou travelling between the two cities, arriving in the morning and leaving in the evening. Or a couple joining each other’s birth family in turns. The 1,000-km plus distance takes only 6 hours for two-way travelling’, said a dispatcher of Wuhan-Guangzhou dispatcher.


This Spring Festival has witnessed the first-time operation of Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR and Zhengzhou-Xi’an HSR, which has brought sharp increase in passenger flow. On Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR alone, 33 pairs of Harmony CRH travel between the two terminals each day, with each CRH starting every 6 minutes. Each day, the Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR will transport 70,000 passengers.


The Spring Festival transport has helped more Chinese people experience the glamour of HSR.


The CRH, like rainbows and dragons, brings speed to us, shortening the distance between rural and urban areas, and between the south and west of China. Moreover, it brings us a life of harmony and happiness.


‘At present, China has most HSR technologies, strongest integration capacity, longest operating mileage, highest operating speed and largest scale of construction in the world. This year, the 4th International High-speed Railways Conference will be held in China, the first time in history.’ HE Huawu said excitedly. His dream 19 years ago which was formed on the French high-speed train is realized today.


CHEN Juemin, Director-General of International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Railways has the best understanding of China’s leading position in the world.


‘I have been in the international affairs for almost 30 years. In the past, I used to take Ministry officials and technicians to
Since the Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city HSR was put into operation, CHEN has seldom visited other countries. Instead, he is busy receiving the study delegation from other countries.


‘I will receive a visiting delegation every two or three days. Last year I received over 100 visiting delegations’, he said excitedly.


‘Existence determines the influence. Many countries, including US, Russia, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, hope to cooperate with China in HSR construction’, CHEN said proudly.


In August, 2009, Andrew Adonis, the British Transport Minister boarded the 350-km-per-hour Harmony CRH and said, ‘The train is not only speedy but also stable. You are the pace setter of HSR in the world. The future of railways is in China,’


US is the pioneer of the world’s rail development and has the longest rail mileage. Facing the rapid growth of China’s HSR, the Americans have felt the pressure because they don’t have HSR in the States. And an article in USA Today on February 7th calls upon that ‘US should learn something from China’s HSR.’


How China has created such fantastic speed?


Responding to this question, Minister LIU Zhijun replies proudly, ’We have the political advantage under the leadership of CPC and of the socialism, we have the management advantage with complete rail network and uniform command, and in particular, we have competent teams. The Chinese people have given strong support to us. The leaps made by the HSR in China has adopted the scientific outlook on development and found a way of independent innovations with Chinese characteristics.’


‘The rainbow and dragons in the sky,


And the fascinating siren blowings


Have touched so many people.


Chinese trains, that have run for a hundred years,


Are taking the leading position in the world for the first time.’


Praised a Chinese poet.


The era has boosted trains, which in turn run ahead of the era.


All Chinese rail people know that the CRH is just the start of their ambition.


By 2012, China will have built a HSR network with 4 horizontal and 4 vertical rail lines, with 13,000 km in mileage exceeding the total HSR mileage in the world today. By that time, the world’s largest HSR network will join the developed Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Bohai Rim area and other parts of China.


The 4 vertical rails are just like rainbows in the sky, they are:


1,300-km-long Beijing-Shanghai HSR, taking 4 hours;


2,260-km-long Beijing-Guangzhou HSR, taking 7 hours;


1,700-km-long Beijing-Harbin HSR, taking 5 hours;


1,700-km-long Beijing-Hangzhou HSR, taking 5 hours;


The 4 horizontal rails are just like dragons in the sky, they are:


1,400-km-long Xuzhou-Lanzhou HSR, taking 5 hours;


2,000-km-long Shanghai-Kunming HSR, taking 7 hours;


800-km-long Qingdao-Taiyuan HSR, taking 3 hours;


1,900-km-long Nanjing-Chengdu HSR, taking 6 hours;


High speed, informationization and automation. Chinese HSR is no long a dream.


The Chinese rail people are ambitious. By that that, both passengers and goods will be transported easily and fast. Our long-awaited dreams will be realized.


By 2020, HSR network in China will have a mileage of 18,000 km. Starting from Beijing, it will take between 1 and 8 hours to reach most of the provincial capital cities. Starting from Shanghai, Zhengzhou, Wuhan and other central cities to the surrounding cities, it will take between half an hour and an hour. China, with a vast territory, will become a one-day transport circle.


Imagine the charming future for a while.


The cities are connected. The rural and urban areas are connected. HSR will bring high speed to the Chinese territory with an area of 9.6 million square km that spreads 5,000 km from west to east, and from north to south.


When commenting on the history of HSR, the economists point out: the Japanese Shinkansen, which was put into use in 1964, made tremendous contributions to the Tokyo Olympics in the same year and 1970 Osaka World Expo. It is the starting point of Japanese economy.


HSR is the lover of low-carbon economy, whose energy consumption is only one sixth that of autos. If electricity is used, the carbon emission is close to zero. HSR is the combination of high techs. Each 1 Yuan of input will make 9 Yuan. HSR also boosts cities and towns, which will come into being along the rails. HSR is also the artery of the economy, connecting and combining rural and urban areas. It will emit the power beyond our imaginations.


History has proven that the HSR will become the pushing force of a new round of Chinese economic growth. Great changes will happen to the transport models, economic layout, life styles, time-space concepts because of the HSR.


Over the past century, many Chinese people dreamed of rejuvenating China by building rails.


In the summer of 1912, Sun Yat-sen was quoted, ''In today''s world, no country can develop itself without railways. Without railways, China, as a vast country, can not boost its industries.''


In the century-old rail development annals, we can find the following moments:


In 1881, the Tangshan-Xugezhuang Rail, China’s first rail 9.7 km long, was built, marking the start of Chinese rails.


Beijing-Zhangjiakou Rail is the first one surveyed, designed and built by the Chinese people in 1909. It was 200 km long. The Chinese people, who had been bullied by the western powers for years, felt proud of it.


The Chengdu-Chongqing Rail, the first artery rail built in 1952 after PRC was founded, was 502 km long. It revealed a new
Beijing-Tianjin Inter-city HSR, China’s first genuine HSR, was finished in 2008. China has stepped into the HSR Era. It is a moment of brilliance.


We can see the longing eyes. With these eyes, we find the envy shown by XU Jishe living in Qing Dynasty by saying that ‘turning irons into rails to speed up the transport’. And we can also find the dream of Sun Yat-senof building 100,000 miles of rails in China. The dream of Chinese people about speed has lasted over 100 years.


We can see the difficult but firm footprints of Chinese people left while pursuing their dreams of speed.


We can see the torches burning with the national spirit of diligence. The spirit has been passed on from one generation to another.


With the siren blowing, the Chinese trains are marching out of the past, difficult but persistent, pursuing the dream. The dream will light the hope and fulfill the future. The dream is pushing the Chinese people to work even harder towards a bright future.

^^ Whew - better to just post the hyperlink mate!!

Yeah. Just after every scroll, you would think this would be it, but it just keeps on going and going. Please remove it and paste the link if possible. Whoever wants to read can click the link.

dude what is this ?
the communist party manifesto:bash::nuts:

That sounded like Commie Propaganda. Felt like I was reading an excerpt out of one of those papers written about declassified Soviet files.
40 years = 5 years is pretty easy to do as long as you don't do sh** and buy the technology of Siemens, Alstom and Bombardier.
Obama was quoted out of context, he was talking to the senate I believe about popularizing trains in the US. And refuted one of the criticisms of train travel, that of the time consumed. He said the US could get fast trains too, no reason why Europe, China, Japan should be the only ones.
The pride of the Chinese Railway the Shanghai Maglev is a well documented white elephant which runs on the taxpayers money as a prestige project.

I know they have advanced their railway technology, but the only thing that has to do with China is the money they paid and the labor that the commies lent to the corporations. Given a little more time and money I do not see Indian Railways not repeating the same.
The process has already started with Bombardier getting permission to manufacture Locos in India. Once the HSR bill to be brought in house by Mamata this winter session others will also join in. Seimens has already expressed interest in the Pune - Mumbai - Ahmedabad HSR route.

Railways bid to attract private funds for Eastern freight corridor

Indian Railways is considering options to work out innovative financing models to attract private participation in the Sonnagar-Dankuni section of the Eastern rail freight corridor.

The Eastern corridor in the dedicated rail freight corridor was extended from Sonnagar (Bihar) to Dankuni (West Bengal) after Ms Mamata Banerjee took over as the Railway Minister.

Earlier, the Eastern corridor was supposed to connect Ludhiana and Sonnagar.

Mr RK Sinha director finance Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd said that “The cost of construction of the Sonnagar-Dankuni section at fixed prices is about INR 8,500 crore. This excludes the interest during construction and inflation.”

The DFCCIL and the Railway Ministry will work out a concession agreement between themselves which would include the track access charges payable to DFCCIL by the Railways.

Response from the industry will be subsequently invited over the next few weeks.

The World Bank loan for this section is estimated at USD 2.4 billion.

Railways bid to attract private funds for Eastern freight corridor

Indian Railways is considering options to work out innovative financing models to attract private participation in the Sonnagar-Dankuni section of the Eastern rail freight corridor.

The Eastern corridor in the dedicated rail freight corridor was extended from Sonnagar (Bihar) to Dankuni (West Bengal) after Ms Mamata Banerjee took over as the Railway Minister.

Earlier, the Eastern corridor was supposed to connect Ludhiana and Sonnagar.

Mr RK Sinha director finance Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd said that “The cost of construction of the Sonnagar-Dankuni section at fixed prices is about INR 8,500 crore. This excludes the interest during construction and inflation.”

The DFCCIL and the Railway Ministry will work out a concession agreement between themselves which would include the track access charges payable to DFCCIL by the Railways.

Response from the industry will be subsequently invited over the next few weeks.

The World Bank loan for this section is estimated at USD 2.4 billion.

what??? world bank loan is around Rs 10000 cr and the total cost of initially planned was Rs 8500 cr :lol:

ER introduces new 12 coach rakes before puja

Coming as yet another gift for the people of West Bengal before Durga Puja celebrations beginning tomorrow, Eastern Railway today introduced 12 more EMU coaches with 12 rakes each for running in different parts of Sealdah south sections.

ER sources here said with the introduction of new rakes, the total number of EMU coaches with 12 bogies each in the section had now gone upto 109.

Of them, the sources said, the highhest 34 EMUs would run to and from Diamond Harbour, followed by 18 to Lakhikantpur, 17 to Baruipur, 12 to Budge Budge, 11 to Canning, seven to Sonarpur and six on Namkhana section to ease the huge rush of passengers.

In addition four new suburban locals also started running from Sealdah South Section today connecting the city more frequently with Lakshmikantpur, Namkhana and Baruipur, the sources informed.

http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-61548.html

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/chennai/hi-tech-devices-put-train-safety-track-423

Oct. 13: Southern Railway will soon start using state-of-the-art safety devices to make travel more secure. Senior railway officials said that the trial run of two safety devices, the train protection warning system (TPWS) and the anti collision device (ACD), had been completed and a nod was awaited from the railway ministry for employing them on a regular basis.
If the railway board approves their use, then it would be a major step taken by the Southern Railway in ensuring passenger safety.
The Southern Railway had introduced the TPWS on a trial basis some years ago. It was installed in services running between Chennai Central- Gummidipundi and Chennai Beach - Gummidipundi sections. The project also saw on-board installation of TPWS equipment on EMU coaches.
“The TPWS continuously supervises the speed of the train and if the speed increases beyond the stipulated limit, service brake is applied to bring it down,” said a senior official of the safety department. “If the speed increases manifold then emergency brake is used to bring the train to a halt.”
During September, officials of the Konkan railway and the Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO) also conducted tests of the ACD in the stretch between Chennai and Pattabiram.

...

Source (http://indrus.in/articles/2010/10/12/russian_railway_carriages_and_turbines_for_india04784.html)
Russian railway carriages and turbines for India
http://indrus.in/img/b/11784.jpg
Russia’s Transmashholding and India’s HE&I are in talks to launch joint production, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported. A source in the company said that Transmashholding has already received the respective work statement. The proposed cooperation includes both direct deliveries of rail equipment to India and the construction of a joint venture in India. The parties are currently discussing the range of equipment for their joint project.

The two companies’ cooperation is particularly promising in passenger transportation, says Alexei Bezborodov, general director of InfraNews. “If Transmashholding offers good prices, it may well find demand on the Indian market. India, with its passenger transportation still underdeveloped, needs cheap railway carriages and locomotives,” he said. At the same time, India’s freight transportation is much more advanced, and Transmashholding will have to be inventive and offer innovative solutions. The Russian company, however, has enough time to work on its proposals. Bezborodov says that at least one year will pass from the time the declaration of intent is made to the signing of contract, and real work will not start until 2013.

Another Russian producer, Power Machines Company, is also discussing a joint venture with Indian partners. In cooperation with India’s Cethar Vessels, Power Machines Company plans to produce turbines and generators in India. A memorandum of intent has already been signed. The partners expect to sell their Indian-made equipment both in Russia and abroad. If the agreement is reached, Power Machines’ related plans could get the green light, too: the Russian company is in talks with India’s Swati Energy to build facilities for producing spare parts for Power Machines’ equipment supplied to India.

^^ Check the logo on the Russian train and compare it with the logo for Kolkata metro . They differ only in their color
see below
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Uq_whpki4IE/Rvk_RwkLjqI/AAAAAAAABLs/4jdNAAa4omQ/metro1.jpg

Yeah. Kinda.

nice catch there B2C :)

^^ thanks :)

Source (http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/oct/15/slide-show-1-konkan-railway-completes-20-years.htm)

October 15, 2010 18:54 IST

One of India's biggest engineering marvels, the Konkan Railway, has completed 20
glorious years since its foundation was laid in October 15, 1990.

The Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd was incorporated in July, 1990, with a senior
railway official, E Sreedharan, as its first chairman-cum-managing director.

The construction of the Konkan Railway, which connects Maharashtra, Goa and
Karnataka has been hailed is one of the biggest and most difficult engineering
railway projects carried out this century in South Asia.

In October 1997, Sreedharan took up the responsibility of constructing the
marvellous Delhi Metro Project.

Source (http://www.expresstravelworld.com/201010/market05.shtml)
New Delhi Railway Station becomes tourist friendly
Boasts of a unique porter system, tourist guide booklets and an International Tourist Bureau

EH Staff - New Delhi

Indian Railways, the lead partner of the Commonwealth Games, has addressed the dire need for tourist facilitation by introducing a tourist friendly transit centre at New Delhi Railway Station. Northern Railway is the first to come up with a unique system of making porters handy with a rate chart and tourist guide to help the tourists. Ashwani Lohani, divisional railway manager, Delhi Division, recently handed over the rate card and the tourist guide booklets to the renovated New Delhi Railway Station. Lohani said that the tourist guide booklet contains information about facilities/amenities available at the railway stations, metro stations connecting historical places, foreign exchange dealers, accommodation available near the railway stations, Delhi metro route map, games venue, important telephone numbers and the rates of porters so that they do not overcharge passengers.

A lot has been done to beautify the New Delhi Railway Station right from main entrance to platform no.16. The flooring of all platforms has been redone and steel metal has been extensively used in furniture, pillars, benches, etc. The circulating area has been cleaned up and entry lanes for taxis and other vehicles have been separated to decongest the area. Paintings depicting Moods of Delhi, etc, are being put up. The same is being done for other Delhi stations also. Another foot overbridge no 3 has been constructed for the convenience of passengers. In the main concourse at booking counters at New Delhi Railway Station, they will now be able to accommodate about 500 passengers at one time. Also, the Digital Reservation chart is being displayed at platform no 1 & 16, which would very soon be introduced at other platforms. Keeping in mind the need of the tourists, radio taxi service has also been introduced and has been made available at the Paharganj side of New Delhi Railway Station which would very soon be extended to other stations in Delhi area viz. Nizamuddin and Delhi Jn. The International Tourist Bureau, which was temporarily shifted to a retiring room is back to a renovated and newly furbished office on the first floor at New Delhi Railway Station.

dude what is this ?
the communist party manifesto:bash::nuts:

Dude.. instead of ridiculing it, we should try to see what we can learn from it.

I dont care whether its a commie propaganda or not.

While our didis and dadas never run out blowing up small things into huge election propaganda, the chinese actually implements them, and they earn the right to brag.

I dont mind our politicians running such a propaganda in India. BUT WHERE ARE THE ACTUAL GROUND REALITIES???

So let us all learn from the chinese, their dedication and hard work.. and see how best we can compete with them.

Dude.. instead of ridiculing it, we should try to see what we can learn from it.

I dont care whether its a commie propaganda or not.

While our didis and dadas never run out blowing up small things into huge election propaganda, the chinese actually implements them, and they earn the right to brag.

I dont mind our politicians running such a propaganda in India. BUT WHERE ARE THE ACTUAL GROUND REALITIES???

So let us all learn from the chinese, their dedication and hard work.. and see how best we can compete with them.

it took chinese 30 yrs to reach here we have started in 1999 let us wait 10 more yrs so that we get a flush of funds to use them in building HSR :)

let the IR first concentrate on providing clean toilets, hygienic food, clean stations, trains and on time performance at least for the premium trains. There's no need of them or anyone else to think about HSR or some other fancy stuff.

^^I agree. Let IR provide basic stuff first.

China to Build Rail on India’s Northeastern Border
Oct. 15 – In addition to extending its rail service from Lhasa to Nepal, China also plans to expand its rail line to Nyangtri, a city located right on the border of Arunachal Pradesh.

Most of Arunachal Pradesh is currently claimed by China as a part of South Tibet. Its existing northern border reflects a 1914 treaty held between the United Kingdom and a Tibetan government, but the treaty was not enforced by India until 1950, and has yet to be recognized by the Chinese government at all.

Nyangtri is also where the Brahmaputra, a trans-national river that originates in Tibet, may be diverted northwards by the Chinese.

Strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney told India’s The Economic Times that the rail link to Nyangtri has serious geopolitical implications.

“The building of the railway to this area is significant because of two reasons: China has unveiled plans to construct there the world’s largest dam which will be more than twice bigger than Three Gorges Dam, now the world’s largest dam, and also because it will strengthen China’s rapid military deployment capability in the eastern (Arunachal) sector,” said Chellaney, adding that with the building of this rail way, China will be in a better position to rapidly deploy forces to its western-most territories.http://www.2point6billion.com/news/2010/10/15/china-to-build-rail-on-indias-northeastern-border-7611.html

Source (http://expressbuzz.com/nation/konkan-rly-to-go-for-separate-line-at-ratnagiri/215647.html)
Konkan Rly to go for separate line at Ratnagiri

MUMBAI: The Konkan Railway may go in for constructing a separate Railway line at Nivasar in Ratnagiri at a cost of Rs 100 crore to ward off train blocks during monsoon due to landslides. Konkan Railway Corporation Limited Chairman and Managing Director Bhanu Prakash Tayal said on Friday that a decision on the new track would be decided if the committee consisting of experts from IITs from Mumbai, Kanupur and Rurkala took a favourable decision.


Otherwise, a rail bridge at a cost of `30 crore would be constructed at Nivsar to put an end to the miseries of the train commuters due to land slide every year. “We have already spent around `10 crore for the geological preservation of areas in and around Nivsar. Everything depends on the report of the expert committee. Within a year, a final decision would be taken.”

SKY BUS PROJECT

Tayal made it clear that it would not be viable for the KRCL to undertake the Sky Bus project as envisaged by the corporation earlier though it spent `60 crore already.

“We have invited Expression of Interest for the project. We are ready to enter into a joint venture programme,” Tayal said. He denied that the project as such had been shelved by the company. He said the jobs scheme offered for the displaced families during the land acquisition for the Konkan rail project could not be materialised now.

Source (http://expressbuzz.com/nation/konkan-rly-to-go-for-separate-line-at-ratnagiri/215647.html)
Konkan Rly to go for separate line at Ratnagiri

MUMBAI: The Konkan Railway may go in for constructing a separate Railway line at Nivasar in Ratnagiri at a cost aRs 100 crore to ward off train blocks during monsoon due to landslides. Konkan Railway Corporation Limited Chairman and Managing Director Bhanu Prakash Tayal said on Friday that a decision on the new track would be decided if the committee consisting of experts from IITs from Mumbai, Kanupur and Rurkala took a favourable decision.


Otherwise, a rail bridge at a cost of `30 crore would be constructed at Nivsar to put an end to the miseries of the train commuters due to land slide every year. “We have already spent around `10 crore for the geological preservation of areas in and around Nivsar. Everything depends on the report of the expert committee. Within a year, a final decision would be taken.”

SKY BUS PROJECT

Tayal made it clear that it would not be viable for the KRCL to undertake the Sky Bus project as envisaged by the corporation earlier though it spent `60 crore already.

“We have invited Expression of Interest for the project. We are ready to enter into a joint venture programme,” Tayal said. He denied that the project as such had been shelved by the company. He said the jobs scheme offered for the displaced families during the land acquisition for the Konkan rail project could not be materialised now.

Dude.. instead of ridiculing it, we should try to see what we can learn from it.

I dont care whether its a commie propaganda or not.

While our didis and dadas never run out blowing up small things into huge election propaganda, the chinese actually implements them, and they earn the right to brag.

I dont mind our politicians running such a propaganda in India. BUT WHERE ARE THE ACTUAL GROUND REALITIES???

So let us all learn from the chinese, their dedication and hard work.. and see how best we can compete with them.

It would be better to look at japan or germany. these countries (also democratic) actually developed their own technologies and had the wherewithal to implement. For the most part the chinese have only bought the technologies which were available. The only thing I can credit the chinese is that the were able to put in massive resources behind projects that were important to them and pulled out all stops to get them completed. That of course is easily done under a authoritarian communist set up. In fact bigger democracies like India and USA are finding it increasingly difficult to implement huge infra projects because of competing demands for funds, resources and additional time taken for decision making.
The chinese often take on projects which may not be economically feasible or for the common good, but do so to improve their image in the international community and thereby boost their egos. And in doing so they will not care if their own citizens are rendered homeless or if entire communities are wiped out/translocated in the process. There is no accountability whether all the feel good projects like HSR actually help the common citizen in some way. I dont have much respect ( none at all) for our didis or dadas. But the chinese authorites cannot be respected for pursuing huge projects for personal glory at the cost of the common citizen. The germans, french and japanese come up with their own HSR technology (each one different in its own way) by directing their resources and efforts in creating something novel and at the same time making sure it wasn't at the cost of common people. And Guess what I donot see them bragging abt it. They really donot need to. Every one knows abt it and respects them. The chinese it seems still suffer from some inferiority complex vis-a-vis the west. And they are still trying their best to gain respect. Hence the efforts to build world's fastest this and the world's biggest that, no matter what the human cost.

The country's first air-conditioned double-decker rake comprising 10 coaches rolled out of the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) here today for use on the Howrah-Dhanbad section of the Eastern Railways within the next 15 days.

"These futuristic, high-speed, stainless steel coaches, including two power cars, are comparable with the best international trains," RCF general manager Pradeep Kumar told reporters on the occasion.

The double-decker coaches are being introduced to cater to the heavy rush of commuters in the high-density corridors, offering AC travel at a lower cost. The railway board will decide about the fare of the double-decker train.

Pradeep Kumar said the first double-decker train would start running on the Howrah-Dhanbad section of Eastern Railways after clearance from the commissioner of railway safety.

Kumar said the new-design coaches were capable of running at a speed of 160kph and had been tested at a speed of 180kph.

"RCF in association with Research Development and Standard Organisation (RDSO) Lucknow finalised the design of the double-decker coaches and the first prototype was rolled out for oscillation trials within a record nine months," he said.

Narrating the salient features of the double-decker rake, Kumar said, "These coaches have a carrying capacity of 128 passengers in comparison to 78 passengers in Shatabdi chair cars. There are 54 seats each on the upper and lower decks besides 20 seats at both ends."

The railway board plans to run the next double-decker train on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad section of Western Railway, an RCF source said.

:banana::banana::banana::banana:

What is up with Bengal getting all new trains???

^^
With Image!!! This color is much better looking than the previous "pakistani flag tribute" color IMO!! Jai Ho!!! The Yellow is a bit garish - but she sure looks pretty!!! :D

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8325/foo.png
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101017/biz1.jpg

oh dear God. look at the livery :ohno:

OMG! The colour is :badnews:

"These futuristic, high-speed, stainless steel coaches, including two power cars, are comparable with the best international trains," RCF general manager Pradeep Kumar told reporters on the occasion.


if Germans heard him say this he will probably be sent to the ghettos :jk:

futuristic :rofl:

What is up with Bengal getting all new trains???

does it have anything to with the railway minister??? ;)

^^
Oh Yes! :lol: I even heard Bengal is going to get 1st intercity duronto from Howrah to Digha (2847)

it took chinese 30 yrs to reach here we have started in 1999 let us wait 10 more yrs so that we get a flush of funds to use them in building HSR :)

Yes, maybe U are right.
There are some pics about Chinese railways. I hope you like them.:cheers:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4214910068_e5aec12522_o.jpg

http://railwayfan.net/attachments2/month_1009/1009182215059b3e9e08abd7f0.jpg

http://c.imagehost.org/0792/2841_47508_815100.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx216/davidwei01/2841_46399_430659.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx216/davidwei01/2841_46401_392222.jpg

^^ Just look at their Railway Stations - and compare it against our Sheds and asbestos! Maybe all the tier-1, tier-2 and tier-3 cities, for a start, should be handed completely over to the private sector on a BOOM (Build-Own-Operate-Maintain) basis. That might free up IR to turn its attention to upgrade thousands of other dilapidated stations across the country. Our shoddy station infrastructure + most of our cast iron, grilled-window railway coaches/rakes really gives our railways a sub-saharan image! This is the railway station of our national capital!! Guess the India vs China comparison can not be justified when it comes to IR:

http://anepicadventure.com/images/trainDelhi1%20038.jpg

^^ Just look at their Railway Stations - and compare it against our Sheds and asbestos! Maybe all the tier-1, tier-2 and tier-3 cities, for a start, should be handed completely over to the private sector on a BOOM (Build-Own-Operate-Maintain) basis. That might free up IR to turn its attention to upgrade thousands of other dilapidated stations across the country. Our shoddy station infrastructure + most of our cast iron, grilled-window railway coaches/rakes really gives our railways a sub-saharan image! This is the railway station of our national capital!! Guess the India vs China comparison can not be justified when it comes to UR :



sigma the chinese railway stations are comparable to some old airports in rest of the world and even the airports in China... as i said that we need funds and with Railways profit is just over 1cr... it will take at least 10 more years so that we get enough taxes to fill our kitty(Central Govt.) and have courage to spend it on railways....

thanks henry

Like? I love them man.

^^ More on the insides of the train..

http://static.ibnlive.com/pix/sitepix/10_2010/doubletrain1.jpg

Found a report on the trains features on zeenews. Interior looks ok and the cost per coach is around 2 crore. It will have electronic displays as well.
Poori tarah se "desi technique"...lol.. these reporters...:lol::rofl:

http://www.zeenews.com/video/showvideo8619.html

^^ More on the insides of the train..

http://static.ibnlive.com/pix/sitepix/10_2010/doubletrain1.jpg

it looks better to me... i think picture quality is not clear that is why i am having this feeling :lol:

Alstom Says Sales Growth in India May Outpace Economy on Rail Investment

Alstom SA, the world’s second- largest trainmaker, said Indian sales growth may surpass local economic expansion as the government works on a 14 trillion rupee ($317 billion) plan to expand and modernize railroads.

The company has to be prepared for India growth “which is equal to if not higher than GDP,” Sunand Sharma, 61, Alstom’s local head, said in an Oct. 15 interview at his office in Noida, near New Delhi. He declined to give specific sales numbers.

Alstom, which also makes power-plant systems, expects to eventually get a third of India sales from transportation as the government expands the railroads 10 percent a year to support economic growth. The Paris-based company has been shortlisted with General Electric Co., Bombardier Inc. and Siemens AG as a possible partner in an Indian trainmaking venture and is considering building a rail-car plant in the country.

“India is an opportunity but not without hiccups,” said Jagannadham Thunuguntla, chief strategist at SMC Global Securities Ltd., which manages $100 million in assets in New Delhi. “For companies, it may be better to sacrifice profit margin for scale because whoever comes in now will have first- mover advantage.”

The planned trainmaking venture will produce about 120 electric locomotives a year, according to the rail ministry. Bids have to be submitted by Oct. 25, A.K. Saxena, a ministry spokesman, said by phone Oct. 15 in New Delhi. He declined to say when a decision will be made.

Railway Expansion

Indian Railways, the state-owned rail operator, has proposed to add 25,000 kilometers (15,534 miles) of new lines by 2020, compared with the 10,000 kilometers added in the past six decades, according to the rail ministry. The nation’s economy, Asia’s third-largest, will probably expand at a 9 percent annual pace by the year ending March 2012, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in June.

Alstom may build an Indian rail-car factory after last month winning a 14.7 billion-rupee contract from Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. to supply 168 carriages, Sharma said. He declined to say where the factory may be built or when a decision will be made.

Alstom’s India operations have mainly focused on the power sector to date. Alstom Projects India Ltd., a subsidiary, generated 97 percent of its 20.4 billion rupees of sales in the year ended March from its power division and the rest from transportation, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Alstom has other ventures and businesses in India. Sharma declined to comment on local sales numbers.

Alstom’s power operations may boost India sales to more than 1 billion euros a year from several hundred million euros, Denis Cochet, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Alstom’s power division, said Oct. 12.

The company is building two factories with Pune, India- based Bharat Forge Ltd. that will make equipment for so-called super-critical power plants, which use less energy and generate higher pressure for greater efficiency than traditional plants. The factories will start operations in phases from April 2012, Bharat Forge said in its annual report for the year ended March.

source (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-18/alstom-says-sales-growth-in-india-may-outpace-economy-on-rail-investment.html)

Source (http://business.rediff.com/report/2010/oct/18/human-train-strikes-a-chord.htm)

Human-train strikes a chord

October 18, 2010 10:11 IST

Even Ogilvy & Mather's India chief Piyush Pandey, the veteran of many iconic campaigns, including Vodafone's Zoozoo and Fevicol, felt a little caught out when the Indian Railways got in touch with him sometime in the middle of September.

The demand was straightforward: to produce the first ever television commercial for the Indian Railways for broadcasting during the 2010 Commonwealth Games .

The only problem, however, was that commercials had to be ideated, executed and delivered in just over two weeks. And all of this for less than Rs 2 crore (Rs 20 million).

But as it appears, the commercial has made the best of all constraints, to become one of the most watched on YouTube.

The TVC, just about a week-old, has got more than 45,000 views.

Quite a number -- Idea's Walk When You Talk TVC, which is about a year-old has 34,354 views while the first 3G commercial from Tata DoCoMo got 1,500 views over the past two days.

"The brief was very simple. The Indian Railways is the nerve centre of the country; it is part of the Commonwealth Games; and it touches everyone in the country," says Pandey.
"It is possibly the biggest brand. It employs more people than any other organisation, and generates so many transactions," Pandey explains.

The Indian Railways, after all, is among the largest such networks in the world with over 64,015 route km, a daily ridership of 18 million passengers on 17,000 trains and more than a million employees on its rolls. But it had never aired a commercial of its own.

Railway officials wanted to emphasise on the human aspect of the organisation. Luckily for them, Ogilvy already had an idea waiting.

Sukesh Nayak and Heeral Akhaury of the agency had come up with the concept while working on another brief.

"But that was meant for another, much smaller project. Thank god that project never happened. Every idea has its destiny," adds Pandey.

And destiny meant that Pandey would have to put together a human train of 50-odd people chugging around the backstreets and old buildings of Kolkata [ Images ] to the tune of Ashok Kumar's popular yesteryear number -- Rail Gaadi.

The advertisement reflects the joy of the journey, one that brings a country together, represented by the human-train travelling through diverse settings within a neighbourhood.
At the end of the reel, the Hindi TVC's catch line reads Desh Ka Mel -- Bhartiya Rail, while that of the English version says: "Magic of India -- Indian Railways".

Impact

For Santosh Padhi, chief creative officer and co-founder of TapRoot India, the commercial focuses on the strengths of an organisation that is often at the receiving end of public perceptions.

"The advertisement has used a simple device that connects with people. Somehow, it makes you feel good about the Railways, and you forget about the negative part of it," explains Padhi.

But did the Indian Railways require such a TVC, considering it is effectively a monopoly within the country, and most of those who use the service will continue to do so regardless?

"It is important for government agencies, and public sector undertakings to be doing such advertisements as their public impression is very, very low," says advertising industry veteran Alyque Padamsee.

Execution
The Railways, though, had very little time in which to complete the entire project.

Yet, it is the quality of the result that makes this TVC stand out amongst a number of other deadening commercials, mostly of other public-sector undertakings (PSU), aired during the CWG broadcasts.

"As the lead partner for the CWG, we were given about Rs 15 crore worth of free airtime, which we decided to utilise. But since the games itself had run into rough weather, we were waiting for things to shape up. At the end of August, the CWG told us to hand over the advertisements at the earliest, and that is when we got to work," says a Railway official.

The Indian Railways, subsequently, started the process of ideating and getting approvals. Eventually, the official added, they were only left with the last 10 days of September to actually produce the commercial.

"The project was executed on a single tender, as we had so little time, and we decided to give it to the best guys in the industry," the official explains, adding that the TVC cost under Rs 2 crore (Rs 20 million).

"We were called in pretty late in the day, but we jumped at it because the Railways' is a huge brand. This ad is about the fun of the Railways because everyone has done this (human train) at some point.

"It is about the joy of the Railways which connects India," explains Sneha Iype of Nirvana Films, the production house which executed the film which was shot in Kolkata over just two days.

What next?

But Railway officials are unsure whether this set of commercials will evolve into a full-fledged campaign across mediums. After all, the entity is a PSU.

Ogilvy's Pandey, unsurprisingly, is gunning for more.
"I believe everything you start is a one-off," he said, referring to the beginnings of the award-winning Fevicol campaign 'The Rail advertisement can be a trendsetter for PSUs. It shows that the receiver matters more than the giver.'

Without doubt, the impish human-train commercial is a consummate first for the Indian Railways, but could it force other state-owned firms to revisit their human side?

Oh good lord! The color scheme(yellow in particular) makes me puke. Do these people ever open their eyes to see the reality of the world they live in? They are still living in 1960 era and look at the finishing of the body! I am sure the interiors would have those perforated aluminium/steel sheets for the stairs.

Deeply disappointed with the quality of the work.


:badnews:

Yes, maybe U are right.
There are some pics about Chinese railways. I hope you like them.:cheers:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4214910068_e5aec12522_o.jpg

http://railwayfan.net/attachments2/month_1009/1009182215059b3e9e08abd7f0.jpg

http://c.imagehost.org/0792/2841_47508_815100.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx216/davidwei01/2841_46399_430659.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx216/davidwei01/2841_46401_392222.jpg

Thank you for the pictures. Congratulations to China for transforming your railway system into one of the best in the world. Your railway stations are far superior than some of the praised airports in the world.

:):)

Delete:

Another Canadian Double-decker?

^^
With Image!!! This color is much better looking than the previous "pakistani flag tribute" color IMO!! Jai Ho!!! The Yellow is a bit garish - but she sure looks pretty!!! :D

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/8325/foo.png
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101017/biz1.jpg

^^I first thought this was the effect of poor photoshopping, but then reality stuck:nuts: For something which is one of the kind for IR, the color is simply trash. Miss Momota should have lent her artistic skills here like was the case with duronto and yuva trains.

Yes, maybe U are right.
There are some pics about Chinese railways. I hope you like them.:cheers:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4214910068_e5aec12522_o.jpg

http://railwayfan.net/attachments2/month_1009/1009182215059b3e9e08abd7f0.jpg

http://c.imagehost.org/0792/2841_47508_815100.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx216/davidwei01/2841_46399_430659.jpg

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx216/davidwei01/2841_46401_392222.jpg

Chinese railway is good. all trains ar Airconditioned
These are pretty pictures but I have traveled in chinese trains and I can tell you they have number of problems .
1> These pretty pictures are only a very small part of their train system and cost is very expensive.

2> They have no online booking of tickets.

3> They run very few trains and most of the seats are sittin even for a 15-20 hour journey . They even sell standing tickets for these journey. So the trains become very very crowded !! So the starting price of tickets is around 100RMB for a 6-700 km journey !! that is 800 rupees !! and it is their lowest priced ticket !!

So guys even though IR has many problems and it needs to improve immensely it does provide a very cheap transport for most of the people in country actually even the poorest can travel a lot in railways which is not happening in China !!

Stop comparing with CHina .. no one questions them their .. cost of project , tickets are all at the whim of the party and the HSR there has more to do with showoff and nationalism than providing transport !!! :ohno:

Anyways all said .. I would love to have a more efficient IR running some HSR soon :P

TELEGRAPH (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101019/jsp/frontpage/story_13073603.jsp)
Rail tests out male stewards before hostesses
R. SURYAMURTHY

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1101019/images/19commonwealth.jpg
The Taj Commonwealth Express

Agra, Oct. 18: Air hostesses, be prepared for competition from Earth.

If everything works out according to plan, train passengers could soon be pampered with some “comforts of an aeroplane” — including hot meals served on trolleys pushed by rail hostesses.

“We are trying to match up to the air-travel experience by improving the quality of services,” a railway official said.

The plan to introduce hostesses on trains took shape after the Indian Railways, the lead sponsor of the Commonwealth Games, experimented with food trolleys when it played host to athletes and officials from participating nations on trips to the Taj Mahal.

The two-hour journey on the Taj Commonwealth Express, from Delhi’s Safdarjung station to Agra, saw male attendants in black sherwanis and red turbans serve a mix of Indian and western fare.

Sources said the trolley service had got the thumbs-up from the athletes and the officials and the railways now planned to introduce it with hostess on select Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.

“The safety and security of the rail hostess will be uppermost when they are introduced in a phased manner on short-distance luxury trains and select prestigious trains. They will be deployed on those trains where the trolley service will be introduced,” said an official. “The idea is to offer all the comforts of an aeroplane and make the train journey a memorable experience.”

Kenyan John Eriku Kelai, who won the men’s marathon gold, said the hospitality on the Taj Commonwealth Express was “superb”. “The food on board the train was good, clean and neatly packed.”

Malaysian athletes Nor Iryani and Azim Azami said it was a “wonderful trip” that added “spice” to the Games.

Jamaican athlete Jomovcy Arummy Victoria was “mesmerised” by the Taj and thanked the railways for arranging the trip. “I have seen ancient buildings in Greece and the Great Wall of China. At the Commonwealth Games 2010, my dream to see the Taj came true.”

The railways ran the express — a brand new train vinyl-wrapped in Commonwealth colours on the outside — under an arrangement with the Games organising committee. Beginning October 6, the train made eight trips and carried 2,928 athletes and officials from the participating nations. With a seating arrangement of three chairs on one side and two on the other, the food trolley had enough space to move.

“We have received proposals to continue the train as a commercial venture, especially for foreign tourists. We are thinking of taking up the proposal with the railway board,” said Northern Railway chief commercial manager P.K. Goel.

2> They have no online booking of tickets.

Hey thanks for this piece of info on the reservation system. I didn't know that the Chinese Railways didn't have a centralized ticketing system. This means you cannot usually book your onward journey tickets until you reach the destination which could be the reason why they have to sell standing tickets as well.

But regards the cost of traveling HSR, I think it would be slightly higher than the our 2nd Tier A/C fares for the distance. If and when IR does have HSR, I am sure it will be the cheapest in the world... thats one thing Indians know how to do best. :banana:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T0ySjZTCUY

it looks better to me... i think picture quality is not clear that is why i am having this feeling :lol:



Youtube video of the double decker!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T0ySjZTCUY)

they should have changed the steps of the stairs. they look awful. look like of the container ship

RCF seeks Rs 150 crore from Railway Ministry

In order to enhance its manufacturing capacity of stainless steel coaches, Kapurthala-based Rail Coach Factory (RCF), a production unit of the Railway Ministry, has written to the ministry seeking Rs 150 crore for upgradation of technology and infrastructure. With fresh capital infusion the unit would be able to produce 1,000 coaches per annum against 458 coaches (targeted) in this fiscal year. Presently, majority of the coaches are made from conventional steel i.e cotton steel or mild steel.

Talking exclusively to Business Standard, RCF General Manager Pradeep Kumar said, "We have written to the ministry for funding the new project which includes enhancing the capacity of stainless steel coaches to 1,000 units per annum. This year we are targeting to produce 1,600 coaches, out of the total 458 would be of stainless steel."

It is worth mentioning that from a modest beginning, RCF has achieved various milestones and has now become one of the largest coach manufacturing units in the world. As of now, it has manufactured more than 22,000 coaches, which represent almost 50 per cent of the coaching fleet of Indian Railways. RCF is now producing more than 1,500 coaches per annum, comprising of more than 70 variants including stainless steel high speed coaches for trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi & Duronto Express. Further, in order to improve the safety of passengers, crashworthy coaches have also been produced here, which are capable of absorbing high impact energy in non-passenger area of a coach at its ends, while keeping the middle passenger portion safe. Last year, it manufacture 1,562 coaches and this year it is targeting to produce 1,600 coaches of different variants.

In order to cater to the growing demand from Railways, recently it has enhanced its production capacity from 1,000 coaches to 1,500 coaches per annum with an investment of Rs 100 crore. Further, the wheel shop project having capacity to produce wheels for 6,000 wheels per annum with an investment of Rs 60 crore is partly operational and likely to be fully operational in next 2-3 months.

Commenting upon export, he mentioned, "We have an order of 4 sets of 16 Diesel Electric Multiple Units (DEMU) coaches from Senegal besides 6 coaches for West Africa."

On Saturday, Indian Railways rolled out its first air conditioned Double Decker rake, comprising of 10 coaches (8 double deckers and 2 power cars). This rake has been offered to Eastern Railways for running between Howrah and Dhanbad. These high speed-stainless steel coaches are capable to run at a speed of 160 kmph. These coaches have 128 passenger carrying capacity in comparison to 78 passengers in Shatabdi chair car, thus increasing the capacity. Overall, RCF had order of 13 Double Decker coaches and 3 power cars, the reamaining coaches and power car would be supplied very soon.

http://sify.com/finance/rcf-seeks-rs-150-crore-from-railway-ministry-news-equity-kktbF2ibfdg.html

Youtube video of the double decker!! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T0ySjZTCUY)

thanks

WOW!! i must say IR level has increased a lot.....

Source (http://www.thefinancialexpress-bd.com/more.php?news_id=115237&date=2010-10-20)

A Bangladesh-India joint railway team has finalised the alignment of Dhaka-Agartola rail line and recommended construction of 10-kilometre tract from Akhaura to Agartola.

The joint team of Bangladesh Railway and Indian Railway Board conducted a survey on both sides of the 214.5 km route during August- September and submitted its report to the respective authorities recently.

The Bangladesh report was sent to the communications ministry today (Tuesday) for the prime minister's approval, officials said.

They said the team will further work on details of the alignment including cost of establishing the goods train service after getting the approval.

The joint team was formed in line with the communiqué on establishment of new rail service between Bangladesh and the landlocked Indian state of Tripura during the Bangladesh Prime Minister's visit to India in January.

They said the team recommended establishment of 5-km new track from Akhaura rail station to Bangladesh border and 5-km in Indian side to reach Agartola as there is no line.

But it recommended construction of double line from Akhaura to Gangasagar station in the Bangladesh part as the BR has programme to upgrade the Dhaka-Chittagong rail line to double track.

Under the double line programme, BR has already constructed double line from Dhaka to Tongi and opened tender to construct the line upto Bhairab under its Dhaka-Chittagong double line upgradation programme.

It has also double track from Ashuganj to Akhaura, the officials added.

Other recommendations submitted by the team include establishing interchange point for checking the goods train on Agartola side and loopline at Imambari station for easy traffic movement.

PMC's metro rail plan gets state approval

The Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) proposal to build a metro rail has been endorsed by the state government. The government officials on Monday said that the proposal cannot be stayed as demanded by corporator Ujwal Keskar.

The comments came during a hearing in Mumbai on Monday on the mucu-debated metro proposal. While Keskar had asked the government for a stay on the proposal, urban development secretary Manukumar Shrivastav said that there is no such need.

Municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade and additional city engineer Shrinivas Bonala (in-charge of traffic and transportation) were also present for the hearing. In the discussion that followed the hearing, government offficials said that the technical and financial feasibility aspects of the project will be looked into.

Senior government officials said that the review of the detailed project report of the metro is part of the routine for any mega project. Not only would the state government look into the details of the project, the Union government too would examine it and may ask the corporation to make amendments if necessary, the officials said.

Keskar had approached the state government demanding that the general body (GB) resolution to approve the metro project should be stayed as it was not tabled before the GB before seeking approval. Keskar also claimed that changes were made in the original detailed project report (DPR) and new routes were added later.

Keskar said, "The state officials said they can issue directive to the PMC regarding the project. I will now approach the chief minister demanding cancellation of the project."

The PMC has resolved to build a metro railway on the proposed route from Vanaz to Ramwadi at the cost of Rs 2,281 crore (including taxes). The PMC plans to contribute 10 per cent, avail 40 per cent from the state and Centre and garner the rest from private players.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had recommended that its model for a metro railway be incorporated jointly in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. The DMRC also suggested that a company be formed to run the project. TNN

After much delay, project to finally be implemented

It’s been three years since the high-speed Mumbai-Nagpur Maglev train was proposed, but it hasn’t taken off yet. Now, the Indian Railways are holding joint conference as part of the International Union of Railways with countries such as France, Korea, US and China and where high-speed trains exists.
The railways are looking at ways to help them implement high-speed train corridors, which would enable trains to run at more than 250 km per hour.

In May, the state government had selected a German consulting firm, Vossing, which has given a green signal in its pre-feasibility report.

As per the proposal, high-speed trains will take around three hours to cover this 850 km stretch, instead of 14 hours.

“The high-speed corridors should be tailor-made for each city as per their needs,” said chairman of Railway Board, Vivek Sahai.

The railways are also planning to bifurcate these corridors in three phases of up to 500km, 500-1500km and above 1500km.

RN Verma, general manager of Western Railway said a full proof and guaranteed security solution would be required in cities like Mumbai, which are vulnerable to terror attacks.

The officials also feel that the high cost of implementation is one of the major reason for slow progress of high-speed corridors.

Eight months ago even the Railway minister Mamata Banerjee had proposed six high-speed rail corridors covering cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad in the Rail Budget.

Early this month Banerjee was also invited by to attend an international conference on high-speed rail system.



source (http://www.hindustantimes.com/After-much-delay-project-to-finally-be-implemented/Article1-615686.aspx)

:nuts: DPR in 3 yrs... funding in 2yrs..... land acquisition in 5 yrs.... construction finish in 7 yrs..... opening after trial runs 3yrs....... so we will be ready for our first HSR in 2030 :banana: :cheers:

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/On-the-table--mega-deals-in-defence-and-railways/700502

An American company is set to bag a Rs 30,000-crore project to build locomotives for the Indian Railways, a much-delayed mega-deal that is likely to be catalysed by the visit of President Barack Obama next month.

Bids to be opened in December ...

i wonder how many pockets get filled up to "catalyse" the deals

More Pics on the interiors of the double decker!!!
http://img.techpowerup.org/101019/bta9497.jpg

Thats not a permanent carpet, I hope.

It's just a cover. There is no carpet. Theres a stainless steel floor i think

The floor may be a pvc based flooring as is normally used in other IR trains. Have a look at the older shots, they seem to be using a light gray material.

They should get rid of the corrugated stainless steel in the trains and start using vinyl or rubberized pvc flooring everywhere. The corrugated stainless steel floors on our trains collect dirt and look dirty after few days and not to say looks tacky these days.

Want a train ticket? Get it anywhere - IT booking for district headquarters

All district headquarters across the Northeast will soon have an IT-enabled passenger reservation system.

Developed by the Centre for Railway Information System, New Delhi, the reservation system is part of the countrywide network for computerised enhanced reservation and ticketing.

This system connects all ticket issuing centres across the country through a computer-aided network. Each of these centres facilitates buying tickets on any train running in the country.

“With the application of the reservation system, a person can buy journey tickets even from a reservation centre miles away from his or her originating station. The system is also linked to the Internet to enable passengers to buy tickets online through the Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation website,” said a Northeast Frontier Railway source.

The source said at present 156 reservation centres were being operated under the Northeast Frontier Railway at different locations, including interior places of the region and in mountainous areas like Thegu in Sikkim and 20 more reservation centres will be commissioned in the current financial year.

Some of the centres are being operated in collaboration with state governments while others are operated by India Post.

Many reservation centres have been commissioned at non-rail head locations just to provide reservation facilities to the people of this region.

The NFR is also commissioning more unreserved ticketing system, which facilitates issuing tickets faster using computers.

So far 24 unreserved ticketing systems have been commissioned and the NFR is planning 30 more such facilities within the current financial year, the statement added.

Through the unreserved ticketing system passengers can buy tickets at any convenient time three days before the departure of a train if the travel distance is more than 200km. However, this facility is available for unreserved tickets only.

This system will be developed further to make it possible to dispense tickets from hand-held ticketing devices provided to the TTEs on the trains, self-operated touch screen kiosks and smart card-based automatic vending machines. The Telegraph

Source: HT

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4207/ht2p.jpg

Rlys to manufacture 5500 HP diesel locos

Aiming at transforming the freight movement by carrying more minerals at a higher speed, the Indian Railways have decided to manufacture 5500 horsepower (HP) diesel locomotive.

Designed jointly by the US based Electro Motive Diesel (EMD) and the Railways, the high power state of the art locomotive will be manufactured at the Diesel Locomotive Works at Varanasi.

"There is a need to have 5500 HP locomotives for faster movement of freight trains with more loading. Currently, we have 4500 HP diesel locomotives," said a senior railway ministry official.

Considered to be a significant enhancement over the existing high horsepower diesel locomotives, the new types will be known as WDG5 locomotive.

"The WDG5 locomotive equipped with electric fuel injection and radial girds will run 90 km per hour as against the 75 km per hour speed of existing diesel locomotive," said the official.

However, the 5500 HP locomotives are meant to carry minerals like iron ore and coal only.


"We need the higher horse power locomotives for heavy haulage and the WDG5 will be used specifically for carrying minerals," said the official.

Currently, the railways have a fleet of more than 4000 diesel locomotives of different horse power. The Railways will roll out a limited number of 5500 HP locomotives in the first phase.

"There will be 10 high power locomotives at first and later on we will increase the number," the official said.

New locos are being designed to be crew friendly with air-conditioned cabin and toilet, a first for Indian Railways fleet. These locomotives are also expected to run on the proposed dedicated freight corridor.

source (http://sify.com/finance/rlys-to-manufacture-5500-hp-diesel-locos-news-industry-kkyqCafjaha.html)

Plan panel says Railways slowing down on its track

The Indian Railways is not moving with the changing times — at least that is what the Planning Commission’s analysis of its performance indicates. Expressing serious concern over its poor investment track record — both public and private sector — the Plan panel has now sharply lowered its investment projection for the Railways by over 23 per cent to Rs 2,00,802 crore in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007-08 to 2011-12) as against the earlier projection of Rs 2,61,808 crore.

In a note for the Economic Editors Conference that commences Monday, the Plan panel has said that with the aam aadmi transport lifeline of the country facing a massive fund crunch, the government would have to soon sit down and devise new mechanisms to keep its wheels moving. “As per the latest estimates, private investment is likely to bring in Rs 8,316 crore, which is only 16.5 per cent of the original projections. The projected investment, in railways, including metro railways, in the Eleventh Plan is now expected to be about Rs 2,00,803 crore which is 23.3 per cent lower than the earlier projection of Rs 2,61,808 crore. Both central and private investments are below projections,” it said painting a grim picture for the future.

Though the Railways have opened up container movement to competition and granted concessions to 16 entities for operating trains, progress in awarding Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects has been slow. “The Commission has asked the Railway Ministry to speed up awarding other projects on rendering 50 stations world-class besides expediting the 60-km elevated Mumbai Rail corridor to be implemented through the PPP mode. These projects need to be expedited to improve the capacity and quality of services,” it suggested.

Giving a policy prescription to the monolith to improve its lot, the Plan panel has said that it ought to encourage construction of Dedicated Freight Corridors on high density roads to meet the projected demand of freight traffic and mobilize resources by undertaking tariff reforms. “The railways should mobilize resources through optimal mix of internal funds, borrowing, private participation and multilateral financing. It could consider raising moneys through better debt, equity and asset management besides using the PPP model to mobilise additional resources and induct the efficiencies of the private sector,” the Planning Commission suggested.

Asking the railways to adopt new accounting system in line with internationally acceptable accounting principles, the country’s apex planning body said the monolith should try and reduce cross-subsidising passenger fares and between fares of passenger and freight, rationalising passenger and freight tariff through establishment of Rail Tariff Regulatory Authority. The Railways could consider “corporatising manufacturing and maintenance of rolling stock and outsourcing of other activities like catering, production of coaches, wagons and locomotives,” it pointed out.


source (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/plan-panel-says-railways-slowing-down-on-its-track/701259/2)

CONCOR to approach SEZ panel for land

Container Corporation of India Ltd (CONCOR), functioning under the aegis of the Ministry of Railways, will approach the special economic zone committee seeking land to set up a multi-model logistics park at the hi-tech SEZ in Sriperumpudur — a first-of-its kind facility in South India.


Briefing media at the annual award function of CONCOR southern region here on Saturday, Anil K Gupta, MD, said 50 acres of land would be required for setting up the logistics park. “Industries situated in the SEZ can utilise the facility for transporting goods from one part of the nation to another. Initially, road links will be used for moving goods from Sriperumpudur to the railway station and a rail link will directly extend to the SEZ,” he added.

Ajith Kumar Patnaik, chief operations manager, Southern Railways, said steps were afoot to make the Attipattu andChennai Beach Road four-laned.

http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/concor-to-approach-sez-panel-for-land/217629.html

Bombardier unit says evaluating 3 Indian rail projects

Bombardier Transportation, the Berlin-based trainmaking unit of Bombardier Inc (BBDb.TO: Quote) is evaluating bidding for three Indian railway projects, its India managing director said on Monday.

These are the Dankuni locomotive project in West Bengal, Madhepura in Bihar, and Kanchrapara EMU project, Rajeev Jyoti, told reporters.

He did not disclose the financial details of the projects.

Bombardier Transportation, with operations in 35 countries, is the world's leading train maker, and supplies Metro cars to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which runs the New Delhi Metro.

http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCATRE69O1N420101025

Found this:

AC double-decker train from Jharkhand to start soon
Ranchi, Oct 22 (IANS) An air-conditioned double-decker train will soon start from Dhanbad in Jharkhand to West Bengal capital Kolkata, a rail official said Friday.

'The fully air-conditioned double-decker train will start soon from Dhanbad to Kolkata. The coaches of the train have already arrived,' Dhanbad railway division Public Relations Officer Amrendra Kumar told IANS.

'The dates will be announced soon. A decision on the fare rates will also be taken soon,' Kumar said.

He said the journey will take four hours time.

The double-decker train service known as Coalfield Express used to ply between Dhanbad and Kolkata till 1997. The service was stopped as the double-decker coaches were not manufactured in India, Kumar said.

The mass production of double-decker coaches is now taking place in Kapurthala in Punjab.


and



Double-decker AC trains from Howrah

KOLKATA: Amidst derailments and technical snags bugging the railways, a whiff of fresh breath came with news that Eastern Railway (ER) was likely to run a fully air-conditioned double-decker rake between Howrah and Dhanbad soon.

The first fully AC double-decker rake rolled out of the Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, on Sunday and was expected to reach Howrah in the next few days.

"A single double-decker coach has reached Kolkata station. However, this will not be used by us. The train that we propose to use will have a different colour scheme. We have still not fixed a date when the train will start running. It may be flagged off in the next few days," a senior ER official said.

The rake has 10 coaches (including two power cars). The stainless steel coaches have been designed to cater to high-density corridors where the railways is planning to introduce affordable AC travel.

The coaches can run at a top speed of 160 km per hour. Their carrying capacity is 128 passengers (conventional coaches carry 78). RCF, in association with Research Designs and Standards Organisation, Lucknow, finalised the design of these coaches and rolled out the first prototype within nine months on March 31, 2010.

"There is no need to make any major alteration in overhead equipment or permanent structures. The double-decker coaches are only 116 mm higher than conventional coaches. The coaches have features like aesthetically pleasing stainless-steel bodies, air-spring suspensions and a number of safety-related features. The chairs have been provided in a face-to-face format to ensure that passengers travelling in groups can enjoy the ride. The upholstery is fire-retardant," the official said.

Once the rake becomes popular between Howrah and Dhanbad, the railways will run more such trains along short distances. They can't be run beyond a 500-km stretch as there are no sleeper facilities on board.

The fare structure will also be reviewed. It is possible that AC trips between Howrah and Dhanbad will get cheaper once the rake becomes operational.

Many years ago, ER used to attach non-AC double-decker coaches to the Howrah-Dhanbad Black Diamond Express. This practice was discontinued after passengers who got seats in the upper decks complained of discomfort. Officials believe that there will be no such problems with the AC coaches.

Read more: Double-decker AC trains from Howrah - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Double-decker-AC-trains-from-Howrah/articleshow/6783432.cms#ixzz13WVdj2h0


Source : Double Decker Clicky (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Double-decker-AC-trains-from-Howrah/articleshow/6783432.cms)

^^ Didi's all out trying to wrench the West Bengal from the Commies!!
Unfortunately it has a gotcha : Time to rename Indian Railways to West Bengal Railways! :D

^^ Didi's all out trying to wrench the West Bengal from the Commies!!
Unfortunately it has a gotcha : Time to rename Indian Railways to West Bengal Railways! :D

i think mamata bengal railways is the best :bash:

Indian Railways team interacts with Karnataka industrialists

The Railway Coach Factory being set up at Rai Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh has plans to source INR 1,500 to INR 2,000 crore worth of industrial materials annually.

In an effort to create dedicated vendor base, officials led by Mr Alok Johri chief administrative officer toured and interacted with the members of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The team visited some units at Belur Industrial Area, Dharwad and also interacted with a few micro and small enterprises located at Hubli and Dharwad, namely the Darwad industrial valves cluster and Dharwad implements and tractor trailer cluster.

Indian Railways is setting up a Railway Coach Factory at Rai Bareli at a cost of INR 16,000 crore.

Mr Johri addressing the members of KCCI at Hubli said that the Railways is planning to create a dedicated vendor base for regular supplies. He added that “We need steady supply of materials to take up construction of modern railway coaches. Hence, we are here to explore creating a dedicated vendor base.”

During interactions with the visiting railway officials, Mr MC Hiremath president of KCCI said that the industrialists of Hubli-Dharwad region were not in a position to supply the materials to South Western Railways at competitive rates due to steep sales tax of 13.5% in the State. Sales tax in other States is around 2%.

Mr RK Aherwar controller of stores of SWR, Hubli, interacted on behalf of SWR. With regard to the proposal of the Railway Coach Factory to develop dedicated vendor base, Mr Hiremath said that “This is a good opportunity for the industrialists of north Karnataka.” SteelGuru

Mamata moots smart debit card for railways

After the experiments of smart card in Mumbai suburban trains, Indian Railways is working on a similar passenger friendly facility to be availed across the country.

This was announced by Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee while addressing journalists during the annual Economic Editors’ Conference here. “The Railways has held talks with O P Bhatt, Chairman State Bank of India. The concept is still in a preliminary stage. We want the smart card linked to bank account or refill type, which could be used for purchase of ticket to be used across different modes of rail transport,” Vivek Sahai, chairman, Railway Board told reporters.

Sahai said the Railways was also engaged in talks with other banks for the implementation of smart-debit card for train travel.

The railway card, called the Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM) card, has been a hit with Mumbai’s seven million commuters, and has been extensively used by new and existing commuters.

According experts smart card will track down nefarious movements and activities, as they will be issued only after verifying the authenticity of the details provided by the commuter.

Recently Martin Schroeder, Chief Engineer, American Public Transportation Association, Washington DC who was in India said such a SmartCard can be used for all traveling needs, such as travel by bus, local trains, Metro Rail Mono Rail, toll payment, parking etc. ‘’Smartcards must be made available at many more strategic locations. This will help reduce long queues at the ticket vending machines at the stations ," he said. expressbuzz.com

KOLKATA: Consider the possibility of living in a flat next to the Haldi river in Haldia and being able to commute to Kolkata in less time than it takes people from Barrackpore or Barasat to travel to the city. The railways' bullet train' plans are back on track and this time round, the West Bengal government has agreed to bear 50% of the cost of the pre-feasibility study for the 135-km high-speed corridor.

In a document released on Wednesday during a two-day conference of economic editors, the ministry of railways stated that six high-speed corridors have been identified for pre-feasibility studies. These are Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar (450 km), Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad (650 km), Hyderabad-Dornakal-Vijaywada-Chennai (664 km), Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulum (649 km), Howrah-Haldia (135 km) and Delhi-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi-Patna (991 km).

According to the report, the governments of West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Punjab, Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have given their concurrence to share the cost of consultancy on a 50:50 basis. A commitment from Tamil Nadu is awaited.

While a section of railway officials believes it is wishful thinking on the part of the ministry, others say it is possible to run trains at speeds of 200 kmph or more, provided the tracks are protected and sufficient power is supplied. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, is already working on a project to help Indian Railways run high-speed trains.

"The Rajdhanis already run at 130 kmph along certain stretches. Today, high-speed tracks and rakes are readily available. However, the faster a train runs, the more power it draws. This is something that has to be taken care of. The entire stretch of tracks will have to be protected. Even a cow wandering onto the tracks in front of a speeding train can have calamitous results. The project should take some more time but is certainly feasible," a senior official said.

From the state government's point of view, high-speed connectivity to Haldia would give the industrial township in East Midnapore a much-needed push. Though highways have developed over the past few years, it still takes anything between two and a half to three hours to reach Haldia by road. The highways in Bengal pass through densely populated areas and uninterrupted movement of traffic is not possible, even if the road surface is of international standard.

"Many people have complained to us that in states like Gujarat, it takes about an hour to cover 135 km. This may not be possible in West Bengal, even after work on NH-41 is completed. We had a catamaran service between Kolkata and Haldia. This had its own problems and had to be discontinued. A high-speed rail corridor may be the only solution," a senior state government official said.

Railway officials said bids have already been invited to select a consultant who will conduct the pre-feasibility study for the high-speed corridor between Howrah and Haldia.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6831935.cms

KAPURTHALA: Passengers in Shatabadi and Rajdhani Express trains will have a more comfortable journey since tight lock couplers , imported from Sweden, will be installed in the coaches to contain jerks during travel.
Rail Coach Factory general manager Pardeep Kumar on Thursday said the factory has received the first consignment for 20 coaches. The couplers will be fitted to the new coaches.
These couplers were tested by the Research Development and Standard Organization in Sweden and produced satisfactory results, Kumar said in Kapurthala.
Kumar said the jerks occurred due to the number of coaches attached to the engine of a train. This was a problem faced by railways across the world.
The RCF has also placed a global tender for bio-toilets for clean and environment-friendly railway station and tracks.
Nine foreign companies have placed their bids for the tender, he said.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/Now-expect-lesser-jerks-on-Shatabdi-Rajdhani/articleshow/6829922.cms

KAPURTHALA: Passengers in Shatabadi and Rajdhani Express trains will have a more comfortable journey since tight lock couplers , imported from Sweden, will be installed in the coaches to contain jerks during travel.
Rail Coach Factory general manager Pardeep Kumar on Thursday said the factory has received the first consignment for 20 coaches. The couplers will be fitted to the new coaches.
These couplers were tested by the Research Development and Standard Organization in Sweden and produced satisfactory results, Kumar said in Kapurthala.
Kumar said the jerks occurred due to the number of coaches attached to the engine of a train. This was a problem faced by railways across the world.
The RCF has also placed a global tender for bio-toilets for clean and environment-friendly railway station and tracks.
Nine foreign companies have placed their bids for the tender, he said.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/Now-expect-lesser-jerks-on-Shatabdi-Rajdhani/articleshow/6829922.cms


When I first read JERKS - I thought they meant MORONS!
Guess the Chain Pullers and Station Hoppers will continue to have a field day until they remove those pesky chains from the rakes!!

This is good news though - the silly Hole in the Ground toilets have been the cause of amusement and disgust for decades!!

Rlys, NTPC sign MoU for power project

On a day the railway minister laid bare her electoral dreams in Bankura, she also headed for Purulia where an MoU was signed between the railway ministry and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for a 1,320 MW super- critical power project at Adra on Sunday.
The railways is in the process of reclaiming land it had temporarily leased out to the state forest department for 1. While NTPC will make the investment, equity sharing between the power major and railways will be in the ratio of 74:26. The project is expected to be completed by June 2015 at a cost of around 8,000 crore. Mamata Banerjee, however, urged officials to try and complete the project in three years.
“The environmental impact analysis for the power plant is being carried out and should be ready within a week. We shall start seeking necessary clearances after that. This project will use super-critical technology and the railways will be saving 1 per unit consumed,” said Sudesh Kumar, member (electrical), Railway Board.
Banerjee called the MoU a great event for the state and the country. She spoke of her plans to develop Bankura and Purulia as tourism hubs.
“This joint venture project will be a pride of the nation. It is good that a public sector unit like NTPC has joined hands with the railways. I have also come to know that the Steel Authority of India Ltd has shown interest in participating in the refrigerated wagon manufacturing unit planned at Budge Budge,” Banerjee said. TNN

KAPURTHALA: Passengers in Shatabadi and Rajdhani Express trains will have a more comfortable journey since tight lock couplers , imported from Sweden, will be installed in the coaches to contain jerks during travel.
Rail Coach Factory general manager Pardeep Kumar on Thursday said the factory has received the first consignment for 20 coaches. The couplers will be fitted to the new coaches.
These couplers were tested by the Research Development and Standard Organization in Sweden and produced satisfactory results, Kumar said in Kapurthala.
Kumar said the jerks occurred due to the number of coaches attached to the engine of a train. This was a problem faced by railways across the world.
The RCF has also placed a global tender for bio-toilets for clean and environment-friendly railway station and tracks.
Nine foreign companies have placed their bids for the tender, he said.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/Now-expect-lesser-jerks-on-Shatabdi-Rajdhani/articleshow/6829922.cms

thats indeed good news :cheers:

Railways to introduce dual cab passenger locomotive

In some good news to loco drivers, the railways have decided to introduce cabins at both ends of a diesel locomotive to enable them with better range of view, speed and operation. "The trial of the dual cabin system is going on and will be put into operation for passenger trains once it gets the certification from the Commissioner Railway Safety," said a senior Railway Ministry official.

At present, the diesel locos with 4500 HP for passenger trains are equipped with a single driver cabin at the front side of the engine.

"Drivers face difficulties in viewing the signals while running the train in opposite direction," said the official adding "the rear-end drive constraints the driver to speed up beyond 110 km per hour."

The new design, named WDP4D, overcomes speed limitation by providing two cabins for driver and crew-friendly features such as LCD screen displays among others.

"The new locomotive is capable of running at more than 130 km speed in both directions and thus fulfilling the needs for increasing speed of the passengers trains," he said. Hindustan Times

Govt steel companies pitch for big Railways projects

It will mean assured offtake for SAIL, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam. Public-public partnership is the new business model for the Indian Railways. While Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) is looking to participate in the railways’ wagon, diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU) and railway track projects, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) is at an advanced stage of discussions for a wheel and axle factory.

“Steel accounts for 40 per cent in a wagon,” SAIL Chairman C S Verma told Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee while making a pitch for the Kanchrapara and Dankuni projects, on the sidelines of an event that marked the commencement of work for Bengal Wagon Industry at Kulti.

Bengal Wagon Industry, the 50-50 joint venture between Rites and SAIL, would be equipped to handle 1,500 wagons a year. SAIL will provide 12 acres inside SAIL Growth Works, Kulti, on long-term lease. The project cost is envisaged to be around Rs 85 crore in the first phase, going up to Rs 120 crore in the second.

SAIL may not be able to enter the race for Kanchrapara or Dankuni, both of which have shortlisted global companies, or the wheel and axle factory at Jalpaiguri, which has roped in RINL; but Sankrail and Andal may go SAIL’s way. Andal will have a wagon factory for the dedicated freight corridor and Sankrail will house DEMU.

“Partnership with public sector companies is mutually beneficial. It will avoid sensitive issues like land. The private sector has been showing selective interest in projects and it’s also laborious and time consuming,” a railway board member said.

The first phase of the Kulti project is expected to be commissioned within 14 months.

For PSUs like SAIL and RINL, it would mean an assured offtake. “An assured offtake is better than gold,” the railway board member added.

“I am looking forward to the day when the steel industry in India will be in a position to meet all the requirements of the railways,” Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh said while addressing the gathering.

“Steel, coal and railways will together determine the development of this region,” Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

Acvcording to the Indian Railways’ Vision 2020 document, the projected requirement of wagons is around 29,000 vehicle units per year. The existing facilities in private and public sector railways-owned units stands at around 15,000.

SAIL was open to more collaborations, like the Bengal Wagon Industry, to meet all the future needs of the nation, Verma told the gathering.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/govt-steel-companies-pitch-for-big-railways-projects/413269/

Didi is nothing doing. It is just political stunt. The state will be developed if privite industries comes. In all bengal railway industries, bengal people willl get only group D posts. is it sufficient in this new generation? finally bengal will remain at the same level of growth. if another railway minister comes what will happen to these west bengal projects?

Didi is nothing doing. It is just political stunt. The state will be developed if privite industries comes. In all bengal railway industries, bengal people willl get only group D posts. is it sufficient in this new generation? finally bengal will remain at the same level of growth. if another railway minister comes what will happen to these west bengal projects?

^^If Miss Momota becomes CM, then she and her party will lobby hard with the govt to ensure a central TMC minister is elected to the post of RM. ;)

KAPURTHALA: Passengers in Shatabadi and Rajdhani Express trains will have a more comfortable journey since tight lock couplers , imported from Sweden, will be installed in the coaches to contain jerks during travel.
Rail Coach Factory general manager Pardeep Kumar on Thursday said the factory has received the first consignment for 20 coaches. The couplers will be fitted to the new coaches.
These couplers were tested by the Research Development and Standard Organization in Sweden and produced satisfactory results, Kumar said in Kapurthala.
Kumar said the jerks occurred due to the number of coaches attached to the engine of a train. This was a problem faced by railways across the world.
The RCF has also placed a global tender for bio-toilets for clean and environment-friendly railway station and tracks.
Nine foreign companies have placed their bids for the tender, he said.

Source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/transportation/railways/Now-expect-lesser-jerks-on-Shatabdi-Rajdhani/articleshow/6829922.cms

^^ If I remember correctly, the need for bio friendly toilets and the revamp of the garbage mechanism was proposed when Lalu was the RM; it is sad that nothing has happened on the ground so far. Cleanliness inside the trains along with better maintenance of stations and tracks will help building the image of the nation as far as "cleanliness factor is concerned.
Some IIT students..i think Kharagpur designed green toilets..can IR not commercialize that?

Texmaco, Bombardier may join hands

K K Birla group engineering firm Texmaco is likely to form a consortium with Canadian railway giant Bombardier in order to bid for the proposed railway engine component project at Dankuni in West Bengal. Sources in the railways ministry said that Texmaco has already spoken to them for a possible tie-up with Bombardier for the project.
According to sources, besides Texmaco-Bombardier consortium, a host of global engineering giants like GE, Siemens, Alstom are likely to submit financial bid for the project. Desi engineering giant BHEL too is in the race for Dankuni project. “We are planning to set up an ancillary unit for Chittaranjan Locomotive Work at Dankuni. We have no problem if Texmaco joins hand with Bombardier,” a railway official said. However, Texmaco officials could not be reached for comment.
It may be noted that Texmaco has already formed a consortium with Kawasaki of Japan for the proposed metro and rail coach factory in Kanchrapara. According to railways officials, the investment in Dankuni project would be to the tune of 200-250 crore.
“The magnitude of Dankuni project would be much less than Kanchrapara,” officials added. It may be noted that Texmaco has already formed a joint venture with United Group of Australia for manufacturing state-of-the-art wagons. The JV will invest 100 crore and would undertake production of locomotive components and commodity specific hitech freight cars. TNN

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6831935.cms)
Consider the possibility of living in a flat next to the Haldi river in Haldia and being able to commute to Kolkata in less time than it takes people from Barrackpore or Barasat to travel to the city. The railways' bullet train' plans are back on track and this time round, the West Bengal government has agreed to bear 50% of the cost of the pre-feasibility study for the 135-km high-speed corridor.

In a document released on Wednesday during a two-day conference of economic editors, the ministry of railways stated that six high-speed corridors have been identified for pre-feasibility studies. These are Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar (450 km), Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad (650 km), Hyderabad-Dornakal-Vijaywada-Chennai (664 km), Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulum (649 km), Howrah-Haldia (135 km) and Delhi-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi-Patna (991 km).

According to the report, the governments of West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Punjab, Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka have given their concurrence to share the cost of consultancy on a 50:50 basis. A commitment from Tamil Nadu is awaited.

While a section of railway officials believes it is wishful thinking on the part of the ministry, others say it is possible to run trains at speeds of 200 kmph or more, provided the tracks are protected and sufficient power is supplied. Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, is already working on a project to help Indian Railways run high-speed trains.

"The Rajdhanis already run at 130 kmph along certain stretches. Today, high-speed tracks and rakes are readily available. However, the faster a train runs, the more power it draws. This is something that has to be taken care of. The entire stretch of tracks will have to be protected. Even a cow wandering onto the tracks in front of a speeding train can have calamitous results. The project should take some more time but is certainly feasible," a senior official said.

From the state government's point of view, high-speed connectivity to Haldia would give the industrial township in East Midnapore a much-needed push. Though highways have developed over the past few years, it still takes anything between two and a half to three hours to reach Haldia by road. The highways in Bengal pass through densely populated areas and uninterrupted movement of traffic is not possible, even if the road surface is of international standard.

"Many people have complained to us that in states like Gujarat, it takes about an hour to cover 135 km. This may not be possible in West Bengal, even after work on NH-41 is completed. We had a catamaran service between Kolkata and Haldia. This had its own problems and had to be discontinued. A high-speed rail corridor may be the only solution," a senior state government official said.

Railway officials said bids have already been invited to select a consultant who will conduct the pre-feasibility study for the high-speed corridor between Howrah and Haldia.

What is a "Pre" feasibility study? why pay once for a pre-feasibility study and then again for a feasibility study??

DNA
Pune-Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed link: Report tabled

The final report on the high-speed rail corridor between Pune and Ahmedabad through Mumbai is under examination by concerned stakeholders.

The Maharashtra and Gujarat governments, Central and Western Railways and various directorates of the railways ministry are perusing the final report submitted by the Systra Group, a New Jersey, US-based consultant.

“Systra was appointed in April last year. It has submitted an inception report, two interim reports and one draft final report,” said a senior official of the ministry, who did not wish to be named.

He did not put a timeline for the completion of the project.

The trains in the corridor will run at speeds of 200km per hour, or 70kmph more than the maximum speed of a Rajdhani.

The railway ministry is working in tandem with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, for the right track technology for these super-fast trains.

As of now, deliberations are going on in the railway ministry whether the corridor should be elevated, or access controlled (protected from trespassing or crossing).

Apart from Pune-Ahmedabad, five more corridors have been identified by the the Indian Railways on which pre-feasibility studies are on.

These studies are aimed at finding out the economic viability, the right alignment, and over all socio-economic impact in the surrounding areas.

The six other corridors are Delhi-Chandigarh-Amritsar, spanning 450km, Hyderabad-Vijaywada-Chennai (664km), Chennai-Bangalore-Coimbatore-Ernakulam (649km), Howrah-Haldia (135km), and Delhi-Agra-Varanasi-Patna (991km).

The concerned state governments will share 50% of the consultancy cost for the above corridors.

For any other corridor, the state government will have to bear 80% of the cost, while the balance will be taken up by the railways.

A particular state will have to shell out its contribution in proportion to the length of corridor within its jurisdiction. Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Bihar, Haryana, UP, West Bengal as well as Punjab and Chandigarh have agreed to sharing the consultancy cost on 50:50 basis.

The ministry is waiting for Tamil Nadu’s nod.

DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_obama-to-meet-railway-announcer-who-saved-hundreds-on-26-11_1462695)
Obama to meet railway announcer who saved hundreds on 26/11

Railway announcer Vishnu Zende, whose presence of mind during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks saved hundreds of lives at the CST station, is looking forward to meeting US President Barack Obama in Mumbai tomorrow.

Zende, among those invited to attend a function at the Taj Mahal Hotel tomorrow, said that he received the invite today.

"I am so happy. Meeting the president is a very big thing and honour for me. I don't know what I would talk to him," Zende, who alerted commuters to the presence of terrorists on the station, said.

The president will pay tribute and meet survivors of the dastardly 26/11 terror attack at the Taj Mahal Hotel, one of the terror affected sites.

Risking his life, Zende saved hundreds of commuters by continuously alerting them to leave the station and also intimated Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the government Railway Police (GRP).

Soon after his announcement, commuters started moving out and the two terrorists Abu Ismail and Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving attacker, headed towards the control room from where Zende was making announcements and opened fire but Zende escaped unhurt.

Other invitees include mayor Shraddha Jadhav and municipal commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya. "We have received an invite from the US Consulate in the name of mayor and municipal commissioner," chief protocol and liaison officer, JV Dave said.

Indian Railways' High Speed Rail Proposal

http://img808.imageshack.us/img808/6415/38626692.png

I don't know why are you excited about all this stuff? Come to reality.

^^ :lol: +1

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kanpur/Making-Kanpur-Central-world-class/articleshow/6885062.cms)
After figuring on the list of those railway stations that have to be made world-class, the Kanpur Central has started on a major revamp that is scheduled to take place in phases.

Though the re-modelling of the Kanpur Central began a long time back, it is being developed gradually in phases. At present, the work in this direction is going on at snail's pace but senior NCR officials are hopeful of keeping their promise of giving a new, improved look to the Kanpur Central in the days to come.

At present, the railway authorities are carrying on with the cleanliness drive on the city side of the railway station ahead of the second phase. The railway staff, GRP and RPF and members of an NGO have been involved in the drive.

The railway authorities are then poised to undertake the second phase of the beautification drive at the Kanpur Central which will include creation of a separate parking lot for two and four-wheelers on the city side, installation of escalators at the platforms, construction of road (in front of the station building) on the Cantt side and construction of a railway building on the city side.

"Work to a tune of Rs 1.5 crore will be done on the city side of the railway station. This amount will be used in beautifying the city side. Paver flooring will be done, a separate parking lot for two and four-wheelers will be created, four highmast towers will be installed and several other tasks will be done. All this will be executed in phases," chief public relations officer, NCR, RD Bajpai had informed during his recent visit to the Kanpur Central. This amount has already been sanctioned.

The beautiful facade (building) to be erected on the city side of the railway station will be the replica (in terms of architect) of the Cantt side. Painted red and yellow, the large structure that is the railway building that stands tall on the Cantt side speaks of the Kanpur Central's legacy.

It has also been proposed that the ground floor of the new building will have UTS (unreserved ticketing system) counters, a large passenger hall connected with the foot-overbridge. A reservation office will be constructed on the first floor and a lavish food plaza is also proposed for the second floor of the building. Installation of 12 LED info boards at the station is also on the agenda.

Deputy chief traffic manager Shivendra Shukla informed that the pending work at the railway overbridge (presently under construction in Cantt) will be taken up speedily.

To facilitate passengers, especially the old ones, two escalators are likely to be installed. According to the proposed plan, all railway quarters on the city side will be dismantled, giving room to a large circulating area.

Three-layered underground parking for vehicles, which is not available at any other railway stations of the NCR division, has also been proposed. The entry and exit points on the city side will be made separate to ensure smooth traffic flow in and out of the station premises. Entry point for the vehicles will remain the same but a separate exit route-- probably opening at Ghantaghar flyover-- is also proposed. This will ensure hassle-free driving for passengers coming in and moving out of the station.

Earlier, the Kanpur Central had offered to its passengers a foot overbridge a couple of months ago under the same revamping exercise. This foot overbridge has been constructed on the west side ( Delhi end) of the railway station.

is it just me or i heard obama say two american companies are in the finals of building locomotives or something?

is it just me or i heard obama say two american companies are in the finals of building locomotives or something?

Wasn't it already announced earlier? I believe one is EMD, GE is probably the other.

^^ yes...

what do they mean by world-class??? :nuts:

HT:
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/4323/ht4.jpg

SAIL in talks with Railways to foray into track-laying business

The Steel Authority of India (SAIL), the country’s largest state-owned steel company, is eyeing the possibility of entering a whole new business of track laying and renewal. The steel major has initiated a dialogue with Indian Railways on this in the hope of tapping into a growing business in the near future.

“We have an ongoing partnership with the Railways since we have been supplying rails from our Bhilai Steel Plant for a number of years. The upcoming Dedicated Freight Corridor project of the Railways also offers a whole new opportunity for us. Our discussions with Railways on the tracks business is at a conceptual stage. We are exploring ways to expand our existing relationship with them in a big way,” SAIL chairman CS Verma said.

“SAIL is in talks with a couple of leading European rail technology majors to take its plans forward,” he added. While Mr Verma did not elaborate further, the Railways is believed to be looking for an ‘end-to-end solutions provider’ in the area of track laying and renewal.

“The railways is now scouting for a complete solutions provider, which will not only supply the rails but also provide technology and engineering solutions for laying of tracks, its maintenance and renewal,” a railway ministry source said. In this regard, discussions between the potential partners are at a conceptual stage. While SAIL is pitching for business, the nature of the alliance with the Railways would depend on the outcome of the talks.

Thus, SAIL may enter into a joint venture with the railways or get into the tracks business on its own.

“We have decided to renew 1,000 km of railway track every year from 2010-11 onwards. For a railway network that operates on 64,000 km of track, it is an ambitious and challenging target,” Sanjiv Handa member mechanical railway board said. Economic Times

World class meaning... you will never find an equal within India. lol ... nothing more than that. Our world class standards are different than the rest of the world.... (cough).. Bhanot (CWG fame)