Kolkata-Howrah Suburban, Kolkata Circular, West Bengal Railways

[sidney_jec]

Originally Posted by SarafIndian

lipstick on a pig?

[Souvik_N]

Mamata Banerjee meets Manmohan Singh over rail budget

Source : http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report...budget_1490362

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and is understood to have discussed issues related to the rail budget for which she wants adequate support from the finance ministry.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was present at the meeting, said it was a pre-budget interaction with the prime minister and nothing more should be seen beyond it.

Railways is facing financial crunch to fund several key projects and meet its targets.

The Sixth Pay Commission has considerably depleted its resources as railways had to fund Rs55,000 crores arising out of its internal resources.

The much delayed dedicated freight corridor project is also facing a problem of finance.

With the assembly elections in her home state round the corner, Mamata is likely to come out with a budget which would be friendly to common man.

Trinamool MPs had met Singh last month drawing his attention to the deteriorating law and order situation in the West Bengal.

[Bombay2Calcutta]

TELEGRAPH

A STAFF REPORTER

Several passenger amenities have been planned for Howrah station with an April deadline.

The authorities have planned to set up capsule lifts for the “upper class” and “sleeper class” waiting rooms in the old complex and escalators for the footbridge connecting the old and new complexes.

Also on the anvil are battery-operated carts for the physically challenged and senior citizens and giant LCD screens displaying train information.

Construction of the capsule lift from the ground floor to the second-class waiting room has started. Work on the other lift will start once the BSNL sales counter is shifted.

“One of the lifts is scheduled to be operational by January while the other lift, escalators and battery-operated carts should be ready by April. The railway minister had taken a personal initiative in implementing the facilities at the earliest,” said Parthasarathi Mandal, divisional railway manager, Howrah.

Work on the pair of escalators, which will help commuters reach the footbridge joining the old and the new complexes, is in full swing.

The escalators will cost around Rs 70 lakh and the lifts around Rs 80 lakh.

“Six short-range battery operated carts are expected to arrive by March. These will be funded by an NGO and maintained by a nationalised bank,” said an official.

The elderly and the physically handicapped can avail themselves of the carts by placing a request at the information desk.

The authorities have also procured three electrical ride-on scrubbers and moppers, 24 LCD screens that will display train-related information and air-conditioners for the upper-class waiting room.

“Post-April, we have plans to upgrade the footbridge connecting the two complexes with a walkalator,” said a senior railway official.

There are “long-term plans” to build a wider footbridge linking the old and new complexes. “Escalators will be installed on each platform for passengers to access the footbridge,” the official added.

Passengers — the average daily footfall has been estimated at 10 lakh — are happy but have a sneaking suspicion that at least some of the announcements are just a pre-poll gimmick.

“We have been hearing about plans to upgrade the station to international standards for years. The railway minister has ordered the revamp just before the Assembly polls. The move can be helpful only if maintenance is assured,” said Amalendu Chakraborty, a trader who often travels between Calcutta and Hyderabad.

[mountaincloud]

all good ideas. hope to see these developments soon! there shouldn't be a huge difference betwen the amenities available at railway stations and amenities available at airports.

[studdmanster]

Originally Posted by SarafIndian

I mean who got this idea? Is it that "Dariwala" artist Subhaprasanna or whatever his name?

it could be dariwala or the quiz master!!!...but y WR's color??....can smell plagarism!!!

[Bombay2Calcutta]

PLAYING TO THE GALLERY

Mamata seeks people’s view on rail factory

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Howrah: The rail factory at Sankrail will be set up only if the common people want it. That was the message from Union rail minister at a rally in Dhulagarh. She was alluding to problems encountered in using up land that had been lying vacant for the last 29 years.
“The CPM did not do anything for all these years. When the land was acquired, I was not even an MP. Madhab Rao Scindia was at the helm and the state government help the railways under him get the plot. When I noticed that the land had been lying idle for 29 years, I felt something good should be done with it so that people, too, could get employment opportunities. I want to set up a DMU coach factory here. This is a very important project and will be the state’s biggest rail project,” said Mamata.
However, Mamata said that the factory would happen only if the people wanted it. “The CPM is creating obstacles here. Some CPM-backed contractors, who do not have land here, are creating problems and trying to hinder the project. Nothing will be done by force. This is not my principle. The rail factory here will only happen if the common people want or else it will happen elsewhere,” Mamata added.
The Trinamool chief gave time to the locals to decide on the issue. “Take three days — January 9,10, and 11 — to decide on this and then inform Sankrail’s local MLA Sital Sardar and INTTUC leader Arupesh Bhattacharya about your decision. If the common people give a positive signal, then on January 13, I will come here and kick off the work. I will not listen even if the CPM tries to create any problem. Steps will be taken to see that the locals are benefited from the project,” Mamata said.
Speaking of work on the rail factory at Budge Budge beginning on January 11, the minister. “The CPM wants to destroy agriculture and industry. I will not let that happen,” she said. Throwing up a challenge, she added, “I could have called a Bangla bandh after the gruesome Lalgarh killing, but I do not want any more bandhs.”

[Ashis Mitra]

From today, The new line to Furfura Sharif will start construction.

Line from Masagram to Rainagar is also going fast.

What is the current status of guage conversion of Shantipur - Krishnanagar line?

[Bombay2Calcutta]

No updates on the status boss . if some body has an update they will definitely post .

[Suncity]

A glimpse of Sealdah

video by artibacsi

[sidney_jec]

Wow
looking spanking clean
and anyone who's been there
whats that golf cart doing there?

[debayanlahiri]

Originally Posted by sidney_jec

Wow
looking spanking clean
and anyone who's been there
whats that golf cart doing there?

Ya, even am a bit curious abt the golf cart!

And the station looks very clean.. good job IR

[studdmanster]

@ sid: its been kept for physically handicapped and senior citizens. Shealdah moving a step ahead to get its "world class" status!!...

[Rakeshmblore]

Originally Posted by Suncity

A glimpse of Sealdah

video by artibacsi

[World8115]

The station looks mighty clean. Hope it is maintained that way

[sidney_jec]

Originally Posted by studdmanster

@ sid: its been kept for physically handicapped and senior citizens. Shealdah moving a step ahead to get its "world class" status!!...

yes I too thought so but must be used to transport some fatso (read Bengali intellectuals and CPI cadres ) to their respective 1st AC coaches

[studdmanster]

@ sid: vdo me white shirt wala banda near the golf cart is most probably the driver!!!...bhai, which minister travels on train for a long journey?

[sidney_jec]

those who are currently not MP or MLA

[Bombay2Calcutta]

Lift to encourage use of 1st floor waiting room at Howrah station
Jayanta Gupta | TNN

Kolkata: The aged, ill and differently-abled passengers need not fret any longer. Very soon, they would be able to access the second-class waiting room on the first floor of the Howrah station in an elevator.
Work is on in full swing to construct this elevator close to the big clock or boro ghori. Those with upper-class tickets would have to take the stairs for some more time though. The elevator to the upper-class waiting room can only be constructed once the BSNL shifts its kiosk from the passenger concourse area.
“We have taken steps to upgrade the waiting rooms. Yet, many passengers spend time in the passenger concourse area. Not all of them are to blame. Many of them are aged, ill or differently-abled. Some have a lot of luggage. It is difficult for them to climb the stairs to the waiting rooms. Before long, the elevator to the second-class waiting room will become operational. This will be of great help to passengers,” said Partha Sarathi Mondal, divisional railway manager, Howrah.
Howrah station handles over a million passengers every day. Nearly 30% of them are long-distance passengers. As Howrah connects several northeastern states to destinations in the northern and western parts of the country, a large number of passengers need to spend time at the station.
“At certain times of the year, train schedules get disrupted. During the winter months, fog in the northern parts of the country throws train schedules haywire. During such times, a large number of passengers have to spend time at the station, waiting for their trains. As there is no elevator, many of them spend time on the ground floor. This place is congested throughout the day due to daily commuters. We would like to encourage the long-distance passengers to occupy the waiting rooms,” a senior Eastern Railway official said.
According to him, once passengers start patronising the second-class waiting room, the railways would get a feedback on what else needs to be done to upgrade facilities there. Safety at the waiting room is no longer a problem as the security control room is situated next to it, the official pointed out.
“We have also upgraded the upper-class waiting room, but can’t get passengers to occupy it. The reason is that we are unable to construct the second elevator. For this, the BSNL kiosk would have to be shifted. We have written to BSNL officials three months ago and are awaiting a response,” Mondal said.
The TOI tried to get in touch with BSNL officials, but none of them seemed to be aware of any such communication from the railways.




Work is on for the new elevator at Howrah station

[Bombay2Calcutta]

TELEGRAPH
Special trains

Eastern Railway will run three pairs of special trains between January 13 and 17 for Gangasagar mela. The trains will run between Sealdah and Namkhana, and Lakshmikantapur and Namkhana.

[Bombay2Calcutta]

Source

Modern Luggage Trolley Service Inaugurated by Mamata Banerjee at Howrah Station

Exhibition Train “Vivekananda Express” Flagged off

Foundation Stone for Archery & Table Tennis Academy Laid

Three New Express Trains Flagged off

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19:03 IST
The Minister of Railways, Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the modern luggage trolley service at Howrah station to assist senior citizens and women passengers in boarding and alighting from coaches along with their luggage comfortably, today i.e. 12th January 2011. The service has been launched as a pilot project for a period of one year and will be handled by uniformed attendants called ‘Rail Yatri Sevaks’. The service will be run in collaboration with State Bank of India and passengers will be charged only Rs 35/- for this unique passenger friendly facility. The trolley can be booked in advance over a telephone number to be specified by the Railways. This service marks the fulfillment of the one of the Budget announcements made by the Railway Minister in her Railway Budget 2010-11.

The Minister of Railways, Mamata Banerjee also flagged off a special exhibition train “Vivekananda Express” showcasing the life and philosophy of the great spiritual leader Swami Vivekananda from Howrah station today. This train is a tribute from Railways on the occasion of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekanand. This exhibition train will cover important stations of the country, taking the message of religious harmony and unity to the masses.

The train “Vivekananda Express” consists of two Air-Conditioned coaches in which photographs, write-ups etc. are exhibited to project the life, work and message of Swamiji. The train will also include one Air-Conditioned 3-tier coach, one power car and one second class-cum- luggage van. The coaches have been refurbished at Liluah Workshop of Eastern Railway.

Swami Vivekananda (January 12, 1863 – July 4, 1902), was the chief disciple of 19th century mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa and the founder of Ramakrishna Mission. He is considered a key figure in the introduction of Vedanta philosophy and Yoga in Europe and America and is also credited with raising interfaith awareness. He is known for his inspiring speech beginning with "Sisters and Brothers of America", through which he introduced Indian philosophy in the Parliament of the World's Religions at Chicago in 1893.

Also on the occasion, the Minister of Railways laid the foundation stone for Archery & Table Tennis Academy. This comes as a sequel to her earlier announcement for setting up of such academy with a view to provide appropriate facilities for the sportspersons of different disciplines. By establishing an Archery academy in Kolkata, Indian Railways will achieve the twin objectives of providing world class training facilities to our existing sportspersons as well as tapping into the vast talent resources available in the eastern region of India

In addition, Mamata Banerjee, also flagged off three new express trains, namely Sealdah - Rampurhat Intercity Express, Howrah – Suri Express and Shalimar – Baripada Intercity Express, on the occasion.

AKS/HK/LK/TR