Indian Railways - Projects | News | Discussions

[rupakd]

North Central Railway modernising signalling system on the Kanpur-Ghaziabad section

In its continuous tryst to march along with latest technological innovations, the North Central Railway (NCR) is presently executing a project of 'Modernization of Signalling & Telecommunication System on Kanpur-Ghaziabad section' of its Allahabad division. This work of signal wizardry would help in better movement of the train ensuring safety of the passengers.

The project consists of provision of State of the Art Solid State Interlocking at 47 stations, Automatic block signaling using Solid State Interlocking on 47 block sections, ISDN exchange network, Mobile Train Radio Communication over 755 route kilometres on Ghaziabad-Kanpur-Mugalsarai section and Centralized Traffic Control at Tundla. The communication will also enable inter-train communication on the section and also communication between driver/guard to controllers. All this will result in improvement in safety, reliability and enhanced line capacity on one of the busiest sections of Indian Railways.

The Centralized Traffic Control will control the train operation on the entire Ghaziabad-Kanpur section. A panorama screen displaying entire section will be provided in building which will indicate online position of each train on the section.

The controllers will be provided with computers for operation of the signaling system on the section. Automatic features provided on main line signals will now enable the controllers to run trains without any operation.

All signalling operations will now be done by controllers through by click of mouse on the VDU (Visual Display Unit). The indications of all signalling gears under control of particular controller, including that of the automatic section, are available on VDU provided with controller station master and the panorama screen.With availability of Mobile Train Radio Communication, it will be possible for CTC controller to talk to any train, any station and any Level Crossing Gate on the section. Major portion of signaling under the project has been competed on Kanpur- Aligarh section. The telecommunication portion of the work has also picked up and now being executed at fast pace. Approximately 60% of the project has been completed so far.

The cost of this project is approximately 82 million Euros (approximately Rs 490 crore) and is being funded by KfW (German Development Bank) of Germany. A three-member KfW Mission 2012 is on a visit to Indian Railways to assess the present status of the project and also to meet Ministry of Railway officials for further planning from May 14 to 18. This exercise is undertaken by KfW bank every year. A meeting was held on May 14 in New Delhi in the office of IRPMU between IRPMU team headed by Kundan Chaudhary, chief administrative officer and KfW Bank Mission headed by Michael Wenzel, divisional chief, Transport & Communication, Asia.

KfW mission undertook the inspection on May 15 of Aligarh-Ghaziabad section where this project is being implemented integrating the recently commissioned Third line, Centralized Traffic Control (CTC) at Tundla and the work already commissioned on Kanpur-Aligarh section.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/13240490.cms

[anujkb]

that wont reduce the delays due to fog

[Bombay2Calcutta]

HT
More comfortable journeys on double-decker train in the offing

More comfortable journey for passengers travelling on the new coaches of double- decker train is in the offing as many changes have been incorporated in them, including the number of seats that have been reduced to 120 from 128 after their redesigning at Rail Coach Factory here.

Several crucial changes have been made by RCF engineers based on the feedback received from passengers and railway officials who travelled on the first double-decker train operating between Howrah and Dhanbad stations since October 2011.

Senior RCF PRO Virender Kumar Vij said that 17 newly-designed coaches were rolled out from the factory on March 31 and had undergone field trials on the Delhi-Jaipur track.

"Basically, we have reduced the width of coaches by 80mms as there was some operational problem with the previous coaches as platforms were extended at some stations due to repair or other reasons. By reducing the coach width, this problem has been sorted out," he said claiming that "this is the optimised standard design prepared by RCF officials".

Apart from reduction in the number of seats, reclining chairs have been installed. Also, half of the seats would now be in one direction and others in opposite direction, with a snack table in the centre, added Vij.

Interiors of the coaches have been worked upon to improve aesthetic aspect.

Another rake is ready to be rolled out in the first week of June to be run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. By the end of this year, two more rakes for Southern Railway (Chennai to Bangalore) and for West Central Railway (Habibganj to Indore) would be rolled out from RCF, he added.

"Senior railways officials are highly impressed with the newly designed coaches and it is expected that these coaches will replace the existing Shatabdi coaches all over the country in the near future," he said

[Bombay2Calcutta]

Mum-New Delhi Rajdhani turns 40
Manthan K Mehta TNN

Mumbai: The Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express celebrated a quiet birthday on May 17, forty years after it made its inaugural journey from then Bombay Central to the national capital in 1972.
The first Rajdhani Express was introduced three years earlier in 1969 between Howrah and New Delhi and was the first fully air-conditioned train.
Chief public relations officer of WR Sharat Chandrayan said, “May 17 marks a red-letter day in the history of Indian Railways as this premier train was introduced on this day to connect the country’s commercial capital with its political capital.”
Such is the demand for tickets on Rajdhani Express that its reservation chart is prepared only 15 minutes before departure.
In the early days, the train took 19 hours and 5 minutes to cover the distance between Mumbai Central and New Delhi as against the 15 hours and 50 minutes it takes today; the return journey (New Delhi to Mumbai Central) takes 16 hours and five minutes.
The Rajdhani has undergone a sea change over the years to maintain its numero uno position. A railway official said, “When the train was introduced, it was hauled by a single WDM–2 diesel locomotive and WAP alternating current locos for electric traction. For some years, a double-headed engine was also used to maintain speed.”
As the traction was electrified continuously on this route, diesel engines were used between Mumbai and Vadodara. This necessitated a change of locos. Dual traction AC-DC W-CAM 2P locos were introduced in 1993, which made the hauling of train on electrical traction possible up to Mumbai Central.
Chandrayan said, “The speed improved due to electrification and change in traction technology, besides the doubling of lines on this route.”
WR is planning to further reduce the running time after the conversion of traction from DC to AC between Churchgate and Virar. Till 1988, when the Bhopal Shatabdi Express made its debut at 140 kmph, the Rajdhani was the fastest train with a speed of 115-120 kmph.

A REMARKABLE JOURNEY
Departure | 4.40pm from Mumbai Central Arrival | 8.30am at New Delhi Distance | 1,384 km Duration |15 hours and 50 minutes; 16 hours and 5 minutes (return journey) Speed | 135kmph
Halts |Surat, Vadodara junction, Ratlam and Kota Junction Composition | 19 coaches (1 First Class AC, 4 AC 2-tier, 10 AC 3-tier. 2 pantry cars, 2 luggagecum-generator coaches)

[aam admi]

“The reason of the accident is yet to be ascertained but prima facie it seems that the driver of Hampi Express overshot the signal,” the spokesperson said, adding senior railway officials have rushed to the spot.
This is the most repeated response of IR on most accidents. In todays time of automation, why the automatic/train protection/ACD is used to avoid such incidents. Its high time we should call the bluff of IR babus. Enough is enough!!!

[swamych]

The loco of hampi express wdp 4 has a visibilty problem the cnn ibn has confirmed it so far. if loco pilot is driving the loco in MU Mode (driving LHF (Long Hood First) with the driver cab at the back).
there are 2 protrutions that would hinder your view; one being the Dynamic braking grid and the radiator grill at the end, many a times you could miss a signal due to poor visiblity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwkQQ...layer_embedded

Recently there was a story in CNN-IBN highlighting this major issue.What i say is that it is not a design issue as this loco is designed as per US standards, We are using it in other way


What i could suggest is that railway can implement turn-table as it was used for steam engines to reverse or use Wye placement tracks so that we can reverse and change the direction.

Or please change the design of loco with new standards.

[gentem]

Originally Posted by aam admi

“The reason of the accident is yet to be ascertained but prima facie it seems that the driver of Hampi Express overshot the signal,” the spokesperson said, adding senior railway officials have rushed to the spot.
This is the most repeated response of IR on most accidents. In todays time of automation, why the automatic/train protection/ACD is used to avoid such incidents. Its high time we should call the bluff of IR babus. Enough is enough!!!

it is easy to make for automatic braking to halt if a signal is broken by a train. but you know what, nobody cares 25 lives once in a while, not even ssc forummers. i made separate thread of accidents and safety but nobody posts updates to that thread all forummers here are busy glorifying our killer transport. life and limbs are considered cheap here in india

Bhopal railway station to have escalator
TNN | May 23, 2012, 05.37AM IST

BHOPAL: If you have a back pain or face problem to climb stairs, there is good news for you in the store as West Central Railway (WCR) has decided to set up an escalator and a travelator at the Bhopal railway station and Habibganj station.

"We have decided to install an escalator on platform number one side of the main station and travelator at platform no 5 side at Habibang," Bhopal senior divisional commercial manager (SDCM) Mandip Singh Bhatia told TOI.

He said these moving walkways would be installed with an estimated cost of around Rs 1.5 crore in three months.

Bhatia said around 50,000 passengers undertake their journey by roughly 120 trains originating or passes from the Bhopal station daily. Similarly, about 25,000 passengers undertake take journey from Habibganj station from where more than 50 trains originate or pass daily. Large number of people might be coming to these two stations to receive or see off their relatives boarding trains, he said.

"We have taken the people friendly decision keeping in view oldies, patients and others facing stair climbing problem," he added.

all big stations need escalators at platform 1

[mangalore mania]

Indian Railways, ITDC to improve tourism services jointly

NEW DELHI: The Indian Railways and the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) joined hands Thursday to improve tourism services offered by the two entities, drawing maximum advantage from each other's large customer base, expertise and network of facilities.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) to this effect has been signed between the ITDC and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), a subsidiary of the Indian Railways, according to a statement.

Among the popular services offered by the IRCTC are the Bharat Darshan tourist trains, Mahaparinirvan Express (Buddhist circuit special train) and educational tours for school children.

The ITDC has carved a niche in the production of packaged drinking water ( Rail Neer), e-tickets, cab rental services, online hotel booking services, budget hotels and online air ticketing. The company has been operating travel services under the Ashok Travels & Tours (ATT) brand.

[mangalore mania]

E-ticket cancellations fetch railways Rs 750 crore

MUMBAI: An integral part of a family holiday or business trip is proper planning, and most Indian travellers usually book their train tickets weeks, if not months, in advance. But the best laid plans can go awry and often do. The Indian Railways understands this principle well-it is what has, after all, enriched the government organization substantially over the years.

Between 2005 and 2011, the Railways earned a neat Rs 750 crore (almost equivalent to its annual profit) on account of cancellations of e-tickets alone. (Its earnings from e-tickets from 2005 to April 2012 were Rs 30,094 crore.) RTI activist Manoranjan Roy, who procured this information, says that the railways must do away with cancellation charges. "Indian Railways now has several avenues for generating revenue," he points out. "It must stop burdening the common man with cancellation charges."

In 2011, between March and December, the railways earned Rs 198 crore from cancellation charges of e-tickets. Ever since it began in 2005, e-ticketing has ballooned to make up about 40% of all rail ticket sales. Railway officials say that the convenience that booking and cancelling an e-ticket offers has seen more passengers making advance bookings that very often result in cancellations. In fact, one out of every three e-tickets sold is cancelled.

If a confirmed ticket is cancelled more than 24 hours before the scheduled departure of the train, the penalty is Rs 70 for an AC first-class ticket, Rs 60 for AC Tier-2, AC Tier-3 and AC chair car, Rs 40 for sleeper class and Rs 20 for a second-class ticket. In fact, even if a wait-listed ticket is not confirmed, the Railways go on to deduct Rs 20 before refunding the remaining sum.

Popular trains have long waiting lists of 700 or 800. "Close to 95% of the wait-listed tickets do not get confirmed and automatically stand cancelled," explains a rail officer. "Hence, what ordinarily happens is that most passengers book themselves on more than one train; others with flexible travel dates book tickets on different days if they are on the waiting list."

Clearly, somebody's attempts to stay on top of the chaotic train travel in India can be somebody else's huge gain.

E-way to big bucks

Year -------- Tickets sold (lakh) ------ Ticket sale income (Rs crore)------- Revenue from cancellation charges (Rs crore)

2005-06 ----25 ---------- 317 ------- 2.85

2006-07 ----68 ---------- 678 ------- 5.79

2007-08 ---- 189 ------- 1,700 ------ 15.61

2008-09 ---- 440 ------ 3883 -------- 99.42

2009-10 ---- 719 ------ 6011 -------- 190.63

2010-11 ---- 969 ------ 8007 -------- 235.37

2011-12 ----1,161 ----- 9498 -------- 198.80*

(* Cancellation figures up to December 2011)

[gentem]

Recently they hiked cancellation charges from Rs. 20 to Rs. 40. There should be no cancellation charges if a ticket is cancelled 1 week before

[barrykul]

The IR should consider raising fares instead of gimmicks like cancellation fee revenue, which is a pittance compared to the operation. When you have an adamant dolt like the IR Mantriji who hijacked a sane proposal by D. Trivedi to fix IR financially what can you hope for.

Low fares is ruining the system. The intended social experiment of low fares, is being extended to all and sundry. Those who can pay end up in the freebie column, which a gross distortion. If subsidies are needed, provide them by Unique Identity scheme and target them appropriately. The rest of the country can be spared from these shenanigans. Better fare structure brings in revenue. And revenue is needed to fix a whole host of issues, starting with safety, modern day efficient coaches and train engines, better clean and efficient service levels, non-discharging toilets, modern airport like railway stations for tier 1, 2, 3 cities and so on.

Gosh we have complete nut cases manning the IR and its future. When will the torture end.

[rmvdweller]

Originally Posted by mangalore mania

E-ticket cancellations fetch railways Rs 750 crore

Do away with cancellation charges to "ease the burden on common man"? Yeah, right - shows the ill-effects of excessive activism.

[ajithv]

1st Electric Engine-hauled Train Reaches Kanyakumari

Train No: 16526 Bangalore-Kanyakumari Island Express on Thursday became the first electric locomotive-hauled train to reach Kanyakumari. The train that left the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station at 3.30 p.m. covered the 87-km route without any hitches and reached Kanyakumari at 6.05 p.m.

Railway sources said the train reached Kanyakumari ahead of the scheduled arrival time though its departure from Thiruvananthapuram was delayed by 15 minutes. Divisional Railway Manager Rajesh Agrawal and senior officials oversaw the operations in Kanyakumari.

Railways decision to operate electric locomotive-hauled trains on the route came a day after the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Southern Circle, Bangalore, S.K. Mittal gave the nod for the electrified Thiruvananthapuram – Kanyakumari railway line.

Railways will be able to run electric-locomotive hauled trains up to the southern tip of the country with the commissioning of the electrified line completed at a cost of Rs.70 crore.

Mr. Agrawal said that Railways would use electric locomotives on the route from Friday for operating long-distance mail, express, passenger and goods trains.

As many as 20 trains are operating on the Kanyakumari-Nagercoil-Thiruvananthapuram Central stretch daily.

With this, Railways can avoid changing the locomotives of mail and express trains at Thiruvananthapruam Central and Kollam. The CRS has given the nod to operate trains up to the maximum sectional speed of 80 km per hour.

[sudheeshnairs]

Hmm..Good, so finally the southern tip of our mainland got connected by electric traction..

Not sure how long to wait for the northern end for the same.

[World8115]

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...2#post91275102

[gentem]

great news.. Jammu electrification will be over by this year end:

Railway track to Jammu be electrified by Dec 2012

http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/rai...RE%20Map-2.pdf

[World8115]

By that time Udhampur-Katra rail would also be comp.

[master777]

Originally Posted by rmvdweller

Do away with cancellation charges to "ease the burden on common man"? Yeah, right - shows the ill-effects of excessive activism.

It's not correct. People are booking tickets without actual requirement and creating waiting list tension for others. In my view the cancellation charge shall increase to atleast 25% of ticket cost.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/images/smilies/shake.gif

[mangalore mania]

Indian Railways Sold 116M E-Tickets For $1.72 Bn In FY 2011-12

Indian Railways reported total revenues of Rs 9498 crores (approximately $1.7 billion) and sold 116 million tickets through IRCTC in 2011-12, according to a Right To Information request filed by Manoranjan Roy, The Economic Times reports. The article points out that the railways earned as much as Rs 198.8 crore (approx $36 million) through E-Ticket cancellations for the financial year 2011-12 (until December 2011) and Rs 235.37 crores (approx $42.79 million) the previous fiscal year. Cancellations and high failure rates are common on the IRCTC website, and while only around 45% of railways ticketing is through the site, it typically reports failure rates of between 25% to 30%. For example, for April 2012, IRCTC reported 12.95 million transactions, of which only 73.05% were successful. There’s more information on IRCTC cancellations in the Economic Times article, but readers should keep in mind that both information on tickets and revenues appear to have been approximated. We did some calculations on the basis of this approximated data:



Just to give you some context on monthly ticketing, here is IRCTC data for the fiscal year 2009-10:



At least in case of number of tickets, it adds up for 2010-11, but has been approximated. Note that IRCTC stopped publishing financial data after August 2009, and we don’t have monthly income data since. For our monthly reports on IRCTC payment gateway performance, click here.

Some observations from the RTI data:
- IRCTC reported a monthly income of around $144 million for FY 2011-12. Given that customers often face ticketing issues, especially early in the morning, this could cross $150 million per month if technical issues are addressed.
- As number of tickets booked has increased, from 2.5 million in FY 2005-06 to 116.1 million in FY 2011-12, the average revenue per ticket has declined – from Rs 1268 in FY 2005-06 to Rs 818.09 in FY 2011-12.



Typically, growth in tickets has been higher than the increase in income. FY 2009-10 was an aberration because number of tickets sold increased 63.41% from 44 million to 71.9 million while income increased 77.68% from Rs 3383 crore to Rs 6011 crore ($615 million to 1.09 billion). For the same period, average revenue per ticket increased by 8.73%, while for all other years, a decline was reported. Was there an increase in rates?
- As expected, with an increase in scale, the percentage increase in both tickets and sales appears to be slowing : FY 2011-12 saw the slowest growth: up by 19.2 million tickets and Rs 1491 crore (approx $271M), as compared to FY 2010-11, which saw tickets up by 25 million and income up by 1996 crore.

Upgradation Of The IRCTC Ticketing System

Earlier this month, Railway Minister Mukul Roy had stated in reply to a question in the Lok Sabha that the ministry had sanctioned a Rs 55 crore project to upgrade the Railways e-booking system, in the face of increased demand for e-booking and problems of inaccessibility and slow systems. He had claimed that the new e-booking system will allow bookings of up to one million e-tickets every day, although there was no specific information whether railway minister had allotted this fund to improve IRCTC’s e-booking facility or the new railway ticketing portal Indianrailways.gov.in from Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), announced in last year’s railway budget, although the e-ticketing facility at Indianrailways.gov.in was disabled in last July and now redirects users to IRCTC website for all e-ticketing purposes.

[gentem]

they should have separate websites or servers for tatkal and normal tickets