ProUI

In a bid to fulfil the light refreshment requirements of passengers boarding and alighting trains at railway stations, 45 stations under the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Division are getting new catering stalls. Of this, 39 stations are in Kerala. Stations coming under the lower income D, E categories and halt stations in the F category are getting the stalls. Ten stations are in the D category and 29 are in the E category. The only F station where the stall is being installed is in Tamil Nadu. All these stalls are coming up for the first time in the respective stations. In some stations stalls are coming up on two platforms.  Of this, permission has been granted to install stalls in 19 stations. Whereas in some stations, none has responded. “For the stations where no applications have been received, we would invite fresh applications,” said a railway official.

When some stations which have lowest income got no takers, the stations which witness large number of passengers too evoked no response. For all these stations, fresh applications will be invited, including the B category stations, the official said.

The Southern Railways’ plan to tear down the more-than-a-century-old Royapuram railway station will not fructify, as the State Heritage Conservation Committee is set to turn down its request to de-list the structure from the list of heritage buildings.

Sources in Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority told Express a decision to this effect would be made later this month when the heritage panel will hold a meeting. “We don’t want to set a precedent,” confided a CMDA source.  Built in 1856 during the colonial era by then Madras Railway Company, Royapuram was the first station that initiated railway services in South India. The list prepared by CMDA has described it as a Grade-1 heritage structure. Southern Railways had planned to raze the Royapuram station and build a passenger terminal, adding two rail lines to connect stations in south Tamil Nadu with the rest of the country.

CMDA sources said the heritage panel would also discuss the first draft list of 79 heritage sites. After going through omissions and corrections, the list is likely to be forwarded to the State government for notification.

The Heritage Conservation Committee has identified 500 sites and so far details have been collected on only about 79 sites.

The Royapuram station, noted for its architecture, was the second to be built in India and it remained the main railway terminus in Chennai until 1907. However, due to lack of maintenance, the station is in a dilapidated condition and if the government does not notify it soon, the building would be consigned to the pages of history books.

About 16 trains pass through Royapuram railway station but none of the express trains stop here. However, the station serves local commuters from Arakonam, Gummidipoondi and Ponneri with 42 up and down train halts a day.

PATNA: New divisional railway manager (DRM) N K Gupta of the Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR) has said that safety of passengers and punctuality of trains would be his top priority. The division is facing several problems, posing a serious challenge to the DRM.

The division lacks proper infrastructure to maintain smooth run of about 200 and odd pairs of passenger trains either originating or passing through the division. It has Up and Down lines on the main line only, particularly between Mughalsarai and Jhajha. The proposal for the third line between Ara and Fatuha is still pending with railway ministry for sanction, sources said.

Though the third line is the need of the hour, railways has maintained silence on the issue for long causing unnecessary detention of mail and express trains at outer stations or signals. That apart, the division has no contingency plan to cope with heavy traffic. Patna Junction is a hub of passenger trains. About one lakh passengers move here everyday. Yet there is no proper planning to cope with passengers’ rush during peak hours. The entire concourse area is full of unauthorized people and vendors. As a result, it is very difficult to move freely with luggage.

The division transports a large number of daily passengers on the Buxar-Patna, Patna-Mokama, Patna-Gaya, Kiul-Gaya and Bakhtiarpur-Rajgir sections of the division. For them, the division has provided several pairs of local trains including MEMUs. But, barring MEMUs, none of the local trains is running on time causing hardship to passengers, mostly office-goers.

Illegal stoppage of trains, rampant alarm chain pulling, frequent attacks on railway property by miscreants, drugging menace and luggage lifting are some of the other problems faced by the Danapur division which have badly affected the normal movement of trains. The new DRM will have to work hard to ensure that all safety rules are strictly followed.

Cleanliness on railway platforms, not only at Patna Junction but at all major stations of the division, is another challenge for the new DRM. Punctuality of trains, at least for those trains originating from the division, would be another uphill task.

Chennai: The Madras bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has dismissed an application fro­m the general manager of the Integrated Coach Fac­tory (ICF), to constitute a fresh selection committee comprising officials from traffic and accounts of the railway board and conduct a fresh selection for the post of member (technical), Railway Cla­ims Tri­bunal.Dismissing the petition from Abhay Kumar Kha­nna who was working as GM, ICF, the bench comprising judicial member K. Elango and administrative member Naresh Gupta held that CAT has no jurisdiction and competence over the issue.Advocate A. Abdul Ajees, counsel for the petitioner, contended that Abhay Kumar Khanna had app­lied for the post of member (technical), in the Railway Claims Tribunal in res­ponse to an advertisement dated January 31, 2013 and attended an interview on April 13, 2013.The selection committee was not constituted as per law. On May 23, 2013, he submitted a representation to the ministry of railways. As there was no response, the official filed this petition.

P. Srinivasan, senior standing counsel for railways, argued that CAT has no jurisdiction to decide the issue and prayed for dismissal of the petition.

Citing a judgment of the HC  where it was observed that the selection of a member (judicial) of the Railway Claims Tribunal was governed by the provisions of the Railway Claims Act, Srinivasan said CAT cannot go into the aspects of appointment of a person to the bench of another tribunal, also governed by a similar enactment. The Railway Claims Tribunal was on the same footing as that of CAT, he added.

Concurring, the bench dismissed the application.

BANGALORE: Even as Bangalore Metro rail is gearing up for running its reach-3 route between Sampige road to Peenya, the state government on Saturday transferred its head N Sivasailam. Senior IAS officer Pradeep Singh Kharola has been posted as managing director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited.Sivasailam a 1985 batch IAS officer has been heading the BMRCL since 9 June 2008. The motive behind transfer is said to be deteriorating road conditions near metro works. Bangalore in-charge minister R Ramalinga Reddy was reportedly unhappy with Sivasailam over BMRCL's response and coordination with BBMP on road works.The issue was repeatedly raised on the floor of the house recently by the MLA and MLCs representing Bangalore City. Also there were complaints from the elected representatives regarding inaccessibility and transparency against the Metro Man.
However, when it came to project execution Sivasailam was considered task master.Recently, the high court also had warned BMRCL for violating labour norms at metro work site. The observation from the court had come following a PIL which raised concern over the safety at metro work sites. The PIL was filed in the wake of repeated casualties at the project site which also involved injuries to labourers working for the project.

In another key transfer, BWSSB chairman Gaurav Gupta has been replaced by MS Ravishankar. Gupta has been posted as regional commissioner, Bangalore division.
Other postings include: SN Jayaram (commissioner, social welfare), Naveen Raj Singh (director, Karnataka Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency), S Shankaranaryan (director, mines and geology), AM Kunjappa (Member, KAT), DS Vishwanath (commissioner, employment and training), Anurag Tiwari (deputy commissioner, Kodagu), Rohini Sindhuri Dasari (director, self employment programme),DK Ravi (deputy commissioner, Kolar), Rame Gowda (director, pre university education and executive director KEA), GS Shivaswamy (director, tribal welfare), N Panali (managing director, Karnataka Silk Marketing Board) and BS Shekharappa (deputy commissioner, Chickmagalur).

Siva tweets:
One tenure has ended. Look forward to the next job when assigned. Not a dull day over 62 months (just 2days short of 62 months). Thanks to the wonderful team at NammaMetro, the like of which I have never seen in my career. Can't say, whether I will see - N Sivasailam,

The Southern Railways’ plan to tear down the more-than-a-century-old Royapuram railway station will not fructify, as the State Heritage Conservation Committee is set to turn down its request to de-list the structure from the list of heritage buildings.

Sources in Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority told Express a decision to this effect would be made later this month when the heritage panel will hold a meeting. “We don’t want to set a precedent,” confided a CMDA source.  Built in 1856 during the colonial era by then Madras Railway Company, Royapuram was the first station that initiated railway services in South India. The list prepared by CMDA has described it as a Grade-1 heritage structure. Southern Railways had planned to raze the Royapuram station and build a passenger terminal, adding two rail lines to connect stations in south Tamil Nadu with the rest of the country.

CMDA sources said the heritage panel would also discuss the first draft list of 79 heritage sites. After going through omissions and corrections, the list is likely to be forwarded to the State government for notification.

The Heritage Conservation Committee has identified 500 sites and so far details have been collected on only about 79 sites.

The Royapuram station, noted for its architecture, was the second to be built in India and it remained the main railway terminus in Chennai until 1907. However, due to lack of maintenance, the station is in a dilapidated condition and if the government does not notify it soon, the building would be consigned to the pages of history books.

About 16 trains pass through Royapuram railway station but none of the express trains stop here. However, the station serves local commuters from Arakonam, Gummidipoondi and Ponneri with 42 up and down train halts a day.

The Southern Railways’ plan to tear down the more-than-a-century-old Royapuram railway station will not fructify, as the State Heritage Conservation Committee is set to turn down its request to de-list the structure from the list of heritage buildings.

Sources in Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority told Express a decision to this effect would be made later this month when the heritage panel will hold a meeting. “We don’t want to set a precedent,” confided a CMDA source.  Built in 1856 during the colonial era by then Madras Railway Company, Royapuram was the first station that initiated railway services in South India. The list prepared by CMDA has described it as a Grade-1 heritage structure. Southern Railways had planned to raze the Royapuram station and build a passenger terminal, adding two rail lines to connect stations in south Tamil Nadu with the rest of the country.

CMDA sources said the heritage panel would also discuss the first draft list of 79 heritage sites. After going through omissions and corrections, the list is likely to be forwarded to the State government for notification.

The Heritage Conservation Committee has identified 500 sites and so far details have been collected on only about 79 sites.

The Royapuram station, noted for its architecture, was the second to be built in India and it remained the main railway terminus in Chennai until 1907. However, due to lack of maintenance, the station is in a dilapidated condition and if the government does not notify it soon, the building would be consigned to the pages of history books.

About 16 trains pass through Royapuram railway station but none of the express trains stop here. However, the station serves local commuters from Arakonam, Gummidipoondi and Ponneri with 42 up and down train halts a day.

In a bid to fulfil the light refreshment requirements of passengers boarding and alighting trains at railway stations, 45 stations under the Thiruvananthapuram Railway Division are getting new catering stalls. Of this, 39 stations are in Kerala. Stations coming under the lower income D, E categories and halt stations in the F category are getting the stalls. Ten stations are in the D category and 29 are in the E category. The only F station where the stall is being installed is in Tamil Nadu. All these stalls are coming up for the first time in the respective stations. In some stations stalls are coming up on two platforms.  Of this, permission has been granted to install stalls in 19 stations. Whereas in some stations, none has responded. “For the stations where no applications have been received, we would invite fresh applications,” said a railway official.

When some stations which have lowest income got no takers, the stations which witness large number of passengers too evoked no response. For all these stations, fresh applications will be invited, including the B category stations, the official said.

PATNA: New divisional railway manager (DRM) N K Gupta of the Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR) has said that safety of passengers and punctuality of trains would be his top priority. The division is facing several problems, posing a serious challenge to the DRM.

The division lacks proper infrastructure to maintain smooth run of about 200 and odd pairs of passenger trains either originating or passing through the division. It has Up and Down lines on the main line only, particularly between Mughalsarai and Jhajha. The proposal for the third line between Ara and Fatuha is still pending with railway ministry for sanction, sources said.

Though the third line is the need of the hour, railways has maintained silence on the issue for long causing unnecessary detention of mail and express trains at outer stations or signals. That apart, the division has no contingency plan to cope with heavy traffic. Patna Junction is a hub of passenger trains. About one lakh passengers move here everyday. Yet there is no proper planning to cope with passengers’ rush during peak hours. The entire concourse area is full of unauthorized people and vendors. As a result, it is very difficult to move freely with luggage.

The division transports a large number of daily passengers on the Buxar-Patna, Patna-Mokama, Patna-Gaya, Kiul-Gaya and Bakhtiarpur-Rajgir sections of the division. For them, the division has provided several pairs of local trains including MEMUs. But, barring MEMUs, none of the local trains is running on time causing hardship to passengers, mostly office-goers.

Illegal stoppage of trains, rampant alarm chain pulling, frequent attacks on railway property by miscreants, drugging menace and luggage lifting are some of the other problems faced by the Danapur division which have badly affected the normal movement of trains. The new DRM will have to work hard to ensure that all safety rules are strictly followed.

Cleanliness on railway platforms, not only at Patna Junction but at all major stations of the division, is another challenge for the new DRM. Punctuality of trains, at least for those trains originating from the division, would be another uphill task.

To lower its power bill by around Rs 3.5 crore, the Central Railway (CR) is pushing for traction conversion on slow and fast lines between Kalyan and Thane and on 5th and 6th lines between Kalyan and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and is awaiting the mandatory nod from the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), which is likely to come by August-end. A CRS inspection is tentatively planned for August 17 and 18, said railway sources, adding that the CR has been trying to get a nod for the conversion since May this year.

CR is in the process of converting the suburban section between Kalyan and Thane from 1500-volt Direct Current (DC) to 25,000-volt Alternate Current (AC) and the same on the 5th and 6th lines between Kalyan and LTT. The section between Thane and CST will take at least a year to be completed.

Mukesh Nigam, divisional railway manager, CR, said: "The conversion will take place as soon as the CRS inspection is undertaken. There is no fixed date for the conversion yet."

A primary reason for the delay is a set of crossovers at Vidyavihar, Vikhroli and Mulund, which are presently used by mail/express trains to cross over from 5th and 6th lines to Up and Down suburban fast lines in emergencies.

It is learnt that Chetan Bakshi, the CRS (central zone), has expressed apprehensions about trains crossing over after the conversion work is complete. His reservations stem from an incident that took place at Reay Road in December last year. During an inquiry, it was found that the AC switch of the AC-DC local was mistakenly switched on the DC section, causing damage to equipment and resulting in fire in the train.

Railway officials said CRS has asked CR to commit that the crossovers in the DC section will not be used by mail/express trains until beyond Thane.

When asked about the condition put on CR, Bakshi said, "All issues have been sorted now. However an official word from CR is awaited."

Expressing doubt about the commitment asked for, a senior railway official requesting anonymity said, "There will be repercussions if the crossovers are made non-functional. There could be instances where the trains have to be diverted on fast lines between LTT and Thane. An assessment of the implications of such a commitment will have to be made before the administration goes ahead with the conversion."