ProUI

Amritsar:
Limited number of platforms, large number of trains and Railways' adamant approach in keeping Shatabdi Express parked on platform No. 1 for a better part of the day is causing inconvenience to thousands of passengers arriving in the holy city daily. Other trains are consequently made to wait for hours on the outskirts of the city.The Railways had to recently pay Rs 32,000 to Jatinderpal Singh on the directions of the Amritsar Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum. He said he was travelling with his family in Hirakund Express from Ambala to Amritsar on March 27, 2011. However, the train was stopped at the unscheduled Manawala station, near Amritsar. While other trains were allowed to cross, the train they were in remained standing for over 2:30 hours.The platform No. 1 of the Amritsar railway station is booked for a larger part of the day. The passengers are either forced to use the overbridge or take risks to cross the tracks on foot. No other train is allowed to enter the platform No. 1 as Shatabdi Express and Swaran Shatabdi Express remain parked for nearly 11 hours. Members of the Sis Ganj Sahib Sewak Jatha, a Delhi-based Sikh religious organisation, had taken up the matter by writing a communiqué to then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee some time back.Manmohan Singh, a passenger, said he had been observing for over two years that the Shatabdi trains were invariably parked on the platform No. 1, causing inconvenience to the passengers, especially the infirm and aged. He said these trains could easily be taken to a yard like other trains for maintenance and washing.Shatabdi Express arrives from Delhi at 10.25 pm and remains parked on the platform until it leaves for the same destination at 5 am. Similarly, Swaran Shatabdi Express remains parked on the platform No. 1 after it arrives from Delhi at 1:25 pm till 4:55 pm when it again departs for Delhi. All major amenities, including waiting halls, toilets for handicapped, bathrooms, ticket windows, enquiry, dispensary and platform ticket window facilities and offices of the Railways are located on the platform No. 1.Railways officials maintained that the trains were parked on the platform No. 1 for security reasons and had costly furniture. Beside, offices of Railways employees were situated on the same platform that made surveillance quick and reliable, added the officials.

MUMBAI: LokmanyaTilak Terminus, considered to be the city's worst face presented to a visitor, is on track for a facelift. Central Railway has decided to build a travelator to link LTT and Kurla suburban railway station, to ease commuters' woes.CR plans to initiate the bidding process for the project after the Santa Cruz-Chembur Link Road, scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, is opened. LTT is considered to be the city's most inaccessible station because of its poor road and suburban rail connectivity and a large number of auto and taxi drivers outside it who are infamous for fleecing and even assaulting commuters.CR's divisional railway manager Mukesh Nigam said, "We plan to build a 700m-long moving walkway to connect LTT to Kurla station. Passengers will then be able to cover this distance with luggage in tow in 5 to 7 minutes. But we will able to firm up plans only after the SCLR project is complete." Work on the travelator can only begin after railway land is cleared of construction material and debris from the much-delayed SCLR project, and a proper vehicular traffic pattern is established.Though built as a modern terminus, travelling to and from LTT is a commuter's nightmare. Commuters, especially women, have had nightmarish experiences at LTT. In November last year, a starlet was taken for a "long ride" by auto drivers from LTT and assaulted before she managed to escape. "A cartel of drivers is in cahoots with local police and RTO. It is difficult to break the cartel unless the RTO launches a drive to weed out unscrupulous elements," said activist Anil Galgali. He said several autos fleece passengers with pre-decided fares and don't ply by meter. Principal secretary (transport) Shailesh Sharma said, "We plan to streamline the auto service outside LTT by introducing a prepaid stand." But a prepaid taxi service started at LTT a few months back hasn't deterred rogue cabbies, sources said. A L Quadros, whose union manages the prepaid taxi service at LTT, said, "There is chaos . We have complained several times to the transport department and railways, but the situation has not changed. The RTO and traffic cops too have done precious little to keep the notorious drivers at bay." An activist said, "Passengers arriving by early-morning or late-night trains have no option but to depend on autos and taxis. They are often gullible victims for rogue drivers who even enter the platform premises."

A senior CR official said, "Though final estimates are yet be prepared, the project is likely to cost Rs 9 crore." CR also plans to increase platforms at LTT to 12 from the existing five.

NEW DELHI: In a setback to Udhampur-Katra rail link project, the work on the 25-km-long stretch has been slowed down after the unrest in Jammu and Kashmir over the BSF firing incident at Ramban.The Katra line was expected to be operational by the end of August as work was going on full throttle. But now it is further delayed and likely to be commissioned in October this year."The workforce involved in laying the tracks between Udhampur and Katra, part of the Kashmir rail link project, had fled after the turmoil in the state due to the firing incident and it has affected the progress of the ongoing work," a senior Northern Railway official involved in the project said.He said majority of the skilled workforce were from outside of the state including Jharkhand, West Bengal and Bihar.Though the work has been resumed in the section, the pace is slow as all the workers have not yet returned, the official said.The ballast-less track is being laid on the Udhampur-Katra section which involves about 11 km of tunnelling, nine major bridges, 29 minor bridges and 10 rail overbids/rail under-bridges.Trial run will be conducted on the route after the completion of laying the track and the Commissioner Railway Safety will inspect the line before giving the clearance.We are trying to make the line operational before the commencement of Navaratri, official said.

All the tunnelling as well as bridge works have been completed.

MADURAI: As announced in the 2013-14 railway budget, two passenger train services have been extended in the Madurai railway division. While the Madurai - Kollam - Madurai passenger has bee extended up to Punalur from Thursday (August 1), the Madurai - Dindigul - Madurai passenger will be extended to Palani from August 2.An official statement from the Southern Railway said that train number 56700/56701 Madurai - Kollam -Madurai passenger will be extended to Punalur. Train number 56700 Madurai - Kollam passenger leaving Madurai on Wednesday 11.15pm and arriving Kollam on August 1 by 9.05am will be extended to Punalur as Madurai - Punalur passenger and the train will reach the station by 11.10am.Meanwhile train number 56701 Kollam - Madurai passenger will start from Punalur as Punalur - Madurai passenger at 3.50pm on August 1 and arrive Kollam at 5.40pm. It will leave Kollam at 6.10pm and reach Madurai at 6.20am the next day. The train will stop at all stations between Kollam and Punalur viz. Kilikollur, Chandanattop Halt, Kundra, Kundra East Halt, Ezhukone, Kottarakara, Kuri Halt and Auvaneeswaram.In the same way, train number 56710/56709 Madurai - Dindigul - Madurai train is extended to Palani. The inaugural and regular service of train number 56710 Madurai - Palani Passenger and train number 56709 Palani - Madurai passenger will commence from August 2. Train number 56710 Madurai - Palani passenger will leave Madurai at 7.35am and arrive Dindigul at 8.55am. It will leave Dindigul at 9am to reach Palani at 10.45am. Train number 56709 Palani - Madurai passenger will leave Palani at 5.05pm and arrive Dindigul at 6.10pm; it will leave Dindigul at 6.15pm and reach Madurai at 8.15pm. The trains will stop at Kudal Nagar, Samayanallur, Sholavandan, Vadipatti, Kodaikkanal Road, Ambaturai, Dindigul, Akkaraippatti, Oddanchatram and Chatrapatti.

State minister for electricity and prohibition and excise, Natham R Viswanathan, Dindigul MP, N S V Chitthan and other dignitaries are expected to flag off the extended service of train number 56710 Madurai - Dindigul Passenger to Palani at Dindigul railway station at 9am on August 2, the railway statement observed.

MANGALORE: The extended service of train 12081 Kannur - Thiruvanathapuram Jan Shatabdi express will be flagged off by K Sudhakaran, Member of Parliament at Kannur Railway station on August 2 at 4.45pm.AP Abdulla Kutty, MLA, Roshni Khalid, Chairperson, Kannur Municipality and K A Sarala, District Panchayat President will be present at the function. Train 12082 Thiruvananthapuram-Kozhikode Jan Shatabdi Express leaving Thiruvananthapuram on August 2 will come up to Kannur. These trains will have 3 AC Chair Car, 13 Second Class Chair Car and 2 Luggage-cum-Brake Van coaches.On the same day at 10am, MP Sudhakaran will inaugurate the cleanliness drive, tree plantation, garden development and spreading of awareness on safety measures at Kannur Station.

CHENNAI: As bookings opened for train tickets to Kerala for Onam holidays a few days back, many travellers were disappointed to find that tickets had been sold out. Travellers will now have to depend on tatkal tickets or buy exorbitantly priced seats on buses. Railways will introduce special trains only after monitoring booking status in September.Even as Onam falls on September 16, the reservation status for tickets on September 13 on three trains to Kerala from Chennai touched waitlist. Tickets are now available only for September 16, the day of the festival. "The rush for tickets on Thiruvananthapuram Mail for September 13 is so high that the status shows 'regret'. This means that booking has crossed beyond the waitlist limit," said an R Murali, a regular traveller.Most passengers prefer to travel on Friday as they get the whole weekend. The recently-introduced Duronto Express between Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram is not convenient for many passengers as the train runs on Tuesdays from Chennai. Onam falls on a Monday.A railway official said that special trains might be introduced closer to the festival, after assessing reservation status.

रेल कारखाना जमालपुर में उत्पादन इकाई को और ज्यादा मजबूत करने के उद्देश्य से 15 करोड़ की लागत से कई प्रकार के अत्याधुनिक मशीनें सीडब्ल्यूएम अनिमेष कुमार सिन्हा के पहल पर लगाए जा रहे हैं। इससे कारखाना की ओर से कई क्षेत्रों में बेहतर कार्य किया जा सकता है। उक्त मशीन को लगाने के लिए कोलकाता व रेलवे बोर्ड ने भी हरी झंडी दे दी है। इसकी जानकारी बुधवार को सीडब्ल्यूएम सभागार में हेडक्वार्टर से आए सीएमई प्लानिंग पीके साहा ने दी है। श्री साहा ने कहा कि सीडब्ल्यूएमश्री सिन्हा के नेतृत्व में जो कार्य उत्पादन क्षेत्र में दिन प्रतिदिन हो रहा है। उक्त मशीन से और ज्यादा ज्यादा किया जाएगा। बताया कि इस साल 15 करोड़ की लागत से कई प्रकार के आधुनिक युग मशीन लगाए जा रहे हैं। जिसमें सात क्रेन मशीन, कम्प्रेशर मशीन, प्रेस मशीन, प्लेट कटिंग मशीन शामिल हैं। मशीन लगते ही प्रोडक्शन कार्य में तेजी तो आएगी। साथ ही रिकार्ड तोड़ उत्पादन किया जाएगा। सीएमई प्लानिंग ने यह भी बताया कि इतने बड़े बजट की मशीनों को लगाने का सिर्फ एक ही प्रायोजन है कि भारतीय रेल में सभी तरह के उत्पादन व मरम्मत का कार्य सिर्फ जमालपुर कारखाना में किया जाता रहा है। इसी वजह से बोर्ड की नजरें इस कारखाना के कार्यो पर टिकी हुई रहती है। श्री साहा ने कहा कि इसके अलावे कई आधुनिक तकनीक की मशीनें से निकट भविष्य में और लगने के संकेत दिए।
ज्ञात हो कि 140 टन का एमएलआर वर्तमान में निर्माण किया जा रहा है। साथ ही
हाइड्रोलिक टावर का निर्माण भी इस साल से शुरु है।
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कारखाना में पूर्व व वर्तमान में कारखाना के उत्पादन की स्थिति उत्पाद का नाम पूर्व वर्तमान
-वैगन 370 425
-डीजल इंजन मरम्मत 72 90
-जमालपुर जैक 8-9 13-14
-140 टन क्रेन 8 12
-बीएलसी बॉक्स
-एनएचएल 500 600
-डीजल इंजन 3 3-4
-चक्का 370 1800
नोट- सभी स्त्रोत कारखाना से

अब वर्ल्ड क्लास स्टेशन की दौड़ में उपराजधानी के एक नहीं बल्कि दो स्टेशन शामिल हो गए हैं। बुधवार को नागपुर व अजनी स्टेशन का वर्ल्ड क्लास के लिए मूल्यांकन करने आए रेलवे बोर्ड के कार्यकारी संचालक अशोक गुप्ता ने यह बात साफ कर दी है।
पत्रकारों से चर्चा के दौरान श्री गुप्ता ने बताया कि सांसद विलास मुत्तेमवार द्वारा अजनी स्टेशन को वर्ल्ड क्लास स्टेशन बनाने के संबंध में लगातार मांग की गई है। ऐसे में यहां आकर दोनों स्टेशनों का मूल्यांकन करना जरूरी हो गया था। लेकिन निरीक्षण के बाद दोनों स्टेशन की एक अलग विशेषता होने से वर्ल्ड क्लास के लिए किसे प्राथमिकता मिलेगी, यह अभी तय नहीं किया जा सकता है। दोनों स्टेशनों के गहन अध्ययन के बाद वर्ल्ड क्लास स्टेशन के लिए काबिल स्टेशन बताया जा सकेगा।
उन्होंने बताया कि रेलवे मंत्रालय द्वारा देश के कुछ स्टेशनों पर वर्ल्ड क्लास सुविधा देने की घोषणा हुई थी। उसमें नागपुर स्टेशन का भी सामावेश है। लेकिन वर्ल्ड क्लास की तर्ज पर काम पब्लिक प्रायवेट पार्टनर्शिप (पीपीपी) के माध्यम से किया जाएगा। भविष्य में उपराजधानी में जिस स्टेशन को वर्ल्ड क्लास का दर्जा मिले, वहां यात्रियों को परिसर में ही हॉटेल्स, शॉपिंग मॉल, फूड कोर्ट, मैकेनाइज्ड पार्सल हैंडलिंग सुविधा, विकलांगों व बुर्जुग के लिए विशेष सीढिय़ां, चौड़ा फुट ओवरब्रिज, स्वचलित सीढिय़ों का प्रमाण बढ़ाना, स्वतंत्र गटर लाइन, एक्सिकेटिव लाउंज आदि हाईटेक सुविधा मिलेगी।
साथ ही स्टेशन पर सुरक्षा बनी रहे इस उद्देश्य से स्वतंत्र कंट्रोल रूम भी बनेगा। बताया गया कि भारत के मध्य में होने से नागपुर को देश में महत्वपूर्ण स्थान दिया गया है, जिसके चलते यहां रेलवे स्टेशन 24 घंटे व्यस्त रहता है। इसे देख स्टेशन का महत्व बढ़ाने के उद्देश्य से भारत सरकार ने रेलवे अर्थसंकल्प में नागपुर रेलवे स्टेशन के साथ देश के 40 रेलवे स्टेशनों को वर्ल्ड क्लास स्टेशन की घोषणा की है।
इसमें पहले पांच स्टेशनों में चंडीगढ़, आनंद विहार, बिजवासन, हबीबगंज व पुणे का शिवाजीनगर रेलवे स्टेशन है। जिनकी प्रक्रिया शुरू हो गई है। विभिन्न देशों के रेलवे से इस संदर्भ में शर्तें व नियम के लिए मंत्रालय स्तर पर बातचीत शुरू है, जिसमें बेल्जियम देश मुख्य है।

NEW DELHI: The Haryana government said on Wednesday that the Centre has given approval for two civilian airports in Hisar and Karnal.Making this announcement, chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed soon. He said the state government had applied for five airports for Hisar, Bhiwani, Narnaul, Karnal and Pinjore out of which the approval of two came on Wednesday.These airports would give connectivity a leg-up and boost industry and tourism in the state, a government release said. Hooda said that talks were in progress with the Central government for setting up of an international cargo airport in the state. For long, Haryana has been pushing for this in Jhajjar district in the National Capital Region (NCR).Sources said that the announcement of developing two airports would prove politically beneficial to the Hooda government. Recently, Haryana got the Indian National Defence University (INDU) — the first varsity of its kind in the country. "The focus is to push development across the state," said an official.The state government has also announced to provide 50% of Rs 2,515 crore for implementation of three railway line projects — Delhi-Sohna-Nuh-Ferozpur Jhirka-Alwar, Hisar-Agroha-Fatehabad-Sirsa and Yamunanagar-Sadhora-Naraingarh-Chandigarh — for their early construction. The length of these rail lines would be 104 km, 93 km and 91 km, respectively.

मंचेश्वर रेलवे स्टैडियम परिसर में पूर्वतट रेलवे द्वारा एक सर्वभारतीय रेल फोटो प्रदर्शनी लगाई गई है। रेलवे के इतिहास की जानकारी देने वाली इस फोटो प्रदर्शनी में 1853 से लेकर अब तक के विकास यात्रा को कैमरे की नजर से दर्शाया गया है। इस अनूठी प्रदर्शनी का उद्घाटन पूर्वतट रेलवे के महाप्रबंधक इंन्द्र घोष ने किया।
इस मौके पर सम्मानित अतिथि के तौर पर पूर्वतट रेलवे महिला संगठन की अध्यक्षा रत्ना घोष उपस्थित थी। महा प्रबंधक ने इस प्रदर्शनी को रेलवे इतिहास की प्रदर्शनी बताते हुए कहा कि स्टीम इंजन से लेकर अत्याधुनिक रेल इंजन की यात्रा को फोटो के जरिए देखना सुहाना लगता है। उन्होंने कहा कि ऐसे आयोजन समय समय पर होने चाहिए ताकि हमें अपने लम्बे इतिहास का स्मरण बना रहे। इस प्रदर्शनी में रेलवे की इतिहास के महत्वपूर्ण क्षणों को भी दर्शाया गया है। प्रदर्शनी को लेकर सभी वर्ग में उत्साह है।