ProUI

Mumbai: Senior railway officials want to make it mandatory for GRP constables, deputed in ladies compartments during late night/early morning hours, to first report to the guard or motorman before boarding a train.

The constables will also be asked to share personal details, including name and mobile number, with the guard on duty and the same will be noted in a register. This will ensure that the constables’ work schedule is kept under watch, they are strictly on duty between 8.30 pm and 6.30 am and refrain from “sleeping while on duty”.

“If this is made a standard procedure, it will deter GRP constables from oversleeping at stations and prevent dereliction of duty,” said a senior WR official, while referring to the incident where a constable, Devendra Shinde, overslept at Churchgate station and failed to patrol a ladies compartment on Saturday.

Railway officials have asked for a thorough investigation to ascertain whether the constable was really sleeping at the station or he was missing from the railway precinct.

A top railway official said that sleeping on duty was uncalled for. “Even WR staffers get only three to four hours gap to take rest (from 1 am to 5 am). After 5 am, every railway official on duty has to sign the roster and report for job. There is strict discipline, especially when it comes to motorman or guard,” the senior official said.

“We plan to approach senior GRP officials and make it compulsory for every constable to meet the guard and motorman before boarding the train. When they exchange mobile numbers, it can be handy during an emergency situation,” he said. He further stated that in case of any attack in a compartment, the GRP constable can call up the guard and bring the train to a halt. “Else, he can relay the message through the guard to the control room/next station and ask for reinforcements,” he stated. “The guard or motorman can also call the constables in case of any crisis situation.”

The official said that if there was proper co-ordination between railway staffers and police, incidents like the attack on the nurse can be averted in future. “We are also willing to give assistance to the GRP in form of funds to tighten the security for women passengers,” a top WR official said.

GRP surveillance on trains is also supported by home guards, who are deployed at stations to keep a vigil on platforms and also keep an eye on ladies compartments every time a train halts at a station for few seconds, sources said.

Senior officials with GRP said there’s a proper mechanism in place to check whether the night escort staff remains present for duty everyday and reports on time. Night escorting is carried out between 8.30pm and 6.30am in 24-hour ladies compartments on Western and Central Railway.

The constables report at Churchgate/CST station, where duty begins, around 8 pm and collect a rifle from the armoury after registering their name. There are random checks conducted on nodal stations to find out if 24-hour ladies compartments are being escorted or not. Locals do not operate between 2 to 4 am, when the escorting staff takes a break. It is their responsibility to keep the weapon safe at all times. At the end of the escorting duty, the constables have to return the rifle to the armoury. There’s an automatic check on their attendance when they sign the register twice__ while arriving for duty and while heading home.

Since September 2012, around 380 constables have been fined Rs 500 each for absenteeism from escort duty.

Lucknow: Lucknow Development Authority is constructing the office for Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation in Janpath area. Earlier, there were offices of Ganga Cell, Urban Development department and electricity department of LDA in this area. Office of Ganga Cell would be shifted to the guest house of Jal Nigam in Mall Avenue.

Located in proximity to Awas Bandhu office, six separate cabins are being made in LMRC’s office. It would also have a common hall. Separate cabins are being made for project research and computer section of this project. Officials from LDA told that before August 15, the new office of metro cell in Janpath would start functioning.

A metro cell official told that the office would be beautifully made so that people may realize that the metro and its stations would be made equally beautiful. The designing of the office has been done in accordance with the consent of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which has prepared the final DPR (detailed project report) for metro project.

The metro cell is keeping many information under wraps as instructed by the government. Metro cell and government want to establish their own shops and small malls so as to generate revenue from them in future. There is also a proposal to raise the DM circle rate of the adjoining land areas of metro route and stations.

After increasing the rates, funds would be created for construction and maintenance of metro rail project. parking facilities would also be created near metro stations to facilitate people. For this, LMRC has to purchase the nearby lands itself. Officials of the metro cell also confirmed that because of these things, the project has been kept confidential.

Builders of the city have already started flocking near LDA to purchase lands near metro route and its stations to construct shopping malls, complexes and apartments. Many have shown interest in buying lands near Amausi, Transportnagar, Krishnanagar, Alambagh Chouraha, Alambagh Bus Station etc where the metro stations are proposed to be set up.

Strangely, no RTI application has come for Charbagh which is an important terminal of metro route. The main hot spots for builders are places including Hussainganj, Hazratganj, IT College, Mahanagar, Badshahnagar, Indiranagar and Munshipulia etc.

A Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) detained a six-month pregnant woman and her husband at the Railway Protection Force station in Kollam on Monday for almost four hours for boarding a sleeper coach of the Kanyakumari-bound Jayanthi Janata Express at Karunagapally, the couple have alleged.

The couple, Rajeev and Liji, boarded the S3 sleeper coach as the general compartment was crowded, they said at a press conference here on Monday. As the train left the station the TTE, identified as Mathew Jacob, allegedly asked the couple to vacate it. The woman requested the TTE to consider her condition, and they be allowed to travel in the sleeper compartment standing.

The TTE examined the couple’s identity cards, and upon finding that they were from Paravur — where there was a showdown between TTEs and season-ticket holders travelling in sleeper coaches of the same train last Monday — said that they too were involved in that fracas and would be arrested. (On Monday, commuters had blocked the train for almost two hours at the station. The RPF had registered cases against more than 100 persons, some of whom were arrested at Thiruvananthapuram station and let off on self-bond.)

When they told the TTE that they would inform the media, they were charged with the offences of travelling in a reserved coach without a valid ticket, preventing the TTE from doing his duty, and threatening him.

The couple were later let off on self-bond. But they will have to appear before the Railway Court at Kollam when they receive the summons for the case. Rajeev is an employee at the Secretariat and Liji, an employee with the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Department.

RPF version

The RPF authorities said they did not know what exactly had happened. The TTE had handed over the couple to an RPF personnel on the train, directing that they be taken to the Kollam RPF station and charged. It was on the basis of the complaint that the case was registered.

Mr. Jacob could not be contacted.


Allegedly asked to leave sleeper coach and shift to crowded general coach.

Mangalore Central Railway Station may get an additional high-level platform and a third foot overbridge if the proposals of the Southern Railways to add these facilities at a cost of Rs. 16 crore in 2014-15 are approved by the Railway Board.

The facilities proposed also include laying of two new lines and a pit line which would enable it to handle more trains.

The information was disclosed by Additional Divisional Railway Manager of Palakkad Division Mohan A. Menon at a tri-monthly meeting chaired by MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to review the progress of railway projects in Dakshina Kannada.

Mr. Menon said the highest amount of Rs. 3.75 crore was being sought for the construction of a new foot overbridge and extension of the second foot overbridge, followed by Rs. 2.70 crore for a 540m pit line (a track with a pit under it all along to clean coaches); Rs. 2.55 crore for a new 540m platform; Rs. 1.71 crore for platform shelter and vacuum de-watering; Rs. 1.35 crore for a concrete apron for tracks to keep them clean; Rs. 1.29 crore for office accommodation and store; Rs. 73 lakh for two new lines; Rs. 50 lakhs for signalling arrangements; Rs. 50 lakh for improvement to circulating areas and Rs. 27 lakh for a compound wall, among others.

He noted that proposals worth Rs. 17 crore sent to the Railway Board were not cleared for the year 2013-14 and fresh proposals are being sent with modifications for the year 2014-15.

Mr. Menon expressed the inability of Railways to extend the Mumbai CST-Mangalore Junction Express train up to Mangalore Central station owing to the crowding of trains during afternoons.

The station would be able to handle more trains when the proposed facilities are added, he said. Extension of the proposed push-pull Bhatkal-Mangalore Junction train was also made at the meeting.

Mr. Menon said Kerala Industrial and Technical Consultancy Organisation (KITCO) has been appointed as consultants for the development of world class stations in Kerala and Mangalore. KITCO had come out with perception maps and it would hold meetings with stake holders.

The railway manager offered to inspect the Mangalore Station with regard to complaints of failure to maintain cleanliness. He also promised to look into the failure of authorities to provide sign boards and application forms in Kannada under the Tribhasha scheme of the railways to include local language.

He said the problems regarding wrong location of the pre-paid autorickshaw kiosk at Mangalore Junction railway station could have been avoided had the Railways been taken into confidence in advance. With the railways insisting on shifting the kiosk to prevent movement of the public being hit, the introduction of pre-paid autorickshaw service has been delayed.

Proposals breakdown

Rs. 3.75 crore for developing foot overbridges

Rs. 2.70 crore for a 540m pit line

Rs. 2.55 crore for a new 540m platform

Rs. 1.71 crore for platform shelter and vacuum de-watering

Rs. 1.35 crore for a concrete apron for tracks

Rs. 1.29 crore for office accommodation and store

Rs. 73 lakh for two new lines

Rs. 50 lakhs for signalling arrangements

Rs. 50 lakh for improvement to circulating areas

Rs. 27 lakh for a compound wall

Two computerised passenger reservation system (PRS) counters – one at Ponmalai post office and the other at Srirangam Ranga Nagar post office - were commissioned on Monday. Both counters have been set up under the Member of Parliament’s 1,000 PRS scheme.The PRS counter at Ponmalai post office set up under the MP’s 1,000 PRS Scheme of N. Balaganga was inaugurated by P. Kumar, Member of Parliament, Tiruchi.

This is the 29th PRS centre of Tiruchi division and the fifth such counter opened at post offices.

The PRS counter at Ranga Nagar post office in Srirangam established under the MP’s 1,000 PRS Scheme of A. Elavarasan was inaugurated by Manjula Rangarajan, Divisional Railway Manager, Tiruchi.

This is the 30th PRS centre of Tiruchi division and the sixth such counter opened at post office.

G. Natarajan, Director - Postal Services, Central Region, Tiruchi, K.V.S.V. Prasad, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager and senior officials of the Postal Department were present. The counters will function during the working hours of the Post Office.

Tatkal tickets can also be booked through these counters, a Southern Railway press release here said.

पानीपत. ट्रेन से रोहतक जाने वाले यात्रियों को आठ किलोमीटर का अतिरिक्त सफर तय करना होगा। रोहतक को जाम से मुक्ति दिलाने के लिए रेल मंत्री मल्लिकार्जुन खड़गे ने रविवार को पानीपत-गोहाना रेलवे लाइन के नए बाइपास का शिलान्यास किया।
180 करोड़ की रेलवे लाइन रोहतक के बाहर से होकर गुजरेगी और मकड़ौली के पास आकर फिर से पानीपत लाइन में आकर मिल जाएगी। लाइन बनाने का काम चार माह में शुरू हो जाएगा और दो साल के अंदर लक्ष्य को पूरा कर लिया जाएगा। अभी पानीपत से रोहतक 71 किलोमीटर दूर है। नई लाइन से यह दूरी 79 किलोमीटर हो जाएगी।

बिलासपुर. रेलवे पार्सल विभाग के कर्मचारी नियमों को ताक पर रखकर प्रतिबंधित सामानों की बुकिंग ले रहे हैं। इसका खुलासा शनिवार की सुबह तब हुआ जब डिवीजन के एसीएम ने पार्सल कार्यालय में छापामार कार्रवाई कर 43 नग बैटरी की बुकिंग रद्द कराई। ये बैटरियां वेनगंगा एक्सप्रेस में बिलासपुर से काचीगुड़ा भेजी जानी थी। रिचार्जेबल बैटरी को रेलवे ने ज्वलनशील पदार्थ की श्रेणी में रखा है, लिहाजा पार्सल ट्रेन में चढ़ने से पहले रोक ली गई।
बिलासपुर रेल मंडल के असिस्टेंट कमर्शियल मैनेजर (एसीएम) किशोर निखारे को शिकायत मिली थी कि पार्सल विभाग में उन वस्तुओं की भी बुकिंग की जा रही है, जो ज्वलनशील पदार्थो की श्रेणी में आते हैं। पार्सल क्लर्क की सांठगांठ से ऐसे पदार्थ ट्रेनों में लगातार भेजे जा रहे हैं। निखारे को शनिवार की सुबह खबर मिली कि पार्सल कार्यालय में 43 बैटरियां बुक की गईं हैं।
इन्हें जूट की बोरी में पैक कर इलेक्ट्रानिक्स आइटम बताया गया था। ये बैटरियां रविवार को वेनगंगा एक्सप्रेस के पार्सलयान में काचीगुड़ा के लिए लोड की जानीथी। निखारे ने शनिवार की सुबह सीआई विजय कोरी व एके चंद्रा के साथ पार्सल कार्यालय में सुबह 9:30 बजे दबिश दी।
तलाशी ली गई तो जुट की गठरियां सामने आईं। इनकी जांच में साफ हो गया कि रिचार्जेबल बैटरियों को इलेक्ट्रानिक्स सामान के तौर पर बुक कराया गया है। एसीएम ने पार्सल प्रभारी और क्लर्क से जवाब तलब किया तो सभी बगलें झांकने लगे। आखिरकार अफसर ने बैटरी बुक करने के लिए जमा राशि राजसात करने के साथ ही बुकिंग कैंसिल कर दी।
अफसर की सतर्कता से शनिवार को तो ज्वलनशील पदार्थ ट्रेन में लोड होने से बच गया, लेकिन इस घटना ने पार्सल कार्यालय की बदइंतजामी की पोल खोल दी। इससे पहले भी यहां गुटखा व अन्य प्रतिबंधित सामान पकड़े जा चुके हैं।
ज्वलनशील पदार्थ के परिवहन के मामले में रेल प्रशासन ने कड़ा रुख अपनाया है। एसीएम की रिपोर्ट पर सीनियर डीसीएम तनवीर हसन ने पार्सल बुक करने वाले क्लर्क को तत्काल प्रभाव से सस्पेंड कर दिया। इसके अलावा पार्सल सुपरवाइजर को कारण बताओ जारी किया गया है। सेक्शन के सीआई एके चंद्रा को मामले की जांच रिपोर्ट सौंपने के लिए कहा गया है, जिसके आधार पर क्लर्क व सुपरवाइजर को चार्जशीट जारी की जा सकती है।
शनिवार की जांच से रेलवे पार्सल कार्यालय में दलालों के सक्रिय होने का भी खुलासा हुआ है। बैटरियों की जांच में पता चला कि इसे सुरेश नामक व्यक्ति के नाम से बुक कराया गया है। बुक कराने वाला निसार अहमद है, जिसने खुद को रेलवे का पार्सल सेंडर एजेंट बताया है। उसने पार्सल के दस्तावेजों में सेंडर एजेंट के तौर पर सील भी लगाई है।
कार्रवाई करने वाले एसीएम निखारेने स्पष्ट किया कि बुकिंग कराने वाला कोई और है, जबकि स्टांप किसी और का लगा है। इस मामले की जांच कीजा रही है कि निसार अहमद ने किस अधिकार से खुद को सेंडर एजेंट बताया है। रेलवे में सेंडर एजेंट जैसी कोई व्यवस्था तो है नहीं, लिहाजा पूरे मामले की बारीकी से जांच की जा रही है। जानकार बताते हैं कि पार्सल आफिस में निसार की तरह आधा दर्जन एजेंट हैं, जो पार्सल क्लर्क से सांठगांठ कर प्रतिबंधित सामान को ट्रेनों मेंलोड कराते हैं।

Partialy Cancelled/diverted of trains.

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.

SCR to Run 18 Special Trains between Aurangabad-Tirupati and Kacheguda-Mangalore

..
In order to clear extra rush of passengers, South Central Railway will run 18 Special Trains between Aurangabad-Tirupati  and  Kacheguda-Mangalore as per the following schedule:-


1)Aurangabad-Tirupati-Aurangabad  Special Trains( 10 services):

Train No. 07405 Aurangabad-Tirupati Special Train will depart Aurangabad at 18 40 hrs o­n 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th August, 2013 (Fridays) and arrive Tirupati at 19 00 hrs o­n the next day.

In the return direction, Train No.07406 Tirupati-Aurangabad Special train will depart Tirupati at 21 15 hrs o­n 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th and 31st August, 2013 (Saturdays) and arrive Aurangabad at 20 30 hrs o­n the next day.

Enroute, these special trains will stop at Jalna, Parbhani, Purna, Nanded, Mudhked, Basar, Nizambad, Kamareddi, Secunderabad, Kazipet, Warangal, Khammam, Vijayawada, Tenali, Chirala, o­ngole, Nellore, Gudur, Venkatagiri, Srikalahasti and Renigunta

Stations in both directions.  These trains will consist of 15 Coaches viz., o­ne AC Three Tier, six Sleeper Class, six General Second Class and two Luggage Cum Brake Van Coaches.                   

2)Kacheguda-Mangalore-Kacheguda Special Trains (8 Services)

    Train No.07606 Kacheguda-Mangalore Special Train will depart Kacheguda at  06 00 hrs o­n Tuesdays ie., on 6th, 13th, 20thand 27th August, 2013  and arrive  Mangalore at 11 20 hrs o­n the next day.

      In the return direction, Train No. 07605 Mangalore-Kachiguda Special Train will depart Mangalore at 20 00 hrs on Wednesday ie., o­n 7th, 14th, 21st and 28thAugust, 2013 and arrive Kacheguda at 03 40 hrs o­n Fridays.

Enroute, these special trains will stop at Jadcherla, Mahbubnagar, Gadwal, Kurnool City, Dhone, Gooty, Yerraguntla, Cuddapah, Rajampeta, Renigunta, Katpadi, Jolarpettai, Salem, Erode, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Shoranur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Vadakara, Thalasery, Kannur, Payyanur, Kanhangad and Kasaragod Stations in both directions. These special trains will consist of 18 Coaches viz., o­ne AC II Tier, two AC III Tier, seven Sleeper Class, six General Second Class and two Luggage Cum Brake Van Coaches.