ProUI

West Central railway (WCR) is launching a 40- day awareness campaign apprising people through SMSs how to cross the unmanned railway crossing. The campaign would be launched from Wednesday.  SMSs would be sent to people especially of those who have to cross unmanned railway crossing daily.

CHENNAI: After media outcry and public resentment over Southern Railway's proposed move to raze the Royapuram railway station, a public interest petition against the move has been filed in the Madras high court. A division bench before which the PIL filed by advocate S Sathya Chandran came up for admission issued notices to the CMDA and Southern Railway. It adjourned the matter to two weeks for further hearing.

In his petition, Sathya Chandran relied on media reports dated June 22, claiming that Southern Railway had approached the state Heritage Conservation Committee, requesting the latter's permission for removal of the Royapuram railway state from the list of heritage buildings so as to enable them to undertake 'development projects' at the site.

The advocate said that though small, the Royapuram station building was of historic importance as it was the oldest in the entire Indian sub-continent. The petitioner added that in a list prepared by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority the Royapuram station has been described as grade-1 heritage structure.

He wanted the court to restrain the railway and CMDA from demolishing the structure.

Railways had sought removal of structure from heritage list to pave way for its demolition

The Royapuram railway station, a heritage building, is in the news again.

A public interest litigation has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking a direction to the State government and the heritage conservation committee against the removal of the structure from the list of heritage buildings.

The railways had already approached the panel with a request to remove the building from the list to enable it to demolish the structure, the petitioner said.

When the petition came up before a division bench comprising Justices R. Banumathi and T.S. Sivagnanam, the counsel for the CMDA took notice. The matter has been posted for further hearing after two weeks.

In the petition, S. Sathia Chandran, a lawyer, said he filed the plea for preserving the railway station. Citing a report in The Hindu on June 22 that Southern Railway had approached the committee seeking the removal of the station from the list of heritage buildings to facilitate the demolition of the structure, he said it was unfortunate the railways had mooted this ‘destructive and disastrous step.’

The building was the oldest station in the entire country. It was also small in size. On the 72-acre site, the heritage building did not even occupy a quarter of a ground of 2,400 sq.ft. The ‘insensitivity’ of the Railways towards history and heritage was highly condemnable, the petition said.

The station was inaugurated on July 1, 1856. The decision to demolish such a heritage building was not only an unwise move, but also illegal, it said.

It was only at the instance of the High Court that the government woke up to the need for forming the heritage conservation committee, on April 1, 2010. The panel had necessary powers to conserve heritage buildings.

As per the list of heritage structures in phase I, Royapuram railway station had been listed at no. 26 and the structure came under the Grade I category. If the railways’ request was granted, it would sound the death knell for the conservation of heritage structures in the city.

The petitioner said he sent a representation dated June 22 to the committee and the Southern Railway. But there was no response, which was why he had filed the current petition.

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA: At least 35 people were killed and 50 injured when a train derailed on the outskirts of the northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday in one of the country's worst rail disasters.

Bodies covered in blankets lay next to carriages as smoke billowed from the wreckage a few hundred metres away from the entrance to the city's main station.

The train derailed on the eve of the ancient city's main Christian festival when thousands of pilgrims travel in to pack the streets.

"It was going so quickly ... It seems that on a curve the train started to twist, and the wagons piled up one on top of the other," passenger Ricardo Montesco told Cadena Ser radio station.

"A lot of people were squashed on the bottom. We tried to squeeze out of the bottom of the wagons to get out and we realised the train was burning ... I was in the second wagon and there was fire ... I saw corpses," he added.

Another witness told the radio station she had heard an explosion before seeing the derailed train.

A spokesman for the regional government's office described the derailment as an accident. But the wreckage will stir memories of 2004's Madrid train bombing, carried out by Islamists, that killed 191 people.

"We can confirm there was an accident, but we cannot confirm mortalities as yet," the official told Reuters.

The head of the surrounding Galicia region, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, said at least 35 people had died and it was too early to say what had caused the derailment.

The crash happened a day before the city's main festival paying tribute to the remains of St James, one of Jesus' 12 disciples.

The apostle's shrine in the city is the destination of the famous El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, followed by Christians since the Middle Ages.

The city is also the birthplace of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy.

No one was immediately available to comment from Spanish train operator Renfe whose logo was visible on the wrecked carriages.

समस्तीपुर-दौरा मधेपुरा रेलखंड में शाम में यात्रा करने में अब मुश्किल नहीं होगी। रेल प्रशासन ने इस रेलखंड पर नयी रेलगाड़ी परिचालन की स्वीकृति प्रदान कर दी है। शुक्रवार को इस नयी रेल गाड़ी को हरी झंडी दिखाकर लोकार्पित किया जाएगा। यह जानकारी देते हुए वरिष्ठ मंडल परिचालन प्रबंधक दिलीप कुमार ने बताया कि यह नयी रेलगाड़ी 55534 8.30 बजे समस्तीपुर से खुलेगी, जो 2.15 बजे मधेपुरा पहुंचेगी। देसुआ-8.40, 8.50 बजे अंगारघाट, 9 बजे नरहन, 9.10 बजे रोसड़ा, 9.25 बजे नयानगर, 9.45 बजे हसनपुर, 10 बजे गढ़पुरा, 10 .23 बजे सलोना, 11 बजे खगड़िया, 1.10 बजे सहरसा होते हुए 2.15 बजे मधेपुरा पहुंचेगी। वहीं 55533 मधेपुरा से 6.05 बजे सुबह में खुलेगी जो समस्तीपुर 12 बजे पहुंचेगी। मालूम हो इस खंड पर शाम में चलने के लिए पूर्व से कोई ट्रेन नहीं था। इसको लेकर कई बार लोगों ने आंदोलन किया था। स्थानीय सांसद महेश्वर हजारी ने भी इस खंड पर ट्रेन परिचालन को लेकर रेलवे बोर्ड एवं महाप्रबंधक को भी पत्र लिखा था। इसके बाद इसकी महाप्रबंधक ने इसकी स्वीकृति प्रदान कर दी है। शुक्रवार को इसे हरी झंडी दिखाकर विदा किया जाएगा।

इनसेट

दरभंगा-न्यूजलपाईगुड़ी का विस्तार सीतामढ़ी तक

समस्तीपुर, काप्र : 15723 दरभंगा-न्यूजलपाईगुड़ी एक्सप्रेस अब दरभंगा की बजाय सीतामढ़ी से खुलेगी। गुरुवार को इसका शुभारंभ कर दिया जाएगा। वरिष्ठ मंडल वाणिज्य प्रबंधक ने यह जानकारी देते हुए कहा कि सीतामढ़ी में इसका शुभारंभ सांसद अर्जून राय एवं मंडल रेल प्रबंधक अरुण मलिक संयुक्त रूप से करेंगे।

रैपिड मेट्रो का हाइस्पीड ट्रायल अब तक पूरा नहीं हो सका है। ऐसे में सितंबर से पहले यह ट्रेन पटरी पर नहीं दौड़ेगी। प्रबंधन मार्च से अब तक चार बार अपनी डेटलाइन बढ़ा चुका है। हालांकि हाइस्पीड ट्रायल के लिए रेल मंत्रालय मंजूरी तो दे चुका है, लेकिन मंत्रालय की ओर से अब तक कोई अधिकारी नहीं आया है।
2 अक्टूबर 2012 में प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री भूपेंद्र सिंह हुडा और सांसद राव इंद्रजीत सिंह की मौजूदगी में जब इसका ट्रायल शुरू हुआ था तो लोगों ने उम्मीद लगाई थी कि अगले साल मार्च तक रैपिड मेट्रो की सेवा मिलने लगेगी। उस समय रैपिड मेट्रो प्रबंधन ने दूसरे चरण में गोल्फ क्लब तक रैपिड मेट्रो के लिए निर्माण कार्य के लिए शिलान्यास भी किया, लेकिन रैपिड मेट्रो का ट्रायल पूरा नहीं हुआ।
रैपिड मेट्रो के परिचालन के लिए मार्च माह में प्रोजेक्ट रिपोर्ट दी गई थी, जिसे पदाधिकारियों ने स्वीकार किया था। रैपिड मेट्रो रेल के उपाध्यक्ष ने लिखित रूप में जवाब दिया था कि अप्रैल में रैपिड मेट्रो का व्यवसायिक परिचालन शुरू हो जाएगा। इसके बाद रैपिड मेट्रो के मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी ने मई में रैपिड मेट्रो को ट्रैक पर उतारने की बात स्वीकारी थी, लेकिन जून बीत गया और जुलाई भी समाप्ति के कगार पर है।
रेल विभाग के अधिकारी हाइस्पीड ट्रायल के लिए मौका मुआयना कर चुके हैं, लेकिन आरडीएसओ की टीम अगले सप्ताह आएगी। हाइस्पीड ट्रायल में तीन से चार सप्ताह का समय लग सकता हैं। इसके बाद अधिकारी अपना प्रमाण पत्र देंगे और फिर सेफ्टी कमिश्नर को निमंत्रित किया जाएगा। सेफ्टी कमिश्नर की अनुमति के बाद ही रैपिड मेट्रो की सेवा शुरू होगी। कोशिश होगी कि सितंबर तक रैपिड मेट्रो अपनी सेवा देना शुरू कर दे।
संजीव राय, मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारी, रैपिड मेट्रो

पूर्वोतर रेलवे वाराणसी मंडल उपभोक्ता परामर्शदात्री समिति की बैठक में सुझाव का तांता लग गया। सदस्यों ने वाराणसी के मंडुवाडीह स्टेशन को रेलवे के लिए नजीर बनाने की पहल की।
लहरतारा स्थित डीआरएम कार्यालय में बुधवार को आयोजित बैठक में सदस्य हरिओम पाल ने मंडुवाडीह स्टेशन यार्ड को पार करके बाजार में जाने के लिए पाथ-वे, प्लेटफार्म नंबर एक का मालगोदाम का साइड गेट खोलने, स्टेशन पर सफाई अभियान चलाने का सुझाव दिया। साथ ही सिटी स्टेशन के प्लेटफार्म नंबर 2 व 3 पर सुलभ शौचालय बनाने व गोरखपुर इंटरसिटी में कोच बढ़ाने की मांग की। नौशाद खा ने विभूति एक्सप्रेस का वाराणसी में सामान्य व विदेशी कोटा निर्धारित करने, गंगा कावेरी का कोटा छपरा के स्थान पर बनारस के करने व कैंट स्टेशन के प्लेटफार्म नंबर तीन को और सुदृढ़ करने का सुझाव दिया।
डीआरएम अजय विजयवर्गीय ने कहा कि स्वीकृति विकास कार्य कराए जा रहे हैं। नए कार्यो पर विचार विमर्श किया जाएगा। बैठक में वरिष्ठ मंडल सुरक्षा आयुक्त एएन झा, सीनियर डीसीएम सीएल साह, जनसंपर्क अधिकारी अशोक कुमार समेत कई वरिष्ठ अधिकारी मौजूद थे।

24-07-2013
Secunderabad
Shri Devi Prasad Pande takes charge as Member Traffic, Railway Board, New Delhi and ex-officio Secretary to Govt. of India


Shri Devi Prasad Pande, General Manager, South Central Railway has been posted as Member Traffic, Railway Board, New Delhi and ex-officio Secretary to Govt. of India. He has taken charge of the assignment o­n 23rdJuly, 2013.

Born o­n 15th January, 1955 at Kanpur, Shri D.P. Pande did his MA in Modern History from Allahabad University. An Officer of Indian Railways Traffic Service (IRTS) of 1976 batch, Shri D.P. Pande has rich and varied experience in Operations and Commercial branches and has held several important executive and managerial posts o­n Indian Railways.

Shri D.P. Pande has handled several key posts in Railway Board including as Executive Director/Traffic Transportation (Movement), Advisor (Marketing & Logistics), Advisor/Traffic Transportation (Movement), Executive Director/Planning and Additional Member (Traffic). During his tenure as Executive Director/Planning, Shri D.P. Pande dealt with subjects pertaining to Five Year Plans, Corporate Plans, Annual Plans and formulation of Budget of Indian Railways etc.

Shri D.P. Pande also held various other posts including as Dy. Chief Operations Manager, Chief Passenger Traffic Manager and Chief Freight Traffic Manager in Northern Railway and Divisional Railway Manager, Bhopal Division.

His stint o­n South Central Railway led to optimal levels of efficiency in train working and productivity leading to a significant improvement o­n various fronts. During this period, he introduced several innovations in the working systems. His proactive approach has contributed to the Zone embarking o­n major plans to enhance passenger amenities and services.

Shri D.P. Pande is the recipient of the prestigious Railway Ministers Award. He is an avid reader and has keen interest in writing and sporting activities.

उत्तर मध्य रेलवे इलाहाबाद की टीम ने बुधवार को विंध्याचल, मीरजापुर, चुनार व अहरौरा स्टेशन पर टी स्टालों व जलपान गृहों का सर्वे किया। इस दौरान टीम के अधिकारी स्टेशनों पर काफी देर तक मौजूद रहकर दुकानों की बिक्री का आंकलन करते रहे। उन्होंने रेल यात्रियों से भी पूछताछ की।
रेलवे सूत्रों की मानें तो तीन दिन तक रहकर टीम सर्वे कर अपनी रिपोर्ट डीआरएम व अन्य अधिकारियों को देगी। उसके बाद दस फीसद किराया बढ़ोत्तरी होगी। कहा जा रहा है कि रेलवे की आमदनी बढ़ाने के लिए रेल प्रशासन यह सर्वे करा रहा है। टीम को लेकर दुकानदारों में हड़कंप देखा गया। कई दुकानदार तो इशारा करके ग्राहकों को हटा दे रहे थे। ताकि उनके ब्रिकी का आंकलन कम हो।

24-07-2013
Secunderabad
Shri Devi Prasad Pande takes charge as Member Traffic, Railway Board, New Delhi and ex-officio Secretary to Govt. of India


Shri Devi Prasad Pande, General Manager, South Central Railway has been posted as Member Traffic, Railway Board, New Delhi and ex-officio Secretary to Govt. of India. He has taken charge of the assignment o­n 23rdJuly, 2013.

Born o­n 15th January, 1955 at Kanpur, Shri D.P. Pande did his MA in Modern History from Allahabad University. An Officer of Indian Railways Traffic Service (IRTS) of 1976 batch, Shri D.P. Pande has rich and varied experience in Operations and Commercial branches and has held several important executive and managerial posts o­n Indian Railways.

Shri D.P. Pande has handled several key posts in Railway Board including as Executive Director/Traffic Transportation (Movement), Advisor (Marketing & Logistics), Advisor/Traffic Transportation (Movement), Executive Director/Planning and Additional Member (Traffic). During his tenure as Executive Director/Planning, Shri D.P. Pande dealt with subjects pertaining to Five Year Plans, Corporate Plans, Annual Plans and formulation of Budget of Indian Railways etc.

Shri D.P. Pande also held various other posts including as Dy. Chief Operations Manager, Chief Passenger Traffic Manager and Chief Freight Traffic Manager in Northern Railway and Divisional Railway Manager, Bhopal Division.

His stint o­n South Central Railway led to optimal levels of efficiency in train working and productivity leading to a significant improvement o­n various fronts. During this period, he introduced several innovations in the working systems. His proactive approach has contributed to the Zone embarking o­n major plans to enhance passenger amenities and services.

Shri D.P. Pande is the recipient of the prestigious Railway Ministers Award. He is an avid reader and has keen interest in writing and sporting activities.