ProUI

PUNE: Train passengers in Pune can look forward to increased connectivity to Mumbai, Solapur, Chennai, Puducherry, Karaikal, Hyderabad and Delhi over the next few months.A close look at the revised all-India railway time-table published on July 1 has at least seven new trains connecting cities in the north and the south of the country that would benefit Puneites. All these trains will be introduced in the next few months, before next March.As many as 67 trains were announced in the railway budget this year, but not a single one originated from Pune. Rail commuters had to take solace in the two trains passing through Pune -- Mumbai-Solapur Express which was to run six days a week, and another weekly train between Mumbai and Hubli.But train connection to several cities in the north and south of the country from Pune just got better. Railway commuters travelling to Mumbai have been consistently making a demand for a train to Mumbai between 10 am and 1 pm. The new intercity train between Solapur and Mumbai will fulfil this wish. The train, which will start from Solapur, will leave Pune at 10.35 am to reach Mumbai at 2.45 pm via Panvel.It will have second class seating, and AC chair car coaches. The Mumbai-Solapur intercity train will leave Mumbai at 1.15 pm and reach Pune at 5.45 pm, before proceeding to Solapur after a 15-minute halt in Pune.An additional superfast train between Pune and Solapur, Hutatma Express, whose timing has been revised, will leave Pune at 2.05 pm to reach Solapur at 6.20 pm. From Solapur, the Hutatma Express will leave at 10 am to arrive in Pune at 2.15 pm. This train was not announced in the railway budget.Trains to Delhi are always in demand. The biweekly Chandigarh-Yeswantpur (Bangalore) Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express, announced in the railway budget, will go via Pune, to Delhi and Bangalore.Another biweekly train announced in the railway budget was between Mumbai and Kakinada. This train will also go via Pune, providing connectivity to Secunderabad (Hyderabad), Guntur and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.The present train between Lokmanya Tilak terminus and Vishakapatnam (going from Pune), which runs only twice a week, will be made into a daily train. The timing will be revised once the Mumbai-Kakinada train is introduced.The time-table also lists a new weekly train between Mumbai and Karaikal (a beach town in Puducherry) which will go via Pune, and connect it to Chennai and Puducherry. The date for the introduction of this new train will be announced later.

INDORE: Ratlam division officials here on Friday paced up the construction work on the track on Patalpani- Kalakund meter gauge, which was damaged and blocked due to landslide during the heavy rains in the last 48 hours.Two trains are being run on this route between Choral and Khandwa, while another two were run between Khandwa and Akola. Earlier, on Thursday, trains were cancelled on the route due to the damage. Officials informed that a stretch of 25km of track was severely damaged and trains on the route had to be stopped. A team was immediately sent for construction work.According to railway sources, more than 250 labourers were deployed on the job. A lot of water was accumulated on the tracks. Additional divisional railway manager Sanjay Agrawal, Ratlam division engineer Yogesh Sharma and Rajkumar and other officials took immediate action and supervised the work within 24 hours of the damage.Major trains which were cancelled on Friday were Mhow Khandwa special, Akola- Mhow passenger. On Saturday, Mhow-Akola passenger and Ujjain-Khandwa passenger trains have been cancelled.

Patna: East Central Railway has decided to add two general class coaches to Muzaffarpur-Ahmedabad Jansadharan Express and Muzaffarpur-Howrah Jansadharan Express and one to the Darbhanga-Lokmanya Tilak Karmbhumi Express this fortnight.

Health Department issues a set of guidelines to be followed for issuing rail concession

When all things failed, the Health Department stepped in to the rescue of Tamil Selvi, a Dalit disabled woman, who has been fighting for rail concession for the last one and a half years.In a set of guidelines issued on Wednesday, Health Secretary J.Radhakrishnan said: “Rail Concession Certificate should be given in prescribed forms issued for the purpose, to be filled by doctors. The certificate should contain the doctor’s seal and register number and the seal of the government hospital.”Additionally, the letter mentioned the instance of Tamil Selvi, polio-affected and with a consequent orthopaedic disability, being denied such a certificate on the grounds that she is capable of walking without support. The Hindu had reported of the travails of Tamil Selvi earlier.“Any orthopaedically-handicapped person like her will not be able to travel without the assistance of an escort, considering that at railway stations, one has to walk and also climb from the platform…”Subjective interpretation in such cases to deny the applicant of concession goes against the spirit of the Persons With Disabilities Act.The letter has been addressed to the heads of all government medical units in the State

The Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently Abled and Caregivers has welcomed these guidelines.

Patna: East Central Railway has decided to add two general class coaches to Muzaffarpur-Ahmedabad Jansadharan Express and Muzaffarpur-Howrah Jansadharan Express and one to the Darbhanga-Lokmanya Tilak Karmbhumi Express this fortnight.

Rains hit freight revenues, says GM

South Central Railway (SCR) on Friday announced a healthy growth of 17 per cent, carrying 97 million originating passengers in the quarter ended June 30.Passenger earnings constituted 24 per cent of the total earnings of Rs.612 crore. In the quarter, SCR operated 296 special train services, carrying 1.74 lakh additional passengers, apart from adding 1,457 extra coaches to scheduled trains that helped 86,139 passengers. However, growth in freight revenues was a mere 4 per cent. General Manager-SCR D.P. Pande told The Hindu that the fall in freight revenues was primarily because rains in June meant substantially reduced loading of cement and coal.

East Coast Railway has realised a fine of Rs. 9.42 lakh from 14,285 persons who have violated the Indian Railways (Penalties for Activities Affecting Cleanliness at Railway Premises) Rules 2012 and Railway administration has been authorised to penalize any person who is found guilty for the above purposes. Maintaining proper cleanliness on railway promises towards providing a clean and pleasant ambience to the passengers, these provisions are being vigorously implemented in  Khurda Road, Sambalpur and Waltair Divisions. Station Masters, Ticket Collectors, Special Squard, RPF and other railway officials have been authorised to detect and penalize the offenders.

James Wright has been a regular at the Bangalore East Railway Station since the early ‘90s, but the 70-year-old Hennur resident hasn’t seen much change in the station’s conditions over the three decades.“Hardly anything changed until recently — the station was unusable,” he said, while booking a ticket to Chennai for himself and his wife at the station.Despite its regular use by the city’s eastern residents, the station, located on Pottery Road, falls short in the basic infrastructure department. Only as recently as 2011, after a renovation, did it get additional booking counters, for instance. Despite the addition, the counters are insufficient: early mornings see heavy crowds, regular commuters said, citing hourlong waits. Toilets are functional, but poorly maintained, with erratic water supply.Sujata (55) carries two bundles of greens with her across the footbridge every day, to sell in Fraser Town. Her limbs have begun to protest, she says, but there is no other option: on a far end, a single pedestrian footbridge connects the station’s two long platforms.“Right now, there are no plans for the station,” said Sudhanshu Mani, Divisional Railway Manager of the South Western Railway’s Bangalore Division. He said that while express trains cannot be stopped at the station, passenger trains do halt. “Besides, long-distance trains halt at Krishnarajapuram and Bangalore Cantonment.”

But regular commuters say there is a need for more trains to halt here. “A lot of people from this area travel to Chennai, in particular,” N.S. Ravi, president of the Bharatinagar Residents Forum, said. “We understand the Shatabdi cannot stop. But what about the Brindavan or Lalbagh trains?”

Unlike other stations such as Yeshwantpur or Bangalore Cantonment, the Bangalore East station does not have direct public transport connectivity; train commuters must walk down from the nearest bus-stops — from ITC, Davis Road or Mosque Road.

The station receives a fair amount of footfall, as it is the nearest railway link for people from Banaswadi, Cox Town, Kalyananagar and Jeevanahalli.

Besides, there is hardly any commercial activity on the platforms: till recently, there wasn’t even a single stall on the premises, recalls Mr. Wright.

But most pressing of all, reiterate many regular commuters, is the need for more booking counters. “Some of us with computers can go online and book, but what about the common man?” says Mr. Ravi.

The creation of a separate mini-railway zone with its headquarters at Bhubaneswar and the inclusion of Waltair Division in it with effect from April 1, 2003, had dealt a strong blow to the people of north coastal Andhra, said Praja Spandana president C.S. Rao.Addressing a media conference here on Friday, he said that Waltair Division which had crossed the Rs.5,000 crore mark in revenue earnings was being treated as a ‘milch cow’ by East Coast Railway (E Co R) to undertake development in Odisha while ignoring the needs of Visakhapatnam and other stations located in Andhra region.

Bias alleged

Mr. Rao said that E Co R authorities were resorting to various types of unjust practices by diverting both resources and facilities to Odisha.Important trains such as Visakha and Prasanthi Express were extended to Bhubaneswar causing inconvenience to the people of Visakhapatnam region while ignoring the plea of passengers from Visakhapatnam region for extension of trains like Neelachal Express to Visakhapatnam.This was an indication of their bias towards Odisha.He said that the problems were brought to the notice of the region’s MPs and MLAs time and again but they had only made symbolic and half-hearted attempts. He recalled that Union Minister D. Purandeswari, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Visakhapatnam Parliamentary constituency, had stated after her victory in 2009 that a ‘separate railway zone for Visakhapatnam is on top of the agenda’ but failed to achieve it, though the 2014 general elections were approaching.

Union Minister flayed

He observed Ms. Purandeswari had gone to the extent of saying that she would pitch a tent in front of the house of the Railway Minister to reiterate the demand of the locals for sanction of a railway zone with headquarters in the city. She had subsequently changed tack and said that she would strive for merger of Waltair Division in South Central Railway.

He recalled that Praja Spandana had opposed the merger in SCR as it was like ‘jumping from the frying pan into the fire’.

Mr. Rao said that the single point demand of the people was creation of a separate zone with Visakhapatnam as headquarters and felt that it was a viable solution to correct the economic imbalances in the region.

Praja Spandana president C.S.Rao blames politicians for not taking up the issue with sincerity

Tickets are not verified in many coaches; TTEs are unable to help passengers

Shortage of Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) is posing problems to the Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad railway divisions. The Railways are losing revenue, TTEs are complaining of work overload, and commuters are being inconvenienced.Thiruvananthapuram division has a sanctioned strength of 598 TTEs, but only 485 are on the rolls, which is not enough to man the trains originating from the division. In Palakkad, there is a shortage of 61 TTEs as only 372 are on the rolls.Railway sources told The Hindu that Thiruvananthapuram division needed 635 TTEs and Palakkad 576, taking into account the increase in the number of mail and express trains sanctioned for the State.As per the railway norms before e-ticketing, one TTE has to man two sleeper class coaches.If air-conditioned coaches, one TTE has to man three. Often, manpower shortage forces TTEs to monitor more coaches. Many a time three to four coaches go unmanned, especially in trains commencing at night. “It is impossible for the TTEs to verify all tickets before passengers sleep. When passengers are asked to show the ticket for verification, they get angry. Most tickets go unverified,” says a TTE.

Now, 50 to 60 per cent are e-tickets and the TTEs have to check the identity card and the paper ticket as well as to find if the passenger is bonafide. A TTE needs at least 45 minutes to check the tickets and identity cards in a sleeper class coach.

TTEs say that due to the workload they are unable to provide assistance to passengers in case of an emergency and often cannot assign vacant berths to RAC passengers. Often commuters have to search for the TTE, especially at night, to get their ticket confirmed. Unverified tickets by the TTEs are submitted for cancellation after the journey, resulting in revenue loss to the Railways.

TTEs hope that the Railway Recruitment Board will fill the vacant posts. The last recruitment was in 2007.

Commuters submit unverified tickets for cancellation

Last recruitment to the posts was made in 2007