ProUI

A writ petition was filed in the Kerala High Court on Thursday seeking a directive to Railways to take steps to prevent the unhygienic preparation, handling, and supply of food at railway stations and on board trains.The petition was filed by D.B. Binu, a High Court lawyer.He said it was observed during his trips that the food was prepared, stored, and supplied to travellers and the public in extremely unhygienic conditions both on trains and at eateries on platforms.He said the personnel who were engaged in preparation, handling, and supply of food for Railways did not have health cards and even proper uniforms, gloves, chef hats, nameplates, etc. Since the personnel did not wear nameplates, it was difficult to identify those supplying food.

He said the drinking water provided on the trains and platforms was contaminated and not purified as per specific hygiene standards.

nauthorised street-food vendors often boarded trains at different stations. The Railways were not taking any action against them.

‘Bellary-Hospet region hampered by lack ofthrough trains’

With M. Mallikarjun Kharge taking over as the Minister for Railway, there are high expectations among people in the Bellary-Hospet-Koppal and Gadag regions about improvement in train facilities.“Despite the Hospet-Bellary sector yielding high freight revenue to the Hubli division of South Western Railway, the region has been languishing without proper passenger train facilities for several years. Mr. Kharge should respond to our aspirations by providing better train facilities,” Y. Yamunesh, member of the Divisional Rail Users’ Consultative Committee, Hubli division, has said.According to him, the freight revenue earnings from the Bellary-Hospet sector, on account of transportation of iron ore and other industrial products, was the main source of revenue for the Hubli division. Although the freight revenue had increased enormously over the years, the region had been deprived of proper rail facilities and amenities, especially with regard to the introduction of through trains between Chennai and Mumbai, via Bellary, Hospet, Koppal and Gadag, completion of the Kottur-Harihar rail line and introduction of passenger train facilities, among other things, he said.Babulal Jain, member of the Zonal Rail Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC), expressed the hope that Mr. Kharge would fulfil the long-pending demands of the people. Formation of two new divisions (Gulbarga and Mangalore), which are presently in South Central Railway and Southern Railway, and making them part of South Western Railway, initiating steps to ensure that the entire State came under one jurisdiction, introduction of through trains between Chennai and Hubli via Guntakal, Bellary, Hospet, Gadag, and expeditious completion of the survey of new lines and providing funds for implementing them are among other major issues Mr. Kharge is expected to prioritise.A through train between Chennai and Hubli, according to Mr. Jain, was a long-cherished dream of the people of this region, which had not been realised so far owing to non-cooperation from South Central Railway. “The area surrounding Bellary, Hospet and Koppal is covered with a large number of industries, besides being a large mining belt. Providing adequate train facilities is essential for industrialists and people who come in search of jobs,” Mr. Jain has stated in a letter to Mr. Kharge.So far, Koppal, Hospet and Bellary regions had no through train services for Gulbarga, he said.He has urged Mr. Kharge to initiate steps, besides providing adequate funds, to complete several new rail lines proposed between Munirabad and Mahboobnagar, Hubli and Ankola, Raidurga and Tumkur, Gadag and Haveri, Alamatti and Yadgir, Bijapur and Shahabad, Bagalkot and Kudichi, Belgaum and Dharwad (via Kittur), Bidar and Gulbarga, Bidar and Humnabad, and Humnabad and Gulbarga.He has also requested that inter-city express services be introduced between Hospet and Bangalore.

As engineering works related to the commissioning of double-line section between Valadi and Kallakudi Palanganatham was under way the following changes have been made in the train services from July 5 to 10.A statement from the Southern Railway states that the Tiruchi — Cuddalore Port Junction Passenger would be cancelled on both ways from July 5 to 10. The Tiruchi — Lalgui Passenger would be cancelled on July 6.The Madurai — Villupuram Passenger would be partially cancelled on both ways on July 10.The Madurai — Chennai Egmore Express would be diverted on both ways via Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai and Thanjavur on July 10. The statement further says that alternative arrangements have been made for the passengers who have confirmed tickets in the above trains. — Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation recorded the highest ridership on July 1 with over 23.5 lakh people taking the Metro. This surpassed its earlier record of close to 3 lakh commuters set on June 18."We are not sure of the reason for the increased footfall. We have been observing a steady rise in ridership since February this year. The latest record was made on Monday. The ridership is always high on that day," said a senior DMRC official. The Dwarka Sector 21 to Noida City Centre line recorded the highest ridership among the six Metro lines. In 2010, the maximum footfall was slightly over 15 lakh. The figure for Monday excludes the Airport Metro Express Line ridership, which recorded footfall of 10,300 in the first day of its operations under DMRC's supervision, according to a DMRC statement. The Metro ferries about two million passengers on week days and makes over 2,800 trips daily.

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‘Bellary-Hospet region hampered by lack ofthrough trains’

With M. Mallikarjun Kharge taking over as the Minister for Railway, there are high expectations among people in the Bellary-Hospet-Koppal and Gadag regions about improvement in train facilities.“Despite the Hospet-Bellary sector yielding high freight revenue to the Hubli division of South Western Railway, the region has been languishing without proper passenger train facilities for several years. Mr. Kharge should respond to our aspirations by providing better train facilities,” Y. Yamunesh, member of the Divisional Rail Users’ Consultative Committee, Hubli division, has said.According to him, the freight revenue earnings from the Bellary-Hospet sector, on account of transportation of iron ore and other industrial products, was the main source of revenue for the Hubli division. Although the freight revenue had increased enormously over the years, the region had been deprived of proper rail facilities and amenities, especially with regard to the introduction of through trains between Chennai and Mumbai, via Bellary, Hospet, Koppal and Gadag, completion of the Kottur-Harihar rail line and introduction of passenger train facilities, among other things, he said.Babulal Jain, member of the Zonal Rail Users’ Consultative Committee (ZRUCC), expressed the hope that Mr. Kharge would fulfil the long-pending demands of the people. Formation of two new divisions (Gulbarga and Mangalore), which are presently in South Central Railway and Southern Railway, and making them part of South Western Railway, initiating steps to ensure that the entire State came under one jurisdiction, introduction of through trains between Chennai and Hubli via Guntakal, Bellary, Hospet, Gadag, and expeditious completion of the survey of new lines and providing funds for implementing them are among other major issues Mr. Kharge is expected to prioritise.A through train between Chennai and Hubli, according to Mr. Jain, was a long-cherished dream of the people of this region, which had not been realised so far owing to non-cooperation from South Central Railway. “The area surrounding Bellary, Hospet and Koppal is covered with a large number of industries, besides being a large mining belt. Providing adequate train facilities is essential for industrialists and people who come in search of jobs,” Mr. Jain has stated in a letter to Mr. Kharge.So far, Koppal, Hospet and Bellary regions had no through train services for Gulbarga, he said.He has urged Mr. Kharge to initiate steps, besides providing adequate funds, to complete several new rail lines proposed between Munirabad and Mahboobnagar, Hubli and Ankola, Raidurga and Tumkur, Gadag and Haveri, Alamatti and Yadgir, Bijapur and Shahabad, Bagalkot and Kudichi, Belgaum and Dharwad (via Kittur), Bidar and Gulbarga, Bidar and Humnabad, and Humnabad and Gulbarga.He has also requested that inter-city express services be introduced between Hospet and Bangalore.

The Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) has given the green signal for a feasibility study of its future expansion.The company has entrusted Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) for the study to extend the Metro to Kakkanad, the international airport at Nedumbassery and West Kochi in the second phase.A decision in this regard was taken at the KMRL’s 13{+t}{+h} Director Board meeting held here on Friday. It is expected that the report would be ready within seven months and the agency would be paid a fee of Rs 6.57 crore for the study.Sudhir Krishna, Union Urban Development Secretary, who chaired the meeting, told reporters that the proposed extensions would be complemented by a network involving mono rail, tram ways and bus rapid transport, which will operate as a feeder services to the metro.The Board also approved a transit-oriented development (TOD) plan around the 25-km-long Aluva-Pettah metro corridor. Under this, there will be mixed land use within one km of the corridor.The KMRL would also request the State Government to take up a greater Kochi master plan so that the metro becomes a harbinger of growth in the whole area.The Board also has given the nod for KMRL’s budget worth Rs 1990.16 crore, for 2013-14. The State and Centre will give their equity share of Rs 233.87 crore each, while the loan component is Rs 392.62 crore.The metro’s total project cost has gone up from Rs 5,182 crore to Rs 5,537.25 crore. The incidental expenses of Rs 251.52 crore will be used mainly for acquiring land at Muttom for the coach repair yard.Since foreign financial agencies take time to finalise loan for the metro, KMRL is probing the possibility of sourcing it from commercial banks, IIFCL, Hudco etc.

According to Krishna, an independent agency will monitor the safety and quality of metro works. A global tender will be floated to identify it.

The Union Cabinet of India on 28 June 2013 approved the Mumbai Metro Line-3 Colaba-Bandra-Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) corridor. It has further approved the conversion of the existing State level Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) into a Joint Venture Company of the Government of India (GoI) and Government of Maharashtra (GoM), with equity participation on 50:50 basis. The total completion cost of the project is estimated at 23136 crore rupees covering a total length of 33.5 km (fully underground). The gauge would be standard gauge, as per the Detailed Project Report (DPR).The project of the Mumbai Line – 3 is scheduled to be completed in six years that is by March, 2019 from the date of start of work in the financial year 2013-14. The existing state level SPV for implementing the project, namely, the MMRC shall be converted into a joint ownership (50:50) SPV of GoI and GoM on similar pattern as for the Delhi Metro, Bangalore Metro, Chennai Metro and Kochi Metro. The joint ownership company will continue to be named as MMRC. The promoters, the GoI and the GoM, shall nominate five Directors each to the Board of Directors of the SPV, which shall have 10 nominee Directors. The Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, GoI will be the ex-officio Chairman of the Board. The implementation of the project would provide much needed additional transport infrastructure to Mumbai.

The Union Cabinet of India on 28 June 2013 approved the Mumbai Metro Line-3 Colaba-Bandra-Santacruz Electronics Export Processing Zone (Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ) corridor. It has further approved the conversion of the existing State level Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRC) into a Joint Venture Company of the Government of India (GoI) and Government of Maharashtra (GoM), with equity participation on 50:50 basis. The total completion cost of the project is estimated at 23136 crore rupees covering a total length of 33.5 km (fully underground). The gauge would be standard gauge, as per the Detailed Project Report (DPR).The project of the Mumbai Line – 3 is scheduled to be completed in six years that is by March, 2019 from the date of start of work in the financial year 2013-14. The existing state level SPV for implementing the project, namely, the MMRC shall be converted into a joint ownership (50:50) SPV of GoI and GoM on similar pattern as for the Delhi Metro, Bangalore Metro, Chennai Metro and Kochi Metro. The joint ownership company will continue to be named as MMRC. The promoters, the GoI and the GoM, shall nominate five Directors each to the Board of Directors of the SPV, which shall have 10 nominee Directors. The Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, GoI will be the ex-officio Chairman of the Board. The implementation of the project would provide much needed additional transport infrastructure to Mumbai.

To clear extra rush of passengers during the Ashadha Ekadasi celebrations at Pandharpur in Maharashtra, the South Central Railway will run four special trains between Aurangabad and Pandharpur with general second class coaches, all unreserved.

Train 07501 Aurangabad-Pandharpur special train will depart Aurangabad at 20.30 hours on July 17 and 20 and arrive Pandharpur at 08.50 hours on the next day.

In the opposite direction, Train 07502 Pandharpur-Aurangabad special train will depart from Pandharpur at 22.00 hours on July 18 and 21, and arrive at Aurangabad at 11.30 hours on the next day.

The trains will stop at Jalna, Partur, Selu, Manwath Road, Parbhani, Gangakher, Parli Vajinath, Latur Road, Latur, Usmanabad, Barshi Town and Kurduwadi stations.

Extension of Summer Special Train