ProUI

Srinagar: A week before the proposed inauguration of the 18.5-km-long Qazigund-Banihal rail link by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Northern Circle Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) RK Kardam along with a group of senior railway officials have started the inspection of the track. The exercise is a prerequisite on a new track before a train runs on it.The two-day inspection begacsignal for opening the track for passenger trains,” said a senior railway official.Besides Kardam, other officials in the inspection team are Ferozpur Division railway manager NC Goyal, Northern Railway chief safety officer CBK Singh, senior divisional commercial manager UP Singh, a senior divisional signal and telecom engineer and chief area manager, Budgam, AK Sharma.The railway track between Qazigund village of Kulgam distict in south Kasmir to Banihal town of Ramban district in Jammu also passes through the 11.17-km Pir Panjal tunnel which is India's longest tunnel. It has been constructed by Hindustan Construction Company and has a 3-m wide road running parallel to it for movement of small vehicles in case of any emergency.“We have started the inspection on the track and will be completing it by tomorrow,” Ferozpur Division railway manager NC Goyal told the Tribune.The trial run on the rail link was completed in 30 minutes on December 25 last year.The trains of Kashmir are yet to be connected with the rest of the country and they ply between Qazigund and Baramulla covering a distance of 119 km. The first phase of the rail service in the Valley was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on October 11, 2008.

BETTER CONNECTIVITY ON THE ANVIL

* Currently, trains in Kashmir ply between Qazigund in south Kashmir to Baramulla in north Kashmir

* The opening of the Qazigund-Banihal rail route will connect the Kashmir valley with the Jammu region

* However, trains from Kashmir will still not be able to reach other parts of the country as the railway stretch between Banihal and Udhampur in Jammu division is still under construction

* The Udampur-Banihal railway track is likely to be completed by 2017

South Central Railway has temporarily augmented several trains with additional coaches to clear the extra rush of waitlisted passengers and meet the passenger demand for the period from 16thJune 2013 till 3rd July 2013 as per the details mentioned below:-

1. Tr.No. 17210/17209 Kakinada Town- Bangalore- Kakinada Town Seshadri Express augmented with o­ne additional AC-III Tier coach from 16th to 30th June 2013. The train will be augmented with o­ne more AC-III tier coach from 20th to 30thJune 2013. (total 2 additional AC-III tier coaches are being attached by the train)

2. Tr.No. 17415/17416 Tirupati-Kolhapur-Tirupati Haripriya Express augmented with two additional Sleeper Class coaches from 16th to 30th June 2013.

          3. Tr.No. 17230/17229 Hyderabad-Tiruvananthapuram-Hyderabad Sabari Express augmented with o­ne additional First AC cum AC-II tier coach from 16th to 30thJune 2013

          4. Tr.No. 02701/02702 Secunderabad-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus – Secunderabad special train augmented with o­ne AC-II tier and o­ne AC-III tier coaches from 16th June to 1stJuly 2013.

          5. Tr.No. 17018/17017 Secunderabad-Rajkot-Secunderabad Express augmented with o­ne AC-III tier coach from 17th June to 3rd July 2013.

          6. Tr.No. 17002/17001 Secunderabad- Sai Nagar Shirdi -Secunderabad Express augmented with o­ne AC-III tier coach o­n 21st and 28th June 2013 from Secunderabad and 22nd and 29th June 2013 from Sai Nagar Shirdi.



                  The total augmentation has comprised of two First AC cum AC-II tier coaches, two AC-II tier coaches, ten AC-III tier coaches and four Sleeper Class coaches by various trains. The augmented additional coaches have already been fed into the computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS), thereby resulting in ready availability of around 10,250 additional berths for the passengers which can effectively meet rail travel demand o­n the above popular trains during the period from 16th June to 3rd July 2013.

Central Railway has always been persistent in curbing ticketless / unauthorised travel through its massive checking drives. During the month of May 2013 a total of 2.57 lakh cases of ticketless / irregular travel including unbooked luggage have been detected in these drives, as against 1.40 lakh cases detected in May 2012. The amount realised from these cases in May 2013 is Rs. 13.75 crore as against Rs. 6.36 crore during the same period last year, thus showing a record increase of 116.19 %. A total of 4.24 lakh cases were detected in the financial year IN April & May 2013 as against 3.30 lakh cases detected in the corresponding period of previous financial year. The Amount realised from these cases during the first two months of this financial year in April & May 2013 is Rs. 22.15 crore as against Rs. 15.41 crore during same period in last financial year, thus showing an increase of 43.74 %.In addition to above, 186 cases of transfer of reserved tickets were also detected in the month of May 2013 and an amount of Rs 1.04 lakh realised besides confiscation of tickets worth Rs. 0.51 lakh.Central Railway appeals to the passengers to travel with proper and valid tickets in order to avoid inconvenience.

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NEW DELHI: Services of over 50 trains were affected due to rising water level in the Yamuna, with Northern Railway suspending train movement on the old bridge from today.The movement of trains over the Yamuna bridge between Delhi and Shahadara has been suspended from 12 noon till further notice, a senior Northern Railway official said, adding that "however, EMU local trains are being allowed to run as per schedule."While Shamli passenger train and Saharanpur-Farukhnagar Express have been cancelled, services of 15 trains were short terminated due to the flood situation.Northern Railway has diverted about 38 trains, including Kalka Mail, Tata-Amritsar-Jammu Tawi Express and Haridwar- Ajmer Express, because of rising water level in the Yamuna.

MANGALORE: In its efforts towards promoting green solutions and providing eco-friendly transport solutions, Konkan Railway has taken a major step towards bio-degradation of night soil (human mull) by installing bio-toilets on its route.

Konkan Railway is the first railway in the country to have Bio-Toilets on railway station platforms. The technology while allowing eco-friendly and faster way of human waste disposal, is also economic. As a beginning, the Bio-Toilets have been installed by Konkan Railway at Chiplun and Kankawali stations on its route.

According to Vaishali Patange, Chief Public Relations Officer of KR, the Bio-Toilet is based on Bio-Digester technology developed by DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization). The technology is 100% maintenance-free and allows complete elimination of pathogens without requiring the night soil to be disposed through sewage line and septic tank. Since it does not require septic tanks and sewage lines, the Bio-Toilets can be installed much faster than a regular RCC toilet. While the latter requires a minimum of two months for construction, the Bio-Toilet can be installed in just a couple of days. The saving in cost factor is also 70% less compared to a regular RCC toilet. While a conventional toilet would cost about Rs 1 lakh, the Bio-Toilet can be erected in only about Rs 30,000.

The Bio-Digester is charged initially with anaerobic bacterial inoculums and no further charging is required if the Bio-Toilet is in regular use. The bio-degradation of the night soil leads to generation of bio-gas which can be utilized for cooking purpose. The odour-less water extracted after bio-degradation can be used for irrigation of gardens etc.

The Bio-Toilets are being widely utilized by the defence forces in its remote areas and an MOU has been signed by Indian Railways in 2010 with DRDO to develop a Bio-Toilet system for use in railway coaches for improving environment around railway infrastructure. Konkan Railway is planning to cover other stations also with the technology.

Regular toilets will be replaced by eco-friendly bio-toilets for disposing human waste at all stations of the Konkan Railway (KR), an official said here Wednesday. Two railway stations, Chiplun and Kankavali on the KR route, had earlier been selected for installing the country's first green toilets to bio-degrade night soil through technology developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). "The technology, while permitting eco-friendly and quicker disposal of human waste, is also economical. Passengers and locals at both Chiplun and Kankavali have appreciated the efforts of the railways," the official said. Encouraged by the public response, KR has now decided to set up such toilets at all the major stations on its network. The bio-toilet uses the DRDO's bio-digester technology, which is economical and can be implemented faster than the regular RCC (reinforced concrete cement) toilets. "The technology is 100 percent maintenance-free and allows complete elimination of pathogens without requiring the night soil to be disposed through sewage line and septic tank," the official explained. Since the need for septic tanks and sewage lines has been eliminated in this technology, the bio-toilets can be installed and ready for use within just 48 hours, compared to two months for the conventional toilets. Even the cost savings on bio-toilets are high, as much as 70 percent, compared to regular toilets. While a regular toilet costs around Rs.100,000, a bio-toilet can be put up at just Rs.30,000. The bio-digester requires only an initial one-time charging with anaerobic bacterial inoculums if it is in regular use. The bio-degradation of the night soil leads to generation of bio-gas which can be utilised for cooking. The clean, odour-less water extracted after bio-degradation can be recycled for irrigation in gardens and other such places. The DRDO bio-toilets are being widely utilised by the defence forces in remote locations. The Indian Railways signed a memorandum of understanding with the DRDO in 2010 to develop a bio-toilet for use in railway coaches to improve the environment in and around the railway infrastructure.

South Central Railway has temporarily augmented several trains with additional coaches to clear the extra rush of waitlisted passengers and meet the passenger demand for the period from 16thJune 2013 till 3rd July 2013 as per the details mentioned below:-

1. Tr.No. 17210/17209 Kakinada Town- Bangalore- Kakinada Town Seshadri Express augmented with o­ne additional AC-III Tier coach from 16th to 30th June 2013. The train will be augmented with o­ne more AC-III tier coach from 20th to 30thJune 2013. (total 2 additional AC-III tier coaches are being attached by the train)

2. Tr.No. 17415/17416 Tirupati-Kolhapur-Tirupati Haripriya Express augmented with two additional Sleeper Class coaches from 16th to 30th June 2013.

          3. Tr.No. 17230/17229 Hyderabad-Tiruvananthapuram-Hyderabad Sabari Express augmented with o­ne additional First AC cum AC-II tier coach from 16th to 30thJune 2013

          4. Tr.No. 02701/02702 Secunderabad-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus – Secunderabad special train augmented with o­ne AC-II tier and o­ne AC-III tier coaches from 16th June to 1stJuly 2013.

          5. Tr.No. 17018/17017 Secunderabad-Rajkot-Secunderabad Express augmented with o­ne AC-III tier coach from 17th June to 3rd July 2013.

          6. Tr.No. 17002/17001 Secunderabad- Sai Nagar Shirdi -Secunderabad Express augmented with o­ne AC-III tier coach o­n 21st and 28th June 2013 from Secunderabad and 22nd and 29th June 2013 from Sai Nagar Shirdi.



                  The total augmentation has comprised of two First AC cum AC-II tier coaches, two AC-II tier coaches, ten AC-III tier coaches and four Sleeper Class coaches by various trains. The augmented additional coaches have already been fed into the computerized Passenger Reservation System (PRS), thereby resulting in ready availability of around 10,250 additional berths for the passengers which can effectively meet rail travel demand o­n the above popular trains during the period from 16th June to 3rd July 2013.

‍For the convenience of the rail passengers and to increase the passenger carrying capacity Railway Has decided to increase the passenger carrying capacity  of 12985/12986 Jaipur-Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jaipur Double    Decker And 12059/12060 Kota Hazrat Nizamuddin Jan Shatabdi Express Trains o­n temporary basis as per the under-mentioned  programme:
The 12985/12986 Jaipur-Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Jaipur Double    Decker Trains will be augmented  by attaching o­ne additional Executive chair car from 21.06.2013 to 18.09.2013 from Jaipur and Delhi.
12059/12060 Kota Hazrat Nizamuddin-Kota Jan Shatabdi Express Train will be augmented  by attaching o­ne additional AC Chair Car from 21.06.2013 to 01.07.2013 from Kota and Hazrat Nizamuddin. The other features like timings, route, stoppages, composition etc. will remain as unchanged.

In the absence of any follow-up measure after last year’s budget announcement by the Railways to accord Adarsh status to Tiruverumbur station, the major station located on the Tiruchi-Thanjavur railway section presents a pathetic sight.Although a highly-patronised station, it is yet to get a footbridge and a host of amenities. Rail passengers still have to cross the tracks riskily. The danger caused by the absence of footbridge and inadequate lighting is prominently felt at night when passengers board the Rockfort Express and Mysore Express trains in large numbers. The only visible work is the construction of platform shelters.According to official sources, 50 trains cross the station every day in both directions and of them 30 stop at the station that is patronised largely by the public in BHEL Township, ordnance factory estate, Kattur, and residents of Thuvakudi. The footbridge project, initiated a few years ago, is still in progress.The station lacks basic amenities. Inadequacy of drinking water and lack of toilet facilities cause enormous discomfiture for passengers, says Anbalagan, spokesperson, Tiruverumbur Taluk Development Committee.Alongside platform shelters, drinking water facility and pay and use toilets, an Adarsh station ought to have electronic coach indication boards, spacious waiting room, passenger reservation system centre, ramps for benefit of the people with disabilities, connecting platforms, and cloak room.

Users of Tiruverumbur railway station were promised that all the facilities would be put in place in a year’s time. Railway sources say, the Ministry had earmarked Rs. 13 crore for developing the station. However, there was no indication as to when the funds would be received, sources said.

In recent months, after the eviction of encroachments at the entrance by the National Highways Authority of India, the approach road to the station appears broader. The road should be further broadened to lay separate entry and exit roads, says Raja, a local industrialist.

Removing encroachments on the approach road was one of the pre-requisites specified by the BHEL two years ago to sanction funds for developing a spacious parking lot, landscaping, and providing lighting arrangements.

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: Kerala Mono Rail Corporation Limited and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation today signed the contract for the proposed monorail projects in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode.Both projects would be completed in a time bound manner, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who is also the Chairman of KMRC, said.DMRC Chief Consultant E Sreedharan, Speaker G Karthikeyan, State PWD Minister V K Ibrahim Kunju were among those present on the occasion.The agreement will make DMRC responsible for the design, preparation of the bid document, short-listing and selection of contractors, supervision, and quality certification for the 22.2-km monorail in Thiruvananthapuram and the 14.2-km project in Kozhikode, estimated to cost Rs.5581 crore.A single agreement will be signed with DMRC for the projects as the general consultant and the executing agency are the same.DMRC will be the general consultant of the project. Instructions to take the initial steps have already been given. Tender procedures will be the preliminary process and offices of the monorail corporation will start functioning in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode soon,official sources said.