ProUI

SCR dispatches coaches to Haridwar; And a Special train being run and extra coaches attached on trains from Delhi to Secunderabad to clear stranded pilgrims

              South Central Railway has dispatched a special empty rake consisting of 15 coaches (6 Sleeper class; 2 AC III tier; 5 General Second class and 2 General Second class Luggage cum Brake Van coaches) from Secunderabad to Haridwar today i.e. 21th June 2013. It is part of the efforts of Railways to attach extra coaches/operate special trains  for clearing the pilgrims stranded due to floods in Uttarakhand back to their destinations from railway stations in Uttarakhand region/ New Delhi.

    Senior Officials of South Central Railway are in close liaison with Railway Board and Northern Railway authorities to coordinate the movement of special trains/attaching extra coaches o­n trains from Northern region towards Andhra Pradesh to cater to the needs of the stranded pilgrims.

A Special train is being run to Secunderabad from Delhi tonight to clear the passengers bound to Andhra Pradesh. This special train leaves Delhi Nizamuddin at 21:30 hrs. of today i.e., 21st June, 2013 and is expected to arrive Secunderabad o­n23rd June, 2013.In addition, extra coaches are also being attached to Dakshin Express and Duronto Express leaving Delhi today to Secunderabad to clear the extra rush of passengers.

Hyderabad, June 21 (IANS) The railways is running a special train from Delhi to Secunderabad for survivors of Uttarakhand floods belonging to Andhra Pradesh.

The special train leaving Friday night will bring back the pilgrims who have reached the national capital from Uttarakhand. This special train will leave Nizamuddin at 9.30 p.m. Friday and is expected to arrive Secunderabad on Sunday.

“Extra coaches are also being attached to Dakshin Express and Duronto Express leaving Delhi today (Friday) to Secunderabad to clear the extra rush of passengers,” said a statement by the South Central Railway (SCR) here.

The SCR has also dispatched a special empty rake consisting of 15 coaches from Secunderabad to Haridwar. It is part of the efforts of railways to attach extra coaches/operate special trains for clearing the pilgrims stranded due to floods in Uttarakhand.

Senior officials of SCR are in close liaison with Railway Board and Northern Railway authorities to coordinate the movement of special trains/attaching extra coaches on trains from northern region towards Andhra Pradesh.

About 500 pilgrims from the southern state have reached Andhra Pradesh Bhavan during last two days. Minister of State for Railways Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy visited them and assured that the railways would make all arrangements for their return to their respective destinations.

Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi and other central ministers from the state also visited AP Bhavan to meet the pilgrims and review the arrangements being made for their return.

Eight pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh were killed and scores of others were missing. About 3,000 people from Andhra had gone to Uttarakhand for pilgrimage when heavy rains and floods struck the hill state.

सड़क मार्ग खुलने से आपदा में फंसे लोग धर्मनगरी पहुंचने लगे हैं। हरिद्वार रेलवे स्टेशन पर यात्रियों का हुजूम लगा है। इन्हें सकुशल गंतव्य तक पहुंचाने के लिए रेलवे ने गुरुवार को लखनऊ, दिल्ली और अंबाला के लिए तीन स्पेशल ट्रेनें चलाई हैं। एक अतिरिक्त रैक भी रिजर्व रखा है। जरूरत पड़ने पर गाड़ियों के फेरे भी बढ़ाए जा सकते हैं।
प्राकृतिक आपदा में फंसे लोग धीरे- धीरे धर्मनगरी पहुंचने लगे हैं। बड़ी संख्या में यात्री हरिद्वार स्टेशन पर डेरा जमाए हैं। सभी को घर पहुंचने की जल्दी है, लेकिन ट्रेनें सीमित हैं। यात्रियों को होने वाली दिक्कतों को देखते हुए नॉर्दर्न रेलवे ने गुरुवार को लखनऊ, दिल्ली और अंबाला के लिए तीन स्पेशल ट्रेनें चलाई हैं। लखनऊ के लिए शाम आठ बजे, दिल्ली के लिए रात नौ और अंबाला के लिए रात साढ़े दस बजे ये ट्रेनें यात्रियों को लेकर रवाना होगी।
स्पेशल ट्रेन के सभी कोच जनरल होंगे। इसके अलावा एक रैक भी रिजर्व रखा है। स्थानीय अफसरों के मुताबिक जरूरत पड़ने पर ट्रेनों की संख्या और इसके फेरे भी बढ़ाये जा सकते हैं।
अतिरिक्त टिकट काउंटर खुले
टिकट लेने में यात्रियों को परेशानी न हो इसके लिए रेलवे स्टेशन पर दो अतिरिक्त बुकिंग काउंटर खोले हैं। इनमें एक अनारक्षित (यूटीएस) और दूसरा आरक्षित टिकट काउंटर (पीआरएस) है। आरक्षित काउंटर पर यात्री रिफंड आदि रात दस बजे तक ले सकते हैं।

वैशाली पतंगे बनीं कोंकण रेलवे की मुख्य जनसंपर्क अधिकारी

नवी मुंबई: कोंकण रेलवे महामंडल ने वैशाली पतंगे को मुख्य जनसंपर्क अधिकारी के पद पर नियुक्त किया है। उनसे पहले सिद्धेश्वर तेलगू इस पद पर थे। तेलुगू को अब कोंकण रेलवे के कार्मिक विभाग के मुख्य अधिकारी पद पर भेजा गया है। वैशाली पतंगे इसके पूर्व यहां साल 1998 से 2009 के दौरान कोंकण रेलवे की जनसंपर्क अधिकारी रह चुकी हैं। उन्होंने कार्यभार संभाल लिया है।

Brace yourself for more trouble than usual while travelling by suburban trains over the next two weekends as the Central Railway (CR) is planning mega blocks to switch from the existing 1,500 volt direct current (DC) to 25,000 volt alternate current (AC) between Kalyan and

Thane. According to sources, while there will be four-hour blocks during this weekend for inspection, the actual conversion will take place during a four-hour night block next weekend.

However, since the CR is already under fire for frequent disruption of services because of water-logging and technical failures, officials are reluctant to carry out blocks on consecutive weekends.

“This may lead to more problems for commuters,” said an official.

Being a more powerful and efficient traction system, adopting AC-traction will allow CR to run more trains, increase the speed of those and reduce energy bills, too. After conversion, CR officials also expect reduction in the travel time of suburban locals by a few minutes.

On the slow corridor, the conversion will be completed up to the Kalawa car shed, while on the fast corridor, it will be up to the south-end of the Thane station. AC-traction will also be adopted for the fifth and sixth corridors between Thane and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) stations.

A senior official told HT that inspection work has been proposed to begin on June 21, but four-hour blocks were proposed for June 22 and 23. While the actual process will be completed during four-hour blocks on the midnight of June 29-30, there will be three-hour blocks for post-conversion work.

“A detailed program has been sent to us by the Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS), we are awaiting a nod from the general manager,” the official said.

“The schedule for CRS inspection has been sent to the headquarters for an approval. A final decision on the block is is expected on Friday,” said Atul Rane, chief public relations officer of CR.

Can't find the English/Hindi notification in SER website, so posting this Bengali news link from "Sangbad Pratidin".

JAMMU, June 20: The first batch of Amarnath Yatra is all set to leave from the base camp here at Bhagwati Nagar on June 27 amid tight security measures for holy cave.
The State administration has finalized all the arrangements including security cover to yatris from Lakhanpur to holy cave situated in deep Himalayas in Kashmir Valley at an altitude of 14,000 feet from the sea level.
According to Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Pardeep Gupta, the first batch of yatra is scheduled to leave from Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas on June 27 to hold darshan at holy cave on June 28. He said all arrangements including security for pilgrims have been made from Lakhanpur to Banihal in Jammu region as well as from Banihal to holy cave in Kashmir Valley on both sides of tracks i.e the traditional Pahalgam Nunwan track and shortest Baltal track.
However this year, the yatra registration has been strictly made on the basis of health certificates issued by the doctors and no pilgrim without obtaining the health and fitness certificate will be allowed to leave for darshan from the designated doctors for the job, he said, adding the Government has decided to implement the Supreme Court directives strictly in this regard.
To avert any untoward incident, the yatris will be provided three tier security by Army, CRPF and J&K Police, he said, adding the administration as well as Shri Amarnath Shrine Board have geared up in finalizing the arrangements.
The yatris will leave at 5 am from base camp Jammu daily under tight security arrangements. To ensure proper safety of yatris during their pilgrimage the authorities have made the arrangements of stand-by accommodation for 15,000 pilgrims daily enroute from Lakhanpur to Banihal at district headquarters of Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban. Besides the respective Deputy Commissioners will also give permissions for free langers enroute in their area, he added.
Meanwhile, according to sources, four companies of CRPF along with J&K Police security personnel have been deployed at Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas from June 15 to sanitize the area and ensure that no unscrupulous elements made entry in the Yatri Niwas. The CRPF personnel have started their activities of sanitizing the area with the assistance of dog squads and bomb squads,  sources added.
The four companies of CRPF which have been deployed at Bhagwati Nagar included G Company, B Company, C Company and D Company and they have started the installation of tents in the Yatri Niwas area also.
In addition to it, the installation of tents and bunkers by security personnel, the private agencies have also started construction of sheds for providing free services of langer etc to the yatris at base camp which will be ready by June 25. Over 100 tents and sheds are likely to be installed at Yatri Niwas, sources added.
The sources said the arrangements are in place at base camps of Baltal and Nunwan also and the widening of track on both sides is going on with full speed by R&B. The railing work on downside of track from Baltal is going on while widening of track from Pahalgam side is also on and it will be completed before June 28 the first day of darshan, sources added.
Sources said that apart from tented accommodation at base camp of Baltal 150 prefabricated huts are in place. Besides, this the outsource huts have also been installed enroute to holy cave and tented accommodations will be also provided to pilgrims enroute, sources added.
Sources said 3300 pre fabricated toilets have been erected and proper arrangements of sanitation have been made on both sides of the track especially at base camps of Baltal and Nunwan with construction of two sewerage Treatment plants one each at Baltal and Nunwan.
Sources said that at Baltal the sewerage treatment plant will cater to the needs of 10,000 yatris per day while at Nunwan it will cater to the needs of 8000 people per day.

More than 207 people have been killed and over 50,000 pilgrims are stranded due to the flash-floods in Uttarakhand.

- Narendra Modi will visit flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand tomorrow.
- Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari says railways is running free special trains from Haridwar for passengers.
- Home minister Sushilkumar Shinde who is likely to visit the flood-affected Uttarakhand said while 34,000 people have been rescued, 50,000 people are still stranded.
-Forty eight bodies of flood victims were recovered from Haridwar, taking the toll in the rain fury to 190 as operations to rescue over 9,000 stranded in Kedarnath and Badrinath were stepped up with the deployment of 40 helicopters.
- As the magnitude of the tragedy continued to unfold, Uttarakhand Principal Secretary Rakesh Sharma said casualty figures can be "shockingly high".
- In Haridwar, SSP Rajeev Swaroop said 40 bodies of those killed in the flash floods and incessant rains have been found.
- Rescuers were focusing on rain-ravaged Kedarnath area where 250 people are stranded before shifting focus to Badrinath where 9000 people are stuck, officials said.
- Massive rescue operations have been launched in Uttarakhand with 40 helicopters pressed into service to evacuate over 9000 people from Kedarnath and Badrinath. The focus of the rescue operation is worst-hit Kedarnath area where 250 people are stranded.
- The operation would then shift to Badrinath where 9000 people are stuck, they said.
- IAF has deployed 20 Mi-17s and 16 Advanced Light Helicopters in the state where they have evacuated over 1,500 people. Army has also deployed over 8,000 of its troops along with over 3,000 personnel of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
- Headlines Today accessed the latest report of CAG day after highlighting how the autonomous watchdog had warned the central and state governments three years ago against setting up of too many hydroelectricity projects in the disaster-prone hilly state. Both the governments allegedly ignored the CAG warning about how these hydel projects were threatening environmental degradation in Uttarakhand.
- Met department says another cloudburst is likely to hit Uttarakhand again by June 24.
- Rescue teams focusing on evacuating people stuck in jungles between Kedarnath and Gaurikund, says ITBP chief Ajay Chadha.
- More helipads are being being built. Army trying to create a big helipad in Gaurikund to enable MI-17 choppers to land and a small helipad in Rambada near Kedarnath.
- The rescue teams also trying to create more roads to evacuate people.
Venkaiah Naidu, MP and BJP leader on Uttarakhand flash floods:
- I request PM to declare this a national calamity.
- Railways have made good arrangements.
- I will contribute 50 lakhs from my MPLADs for the relief efforts.

- MoS Railways, KSP Reddy says

- We have arranges special trains not just from UK to Delhi but also from Delhi to take rescued people back to their respective home states.
- Hundreds of people already assisted. Thousands more on their way.
- It is hard to estimate exactly how many more.

- A look at the relief aid announced by different state governments to Uttarakhand
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has announced Rs.1,000 crore.

-State Governments
Bihar                - Rs.5 crore
Odisha              - Rs.5 crore
Uttarakhand      - Rs.5 crore
Uttar Pradesh    - Rs.25 crore
Haryana              - Rs.10 crore
Madhya Pradesh  - Rs.5 crore
Karnataka            - Rs.5 crore
Maharashtra        -Rs.10 crore
Gujarat                - Rs.2 crore
Delhi                  - Rs.10 crore
Chhattisgarh      -Rs.5 crore

Mahindra & Mahindra Group- Rs.1 crore.

-Rural development minister Jairam Ramesh says announced a separate Rs. 340 crore special package for Uttarakhand for constructing village roads in the flood-ravaged hill state.

-NDRF rescued 885 people from Kedarnath and Gaurikund.

-President Pranab Mukherjee has cancelled his visit to Himachal Pradesh next week owing to the natural disaster in the state, an official said on Friday. Mukherjee's four-day visit to Shimla from June 28 has been cancelled. A communication in this regard from Rashtrapati Bhawan reached the state secretariat Thursday, an official said.

-The operation to airlift those stranded in rain-ravaged parts of Himachal's Kinnaur district has also resumed on Friday.

-Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner J.M. Pathania said that the rescue operation launched to airlift tourists stranded in parts of the district for the past five days resumed on Friday.

-He said teams of the National Disaster Management Authority have been sent to the Ropa Kanda area in Kinnaur to rescue 12 shepherds, who were trapped along with their herd.

-Kedarnath and Guptkashi are the worst affected areas by the floods.
- A total of 33,192 people, stranded due to floods in Uttarakhand, were rescued and helicopters -- privately owned and belonging to the Army and Air Force - carried out 90 sorties, airlifting people.
- Seventeen helicopters of the Army and Air Force were involved in the rescue effort, and 11 private ones.
- National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the home ministry release said, rescued 654 and 1,800 people respectively.
- 47 people who were trapped in Guptkashi finally reached reached Haridwar late night at 2 am. They belonged to Nashik.
- Army has rescued 2,000 people on foot and 85 by air from Harsil; 9100 on foot and 126 by by air and 2,500 people on foot from Kedarnath.
- Over 2,500 residents of Gangotri have now landed up at Army's Harsil camp of Garhwal Scouts. These people have lost their homes. 500 more, mostly old & infirm, remain stranded in the village.
- Chhattisgarh Government choppers will also airlift people standed in Uttarkhand from June 21; 4 rescue teams are working in Uttarkhand.
- Chhattisgarh Control Room no - 0942428958, 08435475985.
- Delhi - 011- 46156000, 46156032


Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/uttarakhand-kedarnath-gangotri-pligrims-stranded-rescue-flash-floods/1/284502.html

CHENNAI: Southern Railway has installed more CCTV cameras at Mambalam and Beach railway stations, as part of expanding Integrated Security System (ISS) to more number of stations in the city. Divisional security commissioner SR Gandhi will inaugurate the CCTV network today evening. Each stations have 16 CCTV cameras. The feed will be monitored round the clock by railway protection force (RPF) personnel. "The cameras have been fitted in platforms, railway reservation counters and foot overbridges. They will be monitored by a sub-inspector and constable and we are being trained on its operations," said the Mambalam RPF sub-inspector Maharajan. Closed circuit television cameras (CCTV) have been installed in all major suburban railway stations on Tambaram to Beach (Parrys) route. This move comes after repeated complaints of pick-pocketing, chain snatching and children going missing. Recently an ISS was inaugurated at Tambaram station. ISS was inaugurated at Tambaram station recently.

Hyderabad, June 21 (IANS) The railways is running a special train from Delhi to Secunderabad for survivors of Uttarakhand floods belonging to Andhra Pradesh.

The special train leaving Friday night will bring back the pilgrims who have reached the national capital from Uttarakhand. This special train will leave Nizamuddin at 9.30 p.m. Friday and is expected to arrive Secunderabad on Sunday.

“Extra coaches are also being attached to Dakshin Express and Duronto Express leaving Delhi today (Friday) to Secunderabad to clear the extra rush of passengers,” said a statement by the South Central Railway (SCR) here.

The SCR has also dispatched a special empty rake consisting of 15 coaches from Secunderabad to Haridwar. It is part of the efforts of railways to attach extra coaches/operate special trains for clearing the pilgrims stranded due to floods in Uttarakhand.

Senior officials of SCR are in close liaison with Railway Board and Northern Railway authorities to coordinate the movement of special trains/attaching extra coaches on trains from northern region towards Andhra Pradesh.

About 500 pilgrims from the southern state have reached Andhra Pradesh Bhavan during last two days. Minister of State for Railways Kotla Surya Prakash Reddy visited them and assured that the railways would make all arrangements for their return to their respective destinations.

Union Tourism Minister K. Chiranjeevi and other central ministers from the state also visited AP Bhavan to meet the pilgrims and review the arrangements being made for their return.

Eight pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh were killed and scores of others were missing. About 3,000 people from Andhra had gone to Uttarakhand for pilgrimage when heavy rains and floods struck the hill state.