ProUI

Kashmir's dream of an all-weather surface link turned into a reality on Wednesday when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the rail link between Banihal to Qazigund in the Valley. Singh and Gandhi jointly flagged off the first train on the 18-km-long section between Banihal in Jammu and Qazigund in Kashmir, marking the start of the rail service to the Valley. The 8-coach train will make regular operation from Banihal to Baramulla from June 27 after the inaugural run on June 26. The Banihal-Baramulla-Banihal train will make five trips daily beginning at 7.10 AM from Banihal and 7.35 AM from Baramulla. Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge, Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vora and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah along with other central ministers Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad are expected to be present on the historic occasion. "We have seven pairs of trains to run between Banihal and Baramulla. Earlier there were five rakes only but now it has been increased," said a senior Northern railway official. The Banihal-Qazigund section, which includes an 11-km-long tunnel, will reduce the distance from 35 km (by road) to 18 km. It has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1,691 crore. This rail section is very significant as it will provide an all-weather link to Kashmir Valley which often gets cut off from the rest of the country due to snowfall during winters. Passengers travelling by train from Kashmir Valley to Banihal can avail bus service from there till Udhampur where train service is available for the rest of the country. Northern Railway is coordinating with Jammu and Kashmir government for arrangements for the bus service. "The bus service will be available from Udhampur to facilitate passengers availing train from Banihal next month," a senior Northern Railway official said. Train service is already operational within Kashmir Valley on the 118-km-long route between Qazigund and Baramulla in north Kashmir. "It (Qazigund-Banihal section) was a challenging task. Besides the difficult terrain, land was acquired for the Kashmir rail link project in adverse law and order situation in the state," the official said. Trial run on Banihal-Qazigund section was successfully done on December 28 last year and since then trains carrying stones are running on regular basis.

Currently, problems are being faced by passengers travelling between Banihal and Qazigund due to closure of Jawahar Tunnel in winter months due to heavy snowfall.

Last winter, only one-way vehicular movement was allowed between Jammu and Srinagar on national highway. There were sudden closures for almost four months from December 2012 to March this year due to heavy snowfall and slippery conditions.

"All these problems will be reduced to a large extent by running of train services between Banihal and Qazigund," the Northern Railway official said, adding that "it will be a cheaper, faster and dependable mode of transport for the people."

Known as Pir Panjal tunnel, it is the longest transportation tunnel in India and third longest in Asia. The tunnel has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,300 crore and taken almost seven years to complete.

The tunnel has been constructed using New Austrian Tunnelling Method, which has been used for the first time on such a large scale in India.

This method optimises the tunnel design by mobilising the inherent ground strength in adopting a curved section, providing primary support system immediately after excavation and monitoring the ground behaviour while permitting it to develop its inherent strength.

A three-meter wide road has been provided inside the tunnel for maintenance and emergency rescue and relief operations. The tunnel has been made water-proof by providing continuous PVC membrane between primary and secondary lining.

It has also been equipped with the state-of-the-art air quality monitoring system, ventilation system, communication system, fire fighting system and emergency rescue system.

New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) A recent study of railways shows that the trains continue to be the most preferred medium for long distance travel in India. The survey conducted by RailYatra.in shows that 76 percent travellers in India prefer trains for long distance travel, while 50 percent people take trains to visit their hometowns and cities. "It is now reaffirmed by this study that railway is the lifeline of the Indian travellers," said Manish Rathi, chief executive officer of RailYatri.in. Not only for long distance travel, trains have also emerged as the popular mode of transport for daily commutation. "This study aligns with the traditional view that the train is a popular mode of transport for comfortable travelling in our country," Rathi added. RailYatri.in provides the Indian railway passengers personalised real time updates on their journey through internet, email, text messages and voice messages.

Union Minister of State for Railways Kotla Jayasuryaprakasa Reddy flagged off two passenger trains- Kurnool-Secunderabad Intercity express and Kurnool-Nandyal DEMU passenger here on Tuesday.State Minister for Minor Irrigation T.G. Venkatesh, MP S.P.Y. Reddy, General Manager, South Central Railway, B.P. Pandey, MLC M. Sudhakar Babu, MLAs Labbi Venkata Swamy and Muralikrishna were present.Addressing the function, Mr. Suryaprakasa Reddy said development of any region was interlinked with expansion of railways. The areas with well-connected rail transport witnessed rapid development.He said Jaffer Sharieff was the last Railway Minister from the south in 1996 and after that railway progress dented in the South due to various reasons. Every effort was being made to undo the injustice by rolling out railway projects with greater devotion.

‘Long cherished dream’

He described an inter-city express between Kurnool and Twin cities as long-cherished dream of residents of the city. Mr. Reddy said it took nine years for him to rename Kurnool Town as Kurnool city in the railway records which required approval from the Ministry of Home Affairs and other departments.

He said doubling of railway line between Secunderbad and Guntakal, establishment of Midlife coach rehabilitation centre at a cost of Rs. 110 crore, escalators in station and two double deck trains were sanctioned for Kurnool.

Mr. Pandey said 25 new trains were added in the present budget while 51 trains were added in the last two years. He said the SCR was coordinating with the State government to acquire the land for establishment of coach rehabilitation centre.

Mr. Pandey said the unmanned level-crossings would be done away with completely by 2016 which were the source of accidents.

He said the railway station at Kurnool was being developed at a cost of Rs 3 crores and the second entry from the western side was being created.

Mr. Venkatesh said Kurnool would witness rapid development with pumping of funds by the Central and State governments amounting to Rs. 300 crore.

Mr. S.P.Y. Reddy asked the people to strengthen the hands of elected representatives and the Congress party to render their best.

‘Doubling of Sec’bad-Guntakal line, Midlife coach rehabilitation centre, escalators sanctioned’

Unmanned level-crossings will be done away with completely by 2016, says SCR GM

New Delhi, June 26 (IANS) A recent study of railways shows that the trains continue to be the most preferred medium for long distance travel in India. The survey conducted by RailYatra.in shows that 76 percent travellers in India prefer trains for long distance travel, while 50 percent people take trains to visit their hometowns and cities. "It is now reaffirmed by this study that railway is the lifeline of the Indian travellers," said Manish Rathi, chief executive officer of RailYatri.in. Not only for long distance travel, trains have also emerged as the popular mode of transport for daily commutation. "This study aligns with the traditional view that the train is a popular mode of transport for comfortable travelling in our country," Rathi added. RailYatri.in provides the Indian railway passengers personalised real time updates on their journey through internet, email, text messages and voice messages.

Guwahati: The Railway Ministry has revised and amended Refund Rules in a comprehensive manner and notified them to come into force from July 1, said a Northeast Frontier Railway release has said.The amendments are aimed at simplification, efficiency in processing and reduction of bogus refund claims, N-F Railway Chief Public Relations Officer S Hajong said in a press release here.The Railway Passengers (Cancellation of ticket and Refund of fare) Rules, 1998 had not been substantially revised in the last 15 years when a large number of changes took place in the ticketing system of Indian Railways, Hajong said.

The proliferation of computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS), computerised Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS), reservation through internet, Integrated Train Enquiry System warranted that the Refund Rules be revised comprehensively, he said.

The major changes in the existing rules and the amendments in Refund Rules were different for reserved tickets, Unused (unreserved) tickets, tickets issued in advance, reserved unused tickets, various air-conditioned class tickets, party ticket or a family ticket, RAC, E-tickets, Tatkal tickets, etc.

Under the new rules, the time for filing of refund claims has been reduced from existing 90 days to 10 days of the train's departure in case of unforeseen circumstances like strike or any natural causes like floods.

According to the new rules, even those with waitlisted or RAC tickets would have to cancel their tickets three hours before the train's actual departure to get the refund after deduction of clerkage charge of Rs 30 once the new rules are implemented from July 1.

New rules would not allow any refund two hours after the train's departure. Existing rules permit cancellation till three hours after the train's departure.

Revised rules would reduce last-minute cancellation and give Railway more time to confirm and upgrade tickets of other passengers in the waiting list, railway officials said.

Justifying the revision, the Railway Ministry said "railway passengers (cancellation of ticket and refund of fare) Rules, 1998, have not been substantially revised in the last 15 years during which a large number of changes have taken place in the ticketing system of Indian Railways."

Railway said passengers seeking duplicate tickets for their confirmed or RAC tickets will have to pay Rs 50 per passenger in case of second and sleeper class and Rs 100 per passenger for other classes instead of paying only the clerkage charges as per existing rules.

The postponement or advancement of a journey will now be allowed in the same class and for the same destination instead of any longer distance or any higher class by any train.

Present rules allowed passengers to travel longer distance if they surrendered their tickets 24 hours before the train's scheduled departure. Under the new rules, such passengers would have to present their tickets 48 hours before the journey.

"In case no current counters are available at journey originating station for night trains leaving between 9 pm and 6 am, refund shall be admissible at the station within first two hours after the opening of reservation counter," the ministry said.

26-06-2013
PRIME MINISTER DEDICATES PIR PANJAL RAILWAY TUNNEL (THE LONGEST TRANSPORTATION TUNNEL OF INDIA) TO THE NATION

.. .. ..

HISTORIC RAILWAY LINK ESTABLISHED BETWEEN KASHMIRVALLEY AND JAMMU REGION.

THE 17.7 KM RAIL LINK PAVES WAYFOR THE FUTURE RAIL CONNECTIVITY OF KASHMIR VALLEY WITH THE NATIONAL RAILWAY SYSTEM.

New Delhi, June 26, 2013

Ashadha 05, 1935

The Indian Railways added another feather in its cap with the historic milestone of connecting Kashmir valley with the Jammuregion. The  Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh dedicated the newly constructed railway line between Banihal (Jammu region)-Qazigund (Kashmir valley) section to the nation  by flagging off  the first DEMU train from Banihal through the Pir Panjal tunnel- the longest transportation tunnel of India, from Banihal Railway station in Jammu & Kashmir today.  Chairperson, UPA, Smt. Sonia Gandhi,  Governor of J&K, Shri N.N. Vohra,  Minister for Railways, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nagi Azad Chief Minister of  J&K, Shri Omar Abdullah,  and Dy. Speaker, Vidhansabha, J&K, Shri Sartaj Madani were also present o­n the occasion.

Ircon International Ltd., a PSU under the Ministry of Railways, has been the principal executing agency for Northern Railway to execute the work of Dharam-Qazigund Section of USBRL Project which includes Banihal-Qazigund section and Pir Panjal Tunnel.

The Kashmir Valleyrailway ( Qazigund-Baramulla section) is a 119 km long modernrailwayline that became completely operational in October 2009. So far it is an island railway, not yet connected to the Indian Railway network. It connects Baramula in the western part of Kashmir to Qazigund at the other end of the Valley, via Srinagar. With today’s dedication of this challenging project to the nation, the extension of this railway line beyond the Pir Panjal Mountains in to the Jammu region has been achieved with trains running o­n the new railway section of Qazigund-Banihal. The 17.7 km long rail link paves way for the future railway connectivity of Kashmirregion with the national railway network. 

On 28th December, 2012, the first trial run train was operated o­n this section of Qazigund-Banihal which is 17.7 kms long, of this 6.5 km is o­n cutting and embankment including bridges. This section mostly consists of a 11.2 km long, Tunnel T-80 which pierces through the Pir Panjal range, providing a direct rail connection between the KashmirValley and Jammu region.  About 11,78,500 cubic meters of earthwork in cutting and filling has been done. The maximum depth of cutting o­n this section is 15.20 meters and maximum height of embankment is 16.70 meters. 39 bridges have also been constructed in this section which include two major bridges, 30 minor bridges and 7  Road Over Bridges/Road Under Bridges. The total expenditure of Rs. 1691.00 cr. has been incurred by the railways to complete this section.
Tunnel T-80 has been provided the State of the Art systems with CCTV cameras at every 62. 5 m, linear fire detection system, fire fighting system with fire hydrants at every 125 m, emergency telephone with communication to control room at every 250 m, fire extinguishers and fire alarm at every 250 m, air quality monitoring system at every 500 m, escape route signs to guide the shortest escape route in emergency at every 50 m, emergency lighting and normal lighting and public address system. A 3.0 m wide road along the track for rescue and maintenance purpose has been constructed with a 772.0 m long escape tunnel to provide additional escape route.  Tunnel ventilation system has been  provided which consists of 25 fans along the tunnel, installed in the ceiling of tunnel in groups of 5 each.
Falling in difficult and mountainous terrain, the State of Jammu & Kashmir has always been a challenge to transportation providers. Other factors which increase the difficulty in providing modes of mass transportation is that the area is geologically unstable, prone to tremors and earthquakes, with deep gorges alternating steep between rocky mountains. For any construction activity, the weather is quite inclement too. Long months of incessant rains and heavy snow can put life o­n hold for many. But there is a positive fall out of this difficulty too. The residents of these areas have evolved fine traditions in handicrafts in the periods of being home bound and have made established themselves as the finest craftsmen in the world.

Northern Railway has worked in these circumstances and has created the most modern railway line in the Kashmir Valley which provides economical, all weather connectivity. This is something the residents appreciate, especially when other facilities grind to a halt in deep snow. While building this railway line, Northern Railway did not o­nly have to cope with the difficult terrain, geology and the weather. Since it was found to be imperative to complete this railway line at the earliest, construction was started simultaneously at different sites and as the stretch in the Kashmir valley rail link was completed before the rail link which would connect it to the remaining Indian Railway network, all rolling stock and other equipments required for construction and running of trains was transported by road and reassembled o­nce it had reached there. But the result is gratifying.

On commissioning of this section, the first rail link will be established between the Jammu Region and Kashmir Valley providing all weather connectivity with significantly reduced travel time through the Pir Panjal mountains. This will be an alternative connection between the two regions for the Jawahar Tunnel too, which is often snow bound during the winter months. With this section the distance between Banihal-Qazigund section has been reduced to 17.7 kms by railway line instead of 35 kms long road length.

With the completion of this section the Kashmir Valley has come a step closer to being connected to the remaining Indian Railway network, signifying the dedication and resolution of Northern Railway in providing rail connectivity to the farthest corners in its jurisdiction.

The Prime Minister also travelled in the train from Banihal to Qazigund along with a group of school children. (Full text of PM’s speech is available o­n the PIB website i.e. pib.nic.in)

Also o­n the occasion, the UPA Chairperson, Smt. Sonia Gandhi released a book titled “Pir-Panjal Railway Tunnel – a dream Realized” compiled by project team to commemorate the completion of this engineering marvel which gives an insider perspective to the challenging task of construction of Pir-Panjal Railway Tunnel through mighty Himalayas.

Local representatives of people also attended the function. Chairman, Railway Board, Shri Vinay Mittal, Member Engineering Railway Board,  Shri Subodh Jain. General Manager Northern Railway Shri V.K.Gupta, CMD IRCON, Shri Mohan Tiwari were among those present o­n the occasion.

The final rail link connecting India to Kashmir is here, hurrah but wait a bit. Built at a cost of Rs.1,300 crore, the 10.96-km Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel between Qazigund in Kashmir valley and Banihal in Jammu region may be the hanging gardens of Babylon if you go by what the government says. But propaganda is well within the government's sphere of activities, what with a general election ahead in 2014.

While it's surely a feat to be praised with a certain amount of mountain moving, there are some chinks in this story. The biggest chink: The track ends at Banihal station. Rail passengers from Baramulla and Srinagar and other places in the Valley will have to bus/taxi over 125 km to Udhampur to catch sight of the next pair of rails that would take them to other parts of India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (first row) and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi (third row) with school girls travel on the first diesel EMU train from Banihal in Jammu to Qazigund in Kahmir valley on June 26, 2013. Imagine sitting through an 11-km tunnel just to take a long bus ride to resume your train journey. The network linking Banihal to Udhampur will take a long time and lots of more money to become a reality. So let's wait for the cake then.

It's not lost on the Kashmiri that the link would open up a new mode of transport for the army to ferry in supplies and men in case of you-know-what. That's possibly the reason fresh terror strikes greeted Srinagar a few days before Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came to Kashmir for the ceremony to unveil/inaugurate the service.

What remains is more than 80 per cent of the project's Jammu part, passing through treacherous terrain, and this includes Banihal's rail link to Katra town, which is the base stop for the Vaishnodevi shrine.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in a report has already panned the railways for the slow progress of the project (commissioned around 2002) and warned of the cost multiplying.

So it seems the real railway integration of Kashmir to the rest of the country will be another decade-long train journey. Apart from the red tape, it would be wise for the authorities to account for disaster management given the upheaval that has been imposed on Uttarakhand this monsoon.

Nine years ago, when Sharanappa Yalal relocated to Kashmir as project manager of the 11-km Pir Panjal rail tunnel, the longest proposed in India, most locals told him it was never going to happen.Yet after a three-year delay, technical snags and several complications, the Rs 800-crore (project is to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday. Besides the one of its kind tunnel, the Rs 1,800-crore 240 Mw Uri hydroelectric project, situated very close to the Line of Control or LoC, is also expected to be declared ready soon.

BANIHAL

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh Wednesday, after inaugurating the Qazigund-Banihal railway line termed it as “an engineering miracle.”

“Struggling the weather and geographical challenges, the railway engineers have done a splendid job for which they are worth congratulations,” the Prime Minister said while speaking at a rally in Banihal.

On the final day of his two-day visit to the state, the prime minister opened nearly 11-km-long tunnel to link the towns of Bannihal and Qazigund in the two regions.

The Prime Minister termed the completion of the project as “a dream come true”. “The dream of linking the valley by train was dreamt by then Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1885, later, Indira Gandhi dreamt the same dream and by the efforts of UPA government, the same dream has come true,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister further said that the Qazigund-Banihal train will reduce the difficulties of the people because it will remain open in all the twelve months of the year.

The rail connectivity will cut the present surface distance between the two towns by 18 km.

The prime minister boarded the train which carried children on its first run through the Pir Panjal mountain range tunnel, the longest rail tunnel in India and the second longest in Asia.

He shook hands with the children on board and sat with them as the train wound its way through the tunnel.

Manmohan Singh then went back to Bannihal on the same train to address a public meeting in the town.

The 10.96 km railway tunnel has been built at a cost of Rs.1,300 crores. An eight-coach train will operate on the route from June 27.

धनबाद से दिल्ली के लिए शीघ्र दिया जाए ट्रेन
स्टेशन के उत्तरी एवं दक्षिण छोर के विकास में लाया जाए तेजी
प्रमुख ट्रेनों में बढ़ाया जाए कोच
दिल्ली की बेरुखी के कारण सुगम रेल सेवा के लिए तरस रहा धनबाद, इतने वर्षो के बाद भी धनबाद से दिल्ली के लिए नहीं मिली सीधी ट्रेन
रेल परिवहन की राह में रोड़े
धनबाद देश की कोयला राजधानी है। धनबाद रेल मंडल आठ हजार करोड़ रुपये की आय देता है। विभिन्न माध्यमों से केन्द्र सरकार को प्रति माह करोड़ों रुपये राजस्व स्वरुप प्राप्त होते हैं, लेकिन यह कोयलांचल का दुर्भाग्य ही है कि यहां अभी तक रेल की सुगम सेवा उपलब्ध नहीं है। आज तक धनबाद से सीधे दिल्ली के लिए ट्रेन नहीं मिल पायी है। मुंबई, बंगलोर आदि महानगरों के लिए भी यहां से सीधी कनेक्टीविटी का अभाव है। और तो और जो ट्रेनें यहां से खुलती है उसमें भी बोगियों की कमी बड़ी समस्या है। स्टेशन पर यात्री सुविधाएं तो बढ़ायी जा रही हैं, लेकिन मौर्य एक्सप्रेस, गंगा दामोदर एक्सप्रेस, गंगा सतलज एक्सप्रेस समेत तमाम ट्रेनों में लंबी वेटिंग लिस्ट और सीट का नहीं मिलना भी लोगों को खलता है।
धनबाद रेल मंडल की अनदेखी : धनबाद मंडल रेलवे का महत्वपूर्ण कमाऊ डिवीजन है पर इसके बाद भी रेल मंत्रालय की कृपा इस मंडल को नहीं मिलती। वर्षोँ से धनबाद से दिल्ली के लिए सीधी ट्रेन की मांग की जा रही है लेकिन मंत्रालय पर कोई फर्क नहीं पड़ रहाहै। हर रेल बजट के पूर्व यहां के लोगों में बंधती है और बजट पेश होते ही टूट जाती है। दिल्ली ही क्यों, मुंबई और बंगलोर जैसे महानगर के लिए भी यहां से सीधी ट्रेन नहीं है। यात्री सुविधाओं के मामले में भी धनबाद की आवाज अक्सर मंत्रालय मे नहीं सुनी जाती। इस कारण यहां रेल का सफर बहुत सुगम नहीं है। प्रतिनिधियों की खामोशी: धनबाद के जनप्रतिनिधियों की दिल्ली में दमदार उपस्थिति नहीं होने के कारण भी रेल परिवहन में धनबाद को सुविधाएं नहीं मिल पा रही है। बजट के पूर्व यहां के लोग सुविधाओं की मांग को लेकर आवाज भी उठाते हैं पर यह दिल्ली तक नहीं पहुंच पाती। इस कारण धनबाद कई सुविधाओं से वंचित है ।
कोच की कमी : धनबाद रेल मंडल के पास पर्याप्त मात्र में बोगियां भी नहीं है जिस कारण सीट के लिए पूरे वर्ष आपाधापी मची रहती है। खासकर बिहार और यूपी जानेवाली ट्रेनों में सीट नहीं होने के कारण यात्रियों को कष्ट सहते हुए सफर करना पड़ता है। पर्व त्योहारों के मौसम में तो मुसीबत और बढ़ जाती है। अतिरिक्त कोच नहीं होने के कारण यात्रियों को कंफर्म सीट नहीं मिल जाती। जाना जरूरी होता है इसलिए यात्री खड़े होकर या फिर गेट पर लटककर सफर करने को विवश होते हैं। धनबाद स्टेशन पर एक ट्रेन में सीट पाने को मची आपाधापी। रेलवे धनबाद के यात्रियों की सुविधा के लिए यहां से दिल्ली के लिए सीधी ट्रेन की सुविधा उपलब्ध करा दे। धनबाद स्टेशन के दक्षिणी छोर का भी विकास किया जा रहा है। इससे भी यात्रियों को राहत मिलेगी।