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New Delhi: With the 25km long Udhampur-Katra rail line, part of the Kashmir rail link project, getting ready to be operational, two new trains for Katra have become part of the new Railway Time Table released on Friday.        The 22461/22462 New Delhi-Katra-New Delhi weekly AC Express and 14503/14504 Kalka-Katra-Kalka Bi-weekly Express are part of the new Time Table which comes into effect from July.         The timing of these two trains will be declared later as the Katra line is expected to be operational in September after the safety clearance from the concerned authorities, said a senior Railway Ministry official.        With user-friendly features like route map, station index and trains between important stations, railways released its new Time Table.        Beside, details of extension of 42 trains and increase of frequency of 23 trains have also been mentioned in the new Time Table. Commercial information of passenger use, advance reservation period, reservation through internet, Tatkal scheme, refund rules and rail travel concessions has been updated.

बिलासपुर. धनबाद-पटना एक्सप्रेस पर हुए नक्सली हमले के बाद रेलवे बोर्ड ने आरपीएफ को अलर्ट कर दिया है। खासकर खड़गपुर, चक्रधरपुर और नागपुर रेल मंडल के नक्सल प्रभावित इलाकों में सतर्कता बरतने के निर्देश जारी किए गए हैं। रेलवे के अलावा राज्य शासन के खुफिया विभाग ने भी संकेत दिए हैं कि नक्सली फिर से ट्रेनों को निशाना बना सकते हैं।

बिहार में धनबाद-पटना इंटरसिटी एक्सप्रेस पर नक्सलियों द्वारा किए गए हमले के बाद रेलवे बोर्ड ने आरपीएफ को गोपनीय पत्र जारी किया है। 13 जून की इस घटना में आरपीएफ जवान शहीद हो गया था, साथ ही दो अन्य लोगों की मौत हो गई थी। रेलवे बोर्ड से जारी पत्र में कहा गया है कि नक्सली लगातार वारदातों को अंजाम दे रहे हैं।

खुफिया विभागों ने भी संकेत दिए हैं कि नक्सली आगे भी आम लोगों को निशाना बनाने की प्लानिंग कर रहे हैं। ऐसे में संवेदनशील क्षेत्रों पर विशेष नजर रखी जाए और खासकर यात्री ट्रेनों की सुरक्षा के लिए हर संभव कदम उठाए जाएं। पत्र में सुरक्षा के उपायों की जानकारी नहीं दी गई है, लेकिन स्थानीय स्तर पर इसकी पुख्ता प्लानिंग शुरू कर दी गई है। चक्रधरपुर मंडल में एहतियात के तौर पर यात्री ट्रेनों के आगे खाली इंजन रवाना करने की योजना है।

LUCKNOW: The state government has begun considering loan options for Lucknow Metro rail project after giving green signal to its first phase. On Friday, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav held a closed door meeting with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)'s India chief, Shinya Ejima and deputy chief representative of India, Ichiguchi Tomohide along with other senior officials of the international agency.The agency has a rich expertise in funding metro projects of cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. Though it was a preliminary round of talks between the government and the funding agency, sources said in all likelihood, JICA would be chosen as the international funding agency for the Metro rail project. Officials have already stated that they are looking for an agency which is able to sanction loan in a timely manner and has rich experience in funding mega projects. JICA comes across as the most suitable option to fulfill these terms and conditions of the government. Since it was the first visit of JICA's India chief to Lucknow, it shows the agency's keenness to fund the Metro project.

The meeting which was attended by Madhukar Jetley, advisor to externally aided projects department, and Rakesh Garg, principal secretary to the CM along with other officials. They discussed the best possible loan options for the state. "The terms and conditions have to be in the best interest of the state for providing a world class Metro service to the citizens of Lucknow," said an official.

The delegates will further meet the government, once the proposal of obtaining loan from the international agency, is sent to the ministry of urban development and the department of economic affairs, GOI over next few days.

On Thursday, the state cabinet had approved construction of the first phase of metro rail -- North-South corridor -- in Lucknow, a 23-km stretch from Amausi airport to Munshipulia. It would be built at a cost between Rs 7,000-8,000 crore.

The DPR (Detailed Project Report) has been prepared by DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) which has tried to reduce the underground stretch from the earlier proposed 7 km to 3 km underground track from Charbgah upto Hazratganj, which would bring down the construction cost by about Rs 1,000 crore. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) - Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation - is also to be formed in due course of time to execute the project in a time-bound manner.Lucknow's population has been rapidly growing over the past few years because of the migration of population from suburban areas to avail better facilities. A mass rapid transit system is, therefore, integral to a growing city like Lucknow to decrease the traffic pressure on roads. Besides solving traffic issues, Metro rail is also expected to reduce road risks and bring down air and noise pollution levels considerably, thereby improving city's environment.The ground work for Metro will most likely begin by year-end. Officials claim that the first phase would be completed in about 3-4 years (by 2016) if everything works according to the plan. A formal proposal on inclusion of Lucknow metro in 'The Metro Railways (Construction of Works) and Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Acts would soon be sent to the Centre- a mandatory step to get the necessary legal backing to beginning the work.

Southern Railway (SR) has published the salient features of its timetable for 2013-14. It includes introduction of 2 new fully Airconditioned Superfast Expresses, 20 New Express trains, 7 passengers and MEMUs, 11 Extensions, 6 Frequency increases, some changes in timings and days of service, in addition to speeding up of several trains. Introduction of all changes will be notified later. The details for trains run by SR are given below:

New Trains Included int he SR Timetable for 2013-14

New AC Superfast Expresses
22631/22632 Chennai Central – Bikaner Weekly AC Superfast Express
Route: Vijayawada – Balharshah – Bhopal – Ujjain – Kota – Jaipur

Days of Service and Timings

22631 will leave Chennai Central every Thursday at 2100 to arrive at Bikaner every Saturday at 1800
22562 will leave Bikaner every Sunday at 1350 to arrive at Chennai every Tuesday at 1055
Stoppages: Sullurupeta, Gudur, Nellore, O­ngole, Vijayawada, Khammam, Warangal, Ramagundam, Sirpur Kagaznagar, Balharshah, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Itarsi, Bhopal, Bairagarh, Sehore, Shujalpur, Ujjain, Nagda, Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Banasthali Niwai, Durgapura, Jaipur, Phulera Jn, Makrana, Degana, Nagaur, Nokha.

Composition: ONE AC First Class, 3 AC 2-tier, 9 AC 3-tier, 1 AC Pantry Car, 2 EOG (16 Coaches)

22808/22807 Chennai Central – Kolkata Santragachi Bi-Weekly AC Superfast Express
Route: Vijayawada – Vizag – Bhubaneshwar – Kharagpur

22808 will leave Chennai Central every Sunday and Thursday at 0755 to arrive at Santraganchi every Monday and Friday at 1025
22807 will leave Santraganchi every Tuesday and Friday at 1900 to arrive at Chennai Central every Wednesday and Saturday at 2245
Stoppages: Sullurupeta, Gudur, Nellore, Ongole, Vijayawada, Rajamundry, Samalkot, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Kharagpur

Composition: ONE AC First Class, 4 AC 2-tier, 10 AC 3-tier, 1 AC Pantry Car, 2 EOG (18 Coaches)

New Regular Superfast Expresses
22636/22635 Mangalore Central – Madgaon Daily Superfast Intercity Express
Route: via Konkan Railway (Udupi, Karwar)

22636 will leave Mangalore Daily morning at 0815 to arrive at Madgaon (Goa) everyday at 1400
22635 will leave Madgaon (Goa) Daily afternoon at 1615 to arrive at Mangalore Central at 2200 everyday
Stoppages: Suratkal, Udupi, Bhatkal, Kumta, Karwar, Canacona

Composition: 2 AC Chair Cars, 14 Second Class Chair Cars, 1 Pantry Car, 2 SLRD

22633/22634 Thiruvananthapuram Central –  Delhi Hazrat Nizamuddin Weekly Superfast Express
Route: Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Shoranur, Mangalore Jn, Konkan, Panvel, Vadodara, Kota

22633 will leave Thiruvananthapuram every Wednesday at 1445 to arrive at Nizamuddin on Fridays at 1420
22634 will leave Nizamuddin every Friday at 2350 to arrive at Trivandrum Central at 0245 on Mondays
Stoppages: Kollam, Kayankulam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam Jn., Thrisur, Shoranur Jn., Kozhikode, Kannur, Kasaragod, Mangalore Jn., Udupi, Karwar, Madgaon, Pernem, Ratnagiri, Chiplun, Sindhudurg, Panvel, Vasai Road, Surat, Vadodara, Ratlam,,Kota, Sawai Madhopur, Bharatpur, Mathura Jn.

Composition: 2 AC 2-tier Sleeper, 4 AC 3-tier Sleeper, 6 Sleeper Class, 6 General Second Class, 2 SLRD (20 Coaches)

22114/22113 Trivandrum Kochuveli – Mumbai Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Bi-Weekly Superfast Express
Route: Kottayam, Ernakulam, Shoranur, Mangalore Jn, Konkan, Panvel, Thane

22114 will leave Kochuveli every Monday and Thursday at 0035 to arrive at Kurla LTT on Tuesdays and Fridays at 0410
22113 will leave Kurla LTT every Tuesday and Saturday at 1655 to arrive at Trivandrum Kochuveli at 2030 on Wednesdays and Sundays
Stoppages: Kollam, Kayankulam, Chengannur, Tiruvalla, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Thrissur, Shoranur Jn., Tirur, Kozhikode, Thalassery Kannur, Kasaragod, Mangalore Jn, Udupi, Karwar, Madgaon, Pernem, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Chiplun, Panvel, Thane

Composition: 1 AC 2-tier Sleeper, 2 AC 3-tier Sleeper, 6 Sleeper Class, 6 General Second Class, 2 SLRD (17 Coaches)

New Regular Express Trains
16183/16184 Chennai Egmore – Thanjavur Daily Express
Route: Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Mayilaudthurai, Kumbakonam

16183 will leave Chennai Egmore Daily at 2330 to arrive at Thanjavur Daily at 0715
16184 will leave Thanjavur Daily at 2045 to arrive at Chennai Egmore at 0455 everyday
Stoppages: Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Melmaruvathur, Tindivanam, Villupuram, Cuddalore Port Jn., Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Kuttalam, Aduthurai, Kumbakonam, Papanasam. Train No.16184 will stop at Mambalam also

Composition: ONE AC First Class cum AC 2-tier Sleeper, 1 AC 2-tier Sleeper, 1 AC 3-tier Sleeper, 9 Sleeper Class, 4 General Second Class, 2 SLRD (18 Coaches)

16618/16617 Coimbatore – Rameswaram Weekly Express
Route: Erode, Karur, Trichy, Karaikkudi, Manamadurai

16618 will leave Coimbatore Jn every Tuesday at 1945 to arrive at Rameswaram at 0645 on Wednesdays
16617 will leave Rameshwaram every Wednesday at 1900 to arrive at Coimbatore at 0640 every Thursday morning.
Stoppages: Tiruppur, Erode, Karur, Tiruchchirappalli, Pudukkottai, Chettinad, Karaikkudi, Devakottai Road,Sivaganga,Manamadurai, Paramakudi,Ramanathapuram, Mandapam. Train No.16617 will stop at Coimbatore North also.

Composition: ONE AC 2-tier Sleeper, 3 AC 3-tier Sleeper, 13 Sleeper Class, 2 General Second Class, 2 SLRD (17 Coaches)

16003/16004 Chennai Central – Nagarsol (for Sai Nagar Shirdi) Weekly Express
Route: Arakkonam, Renigunta, Gooty, Kurnool, Kacheguda, Nanded, Aurangabad

16003 will leave Chennai Central every Sunday at 0915 to arrive at Nagarsol on Mondays at 1155
16004 will leave Nagarsol on Monday at 1315 to arrive at Chennai Central at 1515 on Tuesdys
Stoppages: Arakkonam, Tiruttani, Puttur, Renigunta, Razampeta, Cuddapah, Yerraguntla, Tadipatri, Gooty, Dhone, Kurnool Town, Gadwal, Mahbubnagar, Kacheguda, Malkajgiri, Kamareddi, Basar, Mudkhed, Hazoor Saheb Nanded, Purna, Parbhani, Jalna, Aurangabad.

Composition: ONE AC 2-tier Sleeper, 4 AC 3-tier Sleeper, 11 Sleeper Class, 3 General Second Class, 2 SLRD (21 Coaches)

16861/16862 Puducherry – Kanniyakumari Weekly Express
Route: Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai, Trichy, Manamadurai, Tirunelveli

16861 will leave Puducherry on Thursdays at 1130 to arrive at Kanyakumari at 0315 on Fridays
16862 will leave Kanyakumari on Fridays at 1335 to arrive at Puducherry at 0525 on Saturdays
Stoppages: Villupuram, Tiruppadirippuliyur, Cuddalore Port Jn, Chidambaram, Sirkazhi, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam, Thanjavur, Tiruchchirappalli Jn., Pudukkottai, Karaikkudi, Devakottai Road, Sivaganga, Manamadurai, Aruppukkottai, Virudunagar, Satur, Kovilpatti, Tirunelveli, Valliyur, Nagercoil Jn.

Composition: ONE AC 2-tier Sleeper, 2 AC 3-tier Sleeper, 5 Sleeper Class, 6 General Second Class, 2 SLRD (17 Coaches)

17235/17236 Bangalore City – Nagercoil Jn Daily Express (SCR?)
Route: Hosur, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Madurai

17235 will leave Bangalore City Daily at 1700 to arrive at Nagercoil Daily at 0750 (Namakkal at 2315)
17236 will leave Nagercoil Daily at 1625 to arrive at Bangalore City at 0905 everyday (Namakkal at 0016)
Stoppages: Bangalore Cantt., Hosur, Dharmapuri, Salem, Namakkal, Karur, Dindigul, Madurai, Virudunagar, Satur, Kovilpatti, Tirunelveli, Valliyur.

Composition: ONE AC 2-tier Sleeper, 2 AC 3-tier Sleeper, 9 Sleeper Class, 3 General Second Class, 2 SLRD (17 Coaches)

The funny thing is that this train number number suggests that an SCR (Secunderabad Division) rake is being used for this train! An SCR rake for a train that runs only through SR and SWR and doesn’t even touch SCR?

New Passenger Trains, MEMUs and DEMUs
56339/56340 Punalur – Kollam Daily Passenger
56339 from Punalur at 0605, reaches Kollam Jn at 0730,
56340 from Kollam at 2100, reaches Punalur at 2255
56663/56664 Kozhikode – Thrissur Daily Passenger
56663 from Kozhikode at 0740, reaches Thrissur at 1100
56664 from Thrissur at 1735, reaches Kozhikode at 2055
56367/56368 Guruvayur – Thrissur Daily Passenger
56367 from Guruvayur at 0020, reaches Thrissur at 0100
56368 from Thrissur at 0200, reaches Guruvayur at 0240
Yes, you read it right, in the middle of the night!!

66307/66308 Ernakulam – Kollam MEMU via Kottayam (6 Days a week)
66307 from Ernakulam at 0515, Kottayam at 0652 and Kollam at 0945
66308 from Kollam at 1115, Kottayam at 1313 and Ernakulam at 1525
66309/66310 Ernakulam – Kollam MEMU via Alappuzha (6 days a week)
66309 from Ernakulam at 1930, Alappuzha 2102, Kollam at 2305
66310 from Kollam at 0010, Alappuzha 0150, Ernakulam at 0425
This is the real joke! A MEMU (local) train in the middle of the night!! A joke made out of an entire state of people LOL

56769/56770 Palani – Tiruchendur Daily Passenger
56769 from Palani at 0745, reaches Tiruchendur at 1600
56770 from Tiruchendur at 1000, reaches Palani at 1910
66011/66012 Chennai Central – Tirupati Daily MEMU
66011 from Chennai at 0930, reaches Tirupati at 1310
66012 from Tirupati at 1720, reaches Chennai at 2120
Stoppages: Villivakkam, Tiruninravur, Tiruvallur, Kadambattur, Tiruvalangadu, Arakkonam, Tiruttani, Ekambarakuppam, Puttur, Renigunta. Return train no. 66012 will stop at Avadi and Perambur also.

Service Route Extension of Express and Passenger Trains
12605/12606 Chennai Egmore – Tiruchchirappalli Pallavan Express extended to Karaikudi Daily
12605 from Chennai Egmore at 1545, leaves Trichy at 2135, arrives Karaikkudi at 2325
12606 leaves Karaikkudi at 0430, leaves Trichy at 0630, arrives Chennai Egmore at 1210
Stops between Tiruchirappalli and Karaikkudi: Pudukkottai only.

12082/12081 Thiruvananthapuram Central – Kozhikode Jan Shatabdi Express to Kannur (5 days)
12082 will leave Trivandrum at 1420, Kozhikode at 2155, reaches Kannur at 2330
12081 will leave Kannur at 0445, Kozhikkode at 0615 reaches TVC at 1345
Days of service to Kannur: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Days of Service from Kannur: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Stops between Kozhikode and Kannur: Vadakara and Thalasserry

12653/12654 Mangalore Central – Tiruchchirappalli Weekly Express extended to Puducherry. New Train No: 16857/16858
16857 will leave Pondicherry at 1635 on Saturday and Trichy at 2050 to reach Mangalore at 0950 on Sundays
16858 will leave Mangalore Central at 1650 on Sundays and Trichy at 0525 on Mondays to reach Puducherry at 1000
Stoppages between Trichy & Pondicherry: Srirangam, Ariyalur, Vridhachalam, Villupuram

New Composition: 1 AC 2-tier 1 AC 3-tier, 6 Sleeper Class, 6 General Second Class, 2 SLR (16 coaches)

12508/12507 Guwahati – Ernakulam Weekly Express Extended to Thiruvananthapuram Central
12508 leaves Ernakulam Town at 1745 on Sundays, Kottayam at 1905, reaches Trivandrum at 2230
12507 leaves Trivandrum at 1700 on Tuesdays, Kottayam at 2000, reaches Ernakulam Town at 2120
Stoppages on extended portion: ErnakulamTown, Kottayam, Tiruvalla, Mavelikara, Kayankulam, Kollam

56514/56513 Bangalore City – Nagore Daily Passenger Extended to Karaikal
56514 leaves Bangalore City at 0715, Nagore at 2200 and reaches Karaikal at 2230
56513 leaves Karaikal at 0340, Nagore at 0400 and reaches Bangalore at 1900
56700/56701 Madurai – Kollam Daily Passenger Extended to Punalur
56700 leaves Kollam at 0940 to arrive Punalur at 1110
56701 leaves Punalur at 1550 to reach Kollam at 1715
56709/56710 Madurai – Dindigul Daily Passenger Extended to Palani
56709 leaves Madurai at 0735 and Dindigul at 0912 to arrive at Palani at 1045
56710 leaves Palani at 1705 to reach Dindigul at 1825 and Madurai at 2015
66612/66611 Ernakulam – Thrisur MEMU Extended to Palakkad on 6 Days
66611 leaves Palakkad at 0845, Thrissur at 1045 to reach Ernakulam at 1250
66612 leaves Ernakulam at 1510, Thrissur at 1701 to reach Palakkad at 1925
Increase of Frequency in Days of Service of Running Trains
22616/22615 Coimbatore – Tirupati Express from Tri-weekly to 4 days a week
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from Coimbatore and Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday from Tiupati

12687/22687/12688/22688 Madurai – Dehradun/Chandigarh Express from Weekly to Bi-weekly
From Madurai on Wednesday and Sunday and from Dehradun/Chandigarh on Monday and Friday

12217/12218 Kochuveli – Chandigarh Kerala Sampark Kranti Exp. from Weekly to Bi-weekly
From Kochuveli on Monday and Saturday and from Chandigarh on Friday and Wednesday.

Passenger Trains Frequency Increased
56312 Tirunelveli – Nagercoil, 56325 Nagercoil – Kanyakumari and 56321 K.Kumari – Tirunelveli frequency increased from 6 Days a Week to Daily.

Changes in Timings and Days of Service of Trains
16688/16788 Jammu Tawi – Mangalore/Tirunelveli Navyug Express
Slowed down by 5 hours to arrive at Mangalore at 2245 on Sundays and at Tiruneveli at 0030 on Mondays!

12692 Sri Satya Sai Prasanthi Nilayam – Chennai Central Weekly Express
Slowed down to depart SSP at 1830 on Saturdays instead of Sundays as it is now. Will reach Bangalore at 2213 on Saturdays and Chennai Central at 0515 on Sundays.

16316 Kochuveli – Bangalore City Tri-Weekly Express speeded up by 45 minutes
16021 Chennai Central – Mysore Kaveri Express Speeded up by 40 minutes
16315 Bangalore City – Kochuveli Tri-Weekly Express speeded up by 20 minutes
16058 Tirupati – Chennai Central Sapthagiri Express will arrive at Chennai Central at 2135 instead of 2035
16204 Tirupati – Chennai Central Express will arrive at Chennai Central at 1130 instead of 1030
(to be updated)

Official Press Release from Southern Railway

SAHARSA: Railway authorities are deeply concerned as with the monsoon getting vigorous day by day, the rail track near Fango railway halt on Saharsa-Mansi section under Samastipur division of East Central Railway (ECR) faces great erosion threat, which could snap the lifeline of the vast Kosi division.

The threat of erosion at 6,7,8 and 16th km of the rail track near Fango railway halt is steadily increasing keeping the railway authorities on their tenterhooks. As the water level of river Kosi, dubbed as the sorrow of Bihar, are showing an upward trend, the threat perception too has heightened, according to railway sources.

Divisional railway manager (DRM), Samastipur, Arun Malik, on Friday, said, "I am very much concerned about the rail track between Saharsa and Mansi, which is a true lifeline to the vast swathe of Kosi region." Though at the moment, the situation is "not very alarming" and all possible efforts are on to protect the rail track, he said. Anti-erosion measures are in full swing as boulder pitching and crating on the rail track is already in full blast, he said and hoped that these measures would adequately address the problem.

A reputed construction company, which is said to have the expertise and knowhow in respect of protecting the rail track, has been engaged and is going about the protection work. Besides, hosts of railway engineers are keeping a round the clock vigil, railway sources said. The 44-km-long Saharsa-Mansi rail route has a disconcerting record of facing threat of erosion by the Kosi. The surging waters of Kosi have a worrisome record of changing its course from time to time, railway sources say.

In 2011 and 2012, the Saharsa-Mansi rail track was under tremendous pressure at the same points near Fango railway halt, when some spurs were heavily eroded. War like efforts, which had persisted for days, had salvaged the situation and the all important lifeline was finally protected, railway sources recalled. A rail bridge could be a permanent solution, they suggested.

Meanwhile, overnight torrential rains in catchment areas and plains which continued till late in the day, resulted in swelling of the rivers like Mahananda and Kosi . Mahananda, which traverse through vast parts of Kishanganj, Katihar and partly Purnia districts, was flowing 65.22 metre a little below the danger mark of 66 metre at Taiyabpur ( Kishanganj) and 34.77 metre against the danger mark of 35.65 metre at Dengrahaghat (Purnia ) at 8 am on Friday.

The water discharge level of the Kosi surged to 1,30,670 cusec and 83,125 cusec at Kosi barrage at Bhimnagar near Birpur and Barahkhetra (Nepal) at 8 am on Friday, according to Central Water Commission (CWC) office in Purnia.

SAHARSA: Railway authorities are deeply concerned as with the monsoon getting vigorous day by day, the rail track near Fango railway halt on Saharsa-Mansi section under Samastipur division of East Central Railway (ECR) faces great erosion threat, which could snap the lifeline of the vast Kosi division.

The threat of erosion at 6,7,8 and 16th km of the rail track near Fango railway halt is steadily increasing keeping the railway authorities on their tenterhooks. As the water level of river Kosi, dubbed as the sorrow of Bihar, are showing an upward trend, the threat perception too has heightened, according to railway sources.

Divisional railway manager (DRM), Samastipur, Arun Malik, on Friday, said, "I am very much concerned about the rail track between Saharsa and Mansi, which is a true lifeline to the vast swathe of Kosi region." Though at the moment, the situation is "not very alarming" and all possible efforts are on to protect the rail track, he said. Anti-erosion measures are in full swing as boulder pitching and crating on the rail track is already in full blast, he said and hoped that these measures would adequately address the problem.

A reputed construction company, which is said to have the expertise and knowhow in respect of protecting the rail track, has been engaged and is going about the protection work. Besides, hosts of railway engineers are keeping a round the clock vigil, railway sources said. The 44-km-long Saharsa-Mansi rail route has a disconcerting record of facing threat of erosion by the Kosi. The surging waters of Kosi have a worrisome record of changing its course from time to time, railway sources say.

In 2011 and 2012, the Saharsa-Mansi rail track was under tremendous pressure at the same points near Fango railway halt, when some spurs were heavily eroded. War like efforts, which had persisted for days, had salvaged the situation and the all important lifeline was finally protected, railway sources recalled. A rail bridge could be a permanent solution, they suggested.

Meanwhile, overnight torrential rains in catchment areas and plains which continued till late in the day, resulted in swelling of the rivers like Mahananda and Kosi . Mahananda, which traverse through vast parts of Kishanganj, Katihar and partly Purnia districts, was flowing 65.22 metre a little below the danger mark of 66 metre at Taiyabpur ( Kishanganj) and 34.77 metre against the danger mark of 35.65 metre at Dengrahaghat (Purnia ) at 8 am on Friday.

The water discharge level of the Kosi surged to 1,30,670 cusec and 83,125 cusec at Kosi barrage at Bhimnagar near Birpur and Barahkhetra (Nepal) at 8 am on Friday, according to Central Water Commission (CWC) office in Purnia.

बिलासपुर. धनबाद-पटना एक्सप्रेस पर हुए नक्सली हमले के बाद रेलवे बोर्ड ने आरपीएफ को अलर्ट कर दिया है। खासकर खड़गपुर, चक्रधरपुर और नागपुर रेल मंडल के नक्सल प्रभावित इलाकों में सतर्कता बरतने के निर्देश जारी किए गए हैं। रेलवे के अलावा राज्य शासन के खुफिया विभाग ने भी संकेत दिए हैं कि नक्सली फिर से ट्रेनों को निशाना बना सकते हैं।

बिहार में धनबाद-पटना इंटरसिटी एक्सप्रेस पर नक्सलियों द्वारा किए गए हमले के बाद रेलवे बोर्ड ने आरपीएफ को गोपनीय पत्र जारी किया है। 13 जून की इस घटना में आरपीएफ जवान शहीद हो गया था, साथ ही दो अन्य लोगों की मौत हो गई थी। रेलवे बोर्ड से जारी पत्र में कहा गया है कि नक्सली लगातार वारदातों को अंजाम दे रहे हैं।

खुफिया विभागों ने भी संकेत दिए हैं कि नक्सली आगे भी आम लोगों को निशाना बनाने की प्लानिंग कर रहे हैं। ऐसे में संवेदनशील क्षेत्रों पर विशेष नजर रखी जाए और खासकर यात्री ट्रेनों की सुरक्षा के लिए हर संभव कदम उठाए जाएं। पत्र में सुरक्षा के उपायों की जानकारी नहीं दी गई है, लेकिन स्थानीय स्तर पर इसकी पुख्ता प्लानिंग शुरू कर दी गई है। चक्रधरपुर मंडल में एहतियात के तौर पर यात्री ट्रेनों के आगे खाली इंजन रवाना करने की योजना है।

LUCKNOW: The state government has begun considering loan options for Lucknow Metro rail project after giving green signal to its first phase. On Friday, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav held a closed door meeting with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)'s India chief, Shinya Ejima and deputy chief representative of India, Ichiguchi Tomohide along with other senior officials of the international agency.The agency has a rich expertise in funding metro projects of cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. Though it was a preliminary round of talks between the government and the funding agency, sources said in all likelihood, JICA would be chosen as the international funding agency for the Metro rail project. Officials have already stated that they are looking for an agency which is able to sanction loan in a timely manner and has rich experience in funding mega projects. JICA comes across as the most suitable option to fulfill these terms and conditions of the government. Since it was the first visit of JICA's India chief to Lucknow, it shows the agency's keenness to fund the Metro project.

The meeting which was attended by Madhukar Jetley, advisor to externally aided projects department, and Rakesh Garg, principal secretary to the CM along with other officials. They discussed the best possible loan options for the state. "The terms and conditions have to be in the best interest of the state for providing a world class Metro service to the citizens of Lucknow," said an official.

The delegates will further meet the government, once the proposal of obtaining loan from the international agency, is sent to the ministry of urban development and the department of economic affairs, GOI over next few days.

On Thursday, the state cabinet had approved construction of the first phase of metro rail -- North-South corridor -- in Lucknow, a 23-km stretch from Amausi airport to Munshipulia. It would be built at a cost between Rs 7,000-8,000 crore.

The DPR (Detailed Project Report) has been prepared by DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Corporation) which has tried to reduce the underground stretch from the earlier proposed 7 km to 3 km underground track from Charbgah upto Hazratganj, which would bring down the construction cost by about Rs 1,000 crore. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) - Lucknow Metro Rail Corporation - is also to be formed in due course of time to execute the project in a time-bound manner.Lucknow's population has been rapidly growing over the past few years because of the migration of population from suburban areas to avail better facilities. A mass rapid transit system is, therefore, integral to a growing city like Lucknow to decrease the traffic pressure on roads. Besides solving traffic issues, Metro rail is also expected to reduce road risks and bring down air and noise pollution levels considerably, thereby improving city's environment.The ground work for Metro will most likely begin by year-end. Officials claim that the first phase would be completed in about 3-4 years (by 2016) if everything works according to the plan. A formal proposal on inclusion of Lucknow metro in 'The Metro Railways (Construction of Works) and Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Acts would soon be sent to the Centre- a mandatory step to get the necessary legal backing to beginning the work.

Keeping in mind the high mobile phone penetration in India, the railways on Friday launched an SMS-based ticketing system aimed at improving customer convenience. Railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge said it will also deal with the touts who fleece the passengers. “This service will be particularly useful for labourers and workers staying away from their homes, who have to book tickets to travel to their native place,” said Kharge, adding: “While internet access in India is only about 10%, more than 80% people in the country use mobile phones.”

MUMBAI: A Churchgate-Dahanu local left Palghar without a guard on Thursday morning. The guard, Radheshyam Sharma (55), had alighted in Palghar allegedly to have a cup of tea.Western Railway (WR) has issued a chargesheet to Sharma for dereliction of a duty. A departmental inquiry has been ordered against Sharma and formal punishment will be handed out to him after the investigation is complete.Sharma has denied that he had stepped out for tea. He claimed that he had alighted from the train to inspect one of the compartments after commuters complained about noise coming from it.A senior WR official said, "Sharma's explanation does not seem tenable. I am sure he panicked when he spotted the train leaving without him."The incident occurred soon after the local from Churchgate reached Palghar station at 7.24am. The train left Palghar at 7.25am and reached Boisar at 7.47am without the guard.When Sharma spotted the moving local, he alerted the station authorities but the train had already covered significant distance. He then hailed an auto to catch up with the train at Boisar station. By the time he reached Boisar, the train had already moved to the next station.

Under the norms, a motorman should start the train only after the guard rings the bell. An official said, "It is not clear why the motorman left the station without the guard ringing the bell. It appears that there was some miscommunication and the motorman realized that there was no guard on board only after the train reached Boisar."What does a guard do?

The guard alerts motormen in case of an emergency and gives them the signal for departure after ensuring all commuters are on board. In case of an accident, the guard, along with railway cops, ensures the track is cleared for the next train. The guard is also expected to apply emergency brakes if he notices the motorman over-shooting the platform or jumping the signal

What Happened

Guard Radheshyam Sharma (55) alights from the train when it reaches Palghar station, allegedly to have tea

Before Sharma is back on board, the Churchgate-Dahanu local, piloted by motorman E Rajan, leaves Palghar

The guard spots the moving local and alerts station authorities, but the train has already covered significant distance

Sharma then hails an autorickshaw to catch up with the train

He reaches Boisar station but the train has already left

Sharma claims he didn't step out for tea but to inspect one of the compartments after commuters complained of noise