ProUI

It will ease traffic congestion at Chinnakada

Even as there are reports that the Chinnakada underpass project is in limbo, Mayor Prasanna Earnest dismissed such fears and said that a meeting of officers concerned convened by the City Corporation took the decision to commence the work at the earliest. The meeting discussed in detail the technical problems likely to crop up during the construction phase.The underpass is being mooted as a project, which on becoming a reality, will considerably ease the traffic congestion not only at Chinnakada but in many other parts of the city. The main hurdle to the project was getting about 21 cents of land in the possession of the Railways to construct the approach road for the underpass.The Mayor said the hurdle has been overcome. The meeting was attended by officials from the BSNL, the KSEB, the Public Works Department and the National Highway department. Once construction starts the Chinnakada overbridge will have to be closed for traffic.

The meeting discussed in detail the traffic problems which will crop up as a result of this and probed the practical alternatives. The Mayor called for the cooperation of the people to realise the project.


Main hurdle was getting 21 cents of land from Railways

The Railways will not refund your ticket if it is surrendered for cancellation two hours after the actual departure of the train, as per its new refund rules effective from July 1. The time limit for a passenger holding a confirmed ticket to cancel it and claim refund has also been changed. A confirmed ticket can now be surrendered for cancellation within six hours before the actual departure of the train, instead of the existing four hours.No refund will be given on e-tickets having confirmed berth or seat if the request for cancellation is filed online after two hours of the actual departure of the train. Sources in the Railways told The Hindu that the revised rules would ensure early confirmation of RAC or waitlisted passengers or upgrading of passengers with a confirmed ticket.Earlier, passengers could get 50 per cent of the fare as refund and the claims could be submitted up to 30 days after the departure of the train. But as per the new rules, if the ticket is presented for cancellation at least 48 hours in advance, a full refund minus the cancellation charges will be allowed.


No refund if ticket is surrendered for cancellation two hours after actual departure of train

As per new trains time table Trains Speed Increased By Southern Railways. Following are the details ....

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today said it had started all the necessary arrangements required for taking over the operations of the Airport Express Link, if any such requirement arises, in the wake of a recent letter by the concessionaire communicating that they will not be able to run the services after the business hours of 30th June, 2013.   The concessionaire, Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL), a part of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group's Reliance Infrastructure, had written to DMRC on June 27 to say that it would stop operating the airport line from the night of June 30.   DMRC Chairman and Union Urban Development Secretary Sudhir Krishna said yesterday that the Board of Directors of DMRC had met to discuss the letter of DAMEPL, dated June 27, in this regard.   "Board concluded that the above notice is in violation of the Concession Agreement and the ongoing Arbitration proceedings.  Board decided to reject the notice and call upon them to continue the operations of the line in terms of the Agreement.

HYDERABAD :   Indian Railways expects a huge movement of foodgrains across the country, once the UPA government’s proposed Food Security Bill is passed, a senior official said here today.D P Pande, General Manager of South-Central Railway said the national carrier encourages private freight terminals under the PPP model to meet the future cargo handling demand from all sectors.“As per our estimation, with Food Security Bill, there will be a major increase in the rail movement across the country. In Andhra, as a strong producer of foodgrains, there will be an increased movement,” Pande said in a press conference.The landmark legislation aims at giving legal right over a uniform quantity of 5 kg food grains at a fixed price of Rs 1-per kg via ration shops to 67 per cent of the population.He said the cement industry in the country has made investments worth nearly Rs 30,000 crore to increase capacities which would be required for transportation.According to him, the major constraint for Railways is terminals. Freight handling terminals have to be increased proportionate to tonnage.“That is why we promulgated private freight terminal policy. Anybody, who can set up a terminal in a private property, we will provide the authority to handle goods and he can charge the customers,” Pande explained.

The truncated Palakkad railway division now faces bleak prospects with the bid to form another division at Mangalore.The apprehensions have been strengthened in the wake of Mallikarjuna Kharge assuming office as the new Railway Minister.It may be recalled that more than half of the Palakkad division was taken to form the Salem division when Pattali Makkal Katchi leader R Velu was the Minister of state for Railways.Though a railway coach factory was announced for Palakkad in lieu of the bifurcation of the division, it is yet to begin. The Mangalore Railway Development Committee has already appealed for a new railway division headquartered there to ensure the development of coastal Karnataka. The delegation had met Kharge at his residence in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister for Surface transport Oscar Fernandes. The delegation, according to newspaper reports, was led by committee convener P V Mohan and Mangalore North  MLA Praveen Bangara.“The move should be resisted at all costs. The creation of the Mangalore division will sound the death knell for the Palakkad division since the freight revenues were mainly obtained from the Mangalore port. The Malabar region will be affected badly as the allotment of funds will be channeled to the new division“, said the general convener of the Malabar Rail Users’ Association C E Chakunny. M B Rajesh MP said that he would raise the issue in parliament.

Bathinda: Two new trains have been included in the new timetable of issued for the Bathinda railway station.The new trains include Dhuri-Ganganagar passenger via Bathinda and Ferozpeur to Delhi Intercity Express via Bathinda. Further, the route of the Bathinda-Delhi intercity express has been extended up to Fazilka.The Passengers’ Welfare Association president, Jasvir Singh from Rampura Phul, said the new trains and changed timetable will be applicable from July 1 onwards.He added that the Ganganagar-Haridwar Express has been extended up to Rishikesh. The new timings for Ferozepur to Mumbai Janta Express are 6:57 am as arrival and 7:05 am as departure time. Earlier, the train used to arrive at the Bathinda railway station at 6:35 am.Similarly, the timings of the daily Ganganagar-Delhi train via Jakhal have been changed. Earlier, the train used to arrive at 8:25 pm and depart at 8:30 pm, which has now been changed to 7:55 pm and 8 pm, respectively.The Dhuri-Ganganagar passenger train via Bathinda will now leave Dhuri at 4 am and will reach Bathinda at 6:25 am. It will leave for Ganganagar at 7:05 am.

RLYS RELEASES NEW TIMETABLE
  Two new trains have been included in the new timetable. They are the Dhuri-Ganganagar passenger via Bathinda and Ferozpeur to Delhi Intercity Express via Bathinda.
Further, the route of the Bathinda-Delhi intercity express has been extended up to Fazilka.

The bridge connecting Rajahmundry and Kovvur, was constructed in 1897 with masonry piers and steel girders. It was abandoned in 1997 after a full 100 years


The State government has asked for a second round of discussions with the Railway Board over the proposed takeover of the landmark, Havelock bridge, across the Godavari in Rajahmundry.

Tourism project

The government wanted to take over the structure and land adjacent, on both sides and develop it as a tourism project under the public-private-partnership model.The 2,950-metre long bridge connecting Rajahmundry and Kovvur, was constructed in 1897 with masonry piers and steel girders and was a main link between Chennai and Howrah. It was abandoned in 1997 after a full 100 years.

When the decision was announced to dismantle it and sell the iron as scrap, there was resistance from the public who were against the Railway’s Board’s decision. However, when the government asked for the bridge and the adjoining land, the Railway Board wanted Rs.67 crore that primarily was the cost of the land, apart from the cost of the iron, at approximately Rs.15 crore, said General Manager-South Central Railway, D.P. Pande, here on Saturday. When the cost was cited, the government apparently showed its reluctance, but as of last week, he said there was an invitation for a second round of talks, ostensibly at reducing the cost of the transaction, he said.

Asked about the condition of the bridge and that it was a heritage structure, Mr. Pande quipped, “Exactly, it is a heritage, over a 100 years old and hence unsafe to allow vehicles on it, leave alone trains.”

BATHINDA: A policeman died and another injured when their car collided with a train at an unmanned railway crossing near Jassi Bag Wali village in Bathinda district. Constable Surinderpal Singh was killed and assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Mukhtiar Singh was seriously injured as their Maruti Alto car rammed a goods train coming to Bathinda from Dabwali town in Haryana.Mukhtiar has been admitted to a hospital in Bathinda. The policemen were going to Baadi village in connection with some case when the accident took place. Eyewitnesses said the car got dragged for about 100 metres on the rail track after it hit the train.Surinderpal belonged Lahura village in Muktsar district. GRP incharge, Kuljit Singh, said railway police were looking into the incident.

The truncated Palakkad railway division now faces bleak prospects with the bid to form another division at Mangalore.The apprehensions have been strengthened in the wake of Mallikarjuna Kharge assuming office as the new Railway Minister.It may be recalled that more than half of the Palakkad division was taken to form the Salem division when Pattali Makkal Katchi leader R Velu was the Minister of state for Railways.Though a railway coach factory was announced for Palakkad in lieu of the bifurcation of the division, it is yet to begin. The Mangalore Railway Development Committee has already appealed for a new railway division headquartered there to ensure the development of coastal Karnataka. The delegation had met Kharge at his residence in New Delhi in the presence of Union Minister for Surface transport Oscar Fernandes. The delegation, according to newspaper reports, was led by committee convener P V Mohan and Mangalore North  MLA Praveen Bangara.“The move should be resisted at all costs. The creation of the Mangalore division will sound the death knell for the Palakkad division since the freight revenues were mainly obtained from the Mangalore port. The Malabar region will be affected badly as the allotment of funds will be channeled to the new division“, said the general convener of the Malabar Rail Users’ Association C E Chakunny. M B Rajesh MP said that he would raise the issue in parliament.