ProUI

Snag in level crossing puts the brake

Following failure of the level-crossing, which in turn, led to a snag in the signal system, three trains were stranded here on Monday.Residents face a lot of difficulty whenever the railway gate on Ramamoorthy Road, linking the southern and northern part of the town, is closed for movement of trains. This gate has to be closed for over 60 times in a day to facilitate movement of passenger, express and goods trains.In other words, the gate remains closed for over seven hours in a day.People, who are in an urgency, have to take a circuitous route to reach their work spot.There will be a heavy traffic congestion in the lone other bridge when the entire stranded public turns to that route.Since the government hospital, several private hospitals and schools are located on the other side, patients thronging these medical institutions and students suffer a lot.School, polytechnic and college students, daily wage earners and office-goers intending to go to places like Pandian Nagar, Mallanginaru, Kariyapatti and Aruppukottai are the worst hit.Though efforts had been made to construct an overbridge in 2008 after a feasibility study, and funds to the tune of Rs. 38 crore had been sanctioned, cases were filed by a few in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court to scuttle the project.The case has been on though many political parties including the AIADMK, the CPI, the CPI(M) and the MDMK are in favour of it. That this is not enough, the level crossing also develops snag for at least three times in a month. Sometimes, the fault could not be set right for hours together.

On Monday, it developed a fault so that Guruvayur Express which reached the station by 5 p.m. could not proceed.

A little later, Madurai-Sengottai Passenger from north and Sengottai-Madurai Passenger from south were coming towards the Virudhunagar Junction.

All these trains were stopped to enable rectification of the fault.

But it could not be set right and an SOS was sent to the police who rushed to the spot, diverted the traffic and enabled movement of these trains.

But there was no end to the agony of residents.

Chennai: Opposition AIADMK today charged Minister of State in PMO V Narayanasamy with 'misusing' a railway function for that party's political propaganda.AIADMK's local unit secretary A Anbalagan said the function yesterday in which union Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge flagged off the Puducherry-Tirupati weekly express gained the colour of a congress meet as party workers not involved in any official capacity were seated at the daisNarayanasamy 'misused' the function on the basis of his position as Central Minister, he alleged.He said a detailed petition would be presented to President Pranab Mukherjee in this regard.Anbalagan also wanted Lt Governor Virendra Kataria to play a pro-active role in developing Puducherry.As chairman of the Planning Board, he should hold a meeting to review working of various schemes and also the government's fund position, he said.

BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to avoid rush in regular trains towards New Delhi and Yesvantpur, weekly special trains will be run towards New Delhi and Yesvantpur from Bhubaneswar and between Visakhapatnam and Tata via Bhubaneswar, Jakhapura, Keonjhar and Banspani.02815 Bhubaneswar-New Delhi air-conditioned Special train will leave Bhubaneswar at 0810 hrs on every Sunday between September 29 and November 24, 2013 and will arrive at New Delhi at 0605 hrs on every Monday, East Coast Railway (ECoR) said in a release today.

In the return direction, 02816 New Delhi-Bhubaneswar air-conditioned Special train will leave New Delhi at 1300 hrs on every Monday from September 30 to November 25, 2013 and will arrive at Bhubaneswar at 1105hrs on every Tuesday.

The train has Four AC-2 tiers, Ten AC-3 tiers and Two Guard cum Generator Car having stoppages at Cuttack, Bhadrak, Balasore, Hijli, Bankura, Adra, Gomo, Gaya, Mughalsarai, Allahabad and Kanpur between Bhubaneswar and New Delhi.02845 Bhubaneswar-Yesvantpur air-conditioned Special train will leave Bhubaneswar at 0745 hrs on every Wednesday between September 25 and November 27, 2013 and will arrive at Yesvantpur at 1210hrs on every Thursday.

In return direction, 02846 Yesvantpur-Bhubaneswar air-conditioned Special train will leave Yesvantpur at 2330 hrs on every Thursday from September 26 to November 28, 2013 and will arrive at Bhubaneswar at 0330 hrs on every Saturday.

This train has Four AC-2 tiers, Ten AC-3 tiers and Two Guard cum Generator Car in its composition having stoppages at Khurda Road, Balugaon, Brahmapur, Palasa, Srikakulam Road, Vijayanagram and Visakhapatnam in ECoR's jurisdiction between Bhubaneswar and Yesvantpur.

08516 Visakhapatnam-Tata Special train will leave Visakhapatnam at 1745 hrs on every Sunday between September 22 to November 24, 2013 and will arrive at Tata at 1045 hrs on the next day. In the return direction, 08515 ata-Visakhapatnam Special train will leave Tata at 1300 hrs on every Monday between September 23 to November 25, 2013 and will arrive at Visakhapatnam at 0440hrs on the following days.

This train with One AC-2 tier, One AC-3 tier, 05 Sleeper Class, 06 General Second Class and Two Guard cum Luggage Vans will have stoppages at Simhachalam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Palasa, Ichhapuram, Brahmapur, Chhatrapur, Balugaon, Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Mancheswar, Cuttack, Jakhapura, Sukinda Road, Harichandanpur, Kendujhargarh, Nayagarh, Jaroli, Bansapani, Dongoaposi, Chaibasa and Rajkharsuan between Visakhapatnam and Tata.

Dehradun: Accusing the Centre of failing to address their concerns, members of the Northern Railway Men's Union (NRMU), Dehradun, staged a dharna at the railway station here yesterday.The protesters alleged that the new pension scheme introduced by the Centre was not employee friendly and must be scrapped. They demanded reinstatement of the old pension scheme.They also resented reduction in bonus.The union members resorted to sloganeering against the Centre. Ugrasen Singh, Hari Om Singh, PK Chaubey, RC Yadav, Mukesh Chaturvedi and Prem Kishore Raturi were prominent among the protesters.

Stoppage of Delhi Sarai-Sujangarh-Delhi Express at Talchhaper Station

KANPUR: The Merchants Chamber of Uttar Pradesh held discussions with officers of North Central Railway on Tuesday over proposal for linking Panki and delinking Anwarganj from Mandhana rail line. Merchants Chamber of Uttar Pradesh pointed out that it had been taking up the proposal of linking Panki and delinking Anwarganj from Mandhana with the railway authorities.The removal of rail line from Anwarganj is needed to get respite from frequent traffic jams on GT Road, which runs parallel to the railway track. It has 17 manned and unmanned crossings. Chamber vice-president IM Rohatgi said that many meetings were held the railway officers of Allahabad and Delhi at various levels. Survey of Panki Mandhana Line was mentioned in Union Budget 2013- 14.The Chamber had invited officers from North Central Railway who are involved in preparing feasibility report for the consideration of railway ministry. Railway officers sought data needed to complete the survey report and forward it to Railway Board. Senior traffic manager (constructions) UVS Prabhakar and other official of NCR took part in the meeting.

VISAKHAPATNAM: The East Coast Railways (ECoR) has decided to run a pair of weekly express trains via Srikakulam, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Kendujhargarh to cater to the needs of the travelling public during the peak season of Durga Puja. Train number 08516 will leave Visakhapatnam on Sundays from September 22 to November 24 at 5.45pm and arrive at Tatanagar the next day at 10.45am.The train is scheduled to arrive at Simhachalam at 6.01pm, Vizianagaram at 6.45pm, Srikakulam Road at 7.50pm, Palasa at 8.50pm, Ichchapuram 9.36pm, Berhampur 10pm, Chatrapu 10.22pm, Balugaon at 11.05pm, Khurda Road at 12.30am, Bhubaneswar at 1am, Mancheswar 1.15am and Cuttack at 1.35am on the Visakhapatnam-Cuttack main line.

In the Jakhapura-Rajkharswan-Tatanagar line, the train will stop at Jakhapura junction, Sukinda Road, Harichandanpur, Kendujhargarh, Nayagarh, Banspani, Dangoaposi, Chaibasa and Rajkharswan junction.Similarly, train number 08515 will leave Tatanagar on Mondays from September 23 to November 25 at 1pm and arrive at Visakhapatnam the next day at 4.40am. This train will halt at the same stations between Tatanagar-Rajkharswan Junction-Jakhapura Junction and on the Cuttack-Visakhapatnam main line, the train will stop at Cuttack at 9.30pm, Mancheswar 9.57pm, Bhubaneswar 10.05pm, Khurda Road at 10.40pm, Balugaon at 11.34pm, Chatrapur at 12.12am, Berhampur 12.30am, Ichchapuram 12.54am, Palasa 1.50am, Srikakulam 2.43am, Vizianagaram 3.43am and at Simhachalam at 4.23am.

The trains will comprise of one AC two-tier and AC three-tier coach each, five sleeper class coaches and six general second class coaches, said an ECoR release here on Tuesday.

Every time Anamika, 25, has to board a train from Charbagh railway station here, she would ensure that her father stays till the train departs.On her journey back home, she calls him up at least 15 minutes before the train chugs in to Lucknow Junction. Reason: She does not feel safe even for five minutes that would take her to come outside the station.The management student says being on the platform alone is an invitation to harassment in the form of lecherous looks and lewd remarks from groups of men loitering around the area more often than not. “I do not feel safe at the station.Men of all ages give me dirty looks or make a pass at me,” she said adding that her father is a protective shield against all such menace.The biggest problem here, according to commuters like Anamika, is that the station has become a shelter for homeless people, a haven for beggars and a hangout zone for gangs of boys and drug addicts.They complain that at all times, the platforms, the foot overbridge and the ticketing area are occupied by these people, who wander across the station premises, catcalling at women or creating a nuisance.“On many occasions, one finds these men deliberately bumping into women, passing lewd comments. But there is little you can do, except ignore them. The station is pretty desolate,” said another woman commuter.

Surprisingly, the rising rate of crime against women commuters has failed to move the railway authorities. Leave alone the sleeper, general and AC compartments, where incidents of loot, theft and eve-teasing are a regular phenomenon, the station premises are a safer field for criminals to play on!

To make matters worse, the presence of the Government Railway Police (GRP) at the station is extremely poor.

There are no constables patrolling the platforms, bridges or the ticketing area.

Police benches lie abandoned, except during the VIP movement or a surprise inspection.

According to the railway ministry data, more than 200 cases of crime against women,

including rape, molestation and misbehaviour, were reported across the country last year.

A total 210 such cases were registered in 2012 against 127 cases in 2011. While molestation cases in trains have gone up from 52 in 2010 to 72 in 2011, the number touched 119 in 2012. Rapes have also increased from three in 2011 to seven in 2012.

WHAT’S THE RAILWAYS DOING?

It maintains that policing on the rail network is a state subject and prevention of crime, registration of cases, investigations and maintenance of law and order on railway premises as well as on moving trains are, therefore, the statutory responsibility of the state governments which they discharge through GRP.

Though female cops guard sleeper and ladies’ coaches; there is no such provision for AC coaches, making women passengers more vulnerable. No wonder then, the cases of eve-teasing and moles-molestation are rampant on moving trains.

The crime on railway property is also a GRP subject.

But what’s wrong if Railway ay Protection Force ( RPF) pitches in and hands over the criminals to the GRP? Ideally RPF takes care of theft or loot of railway property.

“Women cops are deployed in ladies’ coaches and at times in sleeper and general classes. But not in AC coaches,” said Rizwan Ahmad, director- general (Railways).

The preparedness to deal with the menace can be gauged from the fact that for the 2.25 crore passengers of 11,000 passenger trains each day across the country, over 3,000 constables (GRP and RPF) are deployed on duty.

Of a total strength of 5,560 GRP cops, only 40 (30 constables and 10 sub inspectors) are females.

For nine years now, the RPF’s demand for 20,000 more personnel is pending.

“The Railways is a commercial agency. It is least bothered about safety. All it cares is how to increase revenues,” a railway board member told HT.

New Delhi : In a bid to ensure that there would be no legal tangles with regard to creating a tariff authority which would periodically review the conditions under which the Indian Railways works and whether there was a need to alter the fares and freight, the government has sought legal view for setting up the Rail Tariff Authority (RTA).Reports said the Railway Ministry has written to the Law Ministry seeking its views on the setting up of the authority through an executive order without taking the due course of legislation.The government wants to know whether the methodology adopted would stand constitutionally. Besides, the proposal, given an in-principle clearance by the Union Cabinet, has a clause that the government must seek a legal view from the Ministry of Law before setting up the tariff authority.The Railway Ministry wants to be sure that setting up such an authority would stand in the court of law and is constitutionally sound.Further move on the setting up of the authority would only be made after a clearance is received from the Law Ministry.The Rail Tariff authority would be a five-member body. The four members would be employees of the Central Government and the chairman cannot be from the central government unless he has served at the Secretary level.The selection committee for the Rail Tariff Authority would consist of Cabinet Secretary, Chairman, Railway Board, Finance Secretary and one expert by Railways.Setting up of the tariff authority became essential for the government due to the falling financial health of the Indian Railways in the wake of successive Railway Ministers toeing the populist agenda refrained from raising the passenger fare even though the 'full coffers' of the public sector organisation continued to bleed.

For almost a decade, the successive Railway Ministers did not raise the passenger fares leading to a skewed operating ratio for the railways.

The main job of the RTA would be to frame tariffs considering the Central Government projection of plan and non-plan requirement of funds.

New Delhi : In a bid to ensure that there would be no legal tangles with regard to creating a tariff authority which would periodically review the conditions under which the Indian Railways works and whether there was a need to alter the fares and freight, the government has sought legal view for setting up the Rail Tariff Authority (RTA).Reports said the Railway Ministry has written to the Law Ministry seeking its views on the setting up of the authority through an executive order without taking the due course of legislation.The government wants to know whether the methodology adopted would stand constitutionally. Besides, the proposal, given an in-principle clearance by the Union Cabinet, has a clause that the government must seek a legal view from the Ministry of Law before setting up the tariff authority.The Railway Ministry wants to be sure that setting up such an authority would stand in the court of law and is constitutionally sound.Further move on the setting up of the authority would only be made after a clearance is received from the Law Ministry.The Rail Tariff authority would be a five-member body. The four members would be employees of the Central Government and the chairman cannot be from the central government unless he has served at the Secretary level.The selection committee for the Rail Tariff Authority would consist of Cabinet Secretary, Chairman, Railway Board, Finance Secretary and one expert by Railways.Setting up of the tariff authority became essential for the government due to the falling financial health of the Indian Railways in the wake of successive Railway Ministers toeing the populist agenda refrained from raising the passenger fare even though the 'full coffers' of the public sector organisation continued to bleed.

For almost a decade, the successive Railway Ministers did not raise the passenger fares leading to a skewed operating ratio for the railways.

The main job of the RTA would be to frame tariffs considering the Central Government projection of plan and non-plan requirement of funds.