ProUI

At the launch of underground Metro project, Congress leaders flay Gujarat CM's development agenda, promote policies of Centre & state govt.

While addressing the gathering during the foundation laying ceremony of underground Metro in Chandpol on Saturday, the Congress leaders primarily focussed on promoting the schemes and programmes launched by both the Centre and the state government.They also came down heavily on Gujarat’s development and Narendra Modi, the prime ministerial candidate of BJP. A sharp critic of Modi, UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal flayed the ‘development of Gujarat’ calling it a publicity stunt only.“There (Gujarat) are four cities which have three times the population of Jaipur. They spent four years planning to run Metro, but nothing happened. Here, we did the trial run of Metro in just 2.9 years,” said Dhariwal. In his address, Union minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah laid stress on promoting use of solar energy. In the middle of his speech, he talked about communal harmony and appealed for promoting ‘brotherhood’.“Some forces fight over the religion. All should be treated as equal for the progress of the country,” Abdullah said. The minister did not name any party or group while lambasting the ‘divisive forces’.

CM Ashok Gehlot talked about the schemes and programmes being run by the state government for the welfare of masses.

“Schemes like free medicine and pension are benefitting all sections of the society,” he said. Gehlot also spoke about the economic issues and came down heavily on the BJP-led NDA regime.

“Earlier when I was CM, the NDA was ruling at the Centre. That time, all states were battling economic crisis. Some states were mortgaging their assets and selling properties. The salaries were not paid for six to eight months. But after the UPA came to power and Manmohan Singh became country’s PM, the crisis ended due to his outstanding economy management,” Gehlot said.

In the middle of his speech, the CM also talked about the spiralling inflation. “There is inflation and we are worried. But we, under your (PM) and Sonia Gandhi’s guidance, are leaving no stone unturned in bringing the prices down,” said Gehlot.

Dehradun: Uttarakhand is taking up Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway project on priority and will shortly appoint a Nodal Officer for the project.This was disclosed by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna at the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway project meeting. He also asked Satish Agnihotri, Managing Director, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, to ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated time.Bahuguna said the state government was fully committed to see that the project was undertaken speedily and completed well within the given time. All the problems and challenges being faced by the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited should be brought to the state’s knowledge for their early redressal, he added.He said the government officials had been directed to ensure close coordination with the Nigam officials. The CM also held that the land transfer cases linked to the project must be dealt on priority.

Coach Factory at Sonia’s constituency proving to be White Elephant for Railways
LUCKNOW: The.2500 Crore Rail Coach Factory in Sonia Gandhi’s constituency Rae Bareli is proving to be a white elephant for railways. Even after three years of production, the factory has only two shells (the empty coach without the bogey and interiors) to call its own.

Railway ministry has sanctioned Rs.650 crore to the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in 2013-14. But, so far the factory has rolled out only two shells and 25 assembled coaches. There has been no production since June when 12-odd coaches were assembled.

The main reason cited for limping production is Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, decision to back off from its commitment to supply raw material to Rae Bareli factory in the initial years. “The target was to produce 150 coaches this year but not more than 25 coaches have been rolled out,” said sources.

Even after three years, the factory has not become self-reliant in procuring raw material and rolling out coaches, entirely manufactured on its premises. “RCF Kapurthala says it’s time Rae Bareli factory starts its own production. They have to float tenders to procure raw material to us as well,” added sources. But, Rae Bareli factory is still lagging behind despite several assurances from the railway ministry to fast-track the project.

The project has also been hit by split management. The factory is managed through three offices headquarters at Delhi, local office in Lucknow and the small set up at Lalganj in Rae Bareli.

The factory was set up to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of coaches. It was to roll out 1,000 LHB coaches every year. But major chunk of the factory’s budget sanctioned by railway ministry goes in paying salary to its 40 officers and about 1,100 staff.

Besides, Rs 12 to 13 lakh extra is spent on the transportation of raw material like seats, wheels, paints, bathroom fittings and other accessories during every consignment. “The raw material is to be provided as and when required. However, for past two months we are not getting it,” said sources.

Rae Bareli factory has to manufacture only LHB coaches. Railways incurs about Rs 2.73 crore in manufacturing a single AC-3 tier LHB coach and Rs 2.63 crore for an AC-2 tier LHB coach. LHB is a light weight coach based on German technology that improves the speed of a train. It is the latest requirement of Indian Railway.

Three years after it started production, only 113-odd coaches have been assembled at Rae Braeli. The factory has not made a single coach indigenously so far. It rolled out 18 coaches in 2011-12 and 70 in 2012-13.

Initially, the project was delayed due to political apathy as the railway ministry was headed by Mamata Banerjee. The factory was not given more than Rs 100 crore as annual budget then, said sources. The factory has failed to meet its production deadline several times after inauguration in 2007.

Things improved when Pawan Bansal took over as the railway minister. A big sum was sanctioned to the factory in this year’s rail budget.

The factory’s administrative block has to be shifted to Rae Bareli by next month. But, that seems unlikely given the sluggish pace of work.

What ails Rae Bareli rail coach factory?
* Factory has failed to get self-reliant over the past three years
* RCF Kapurthala is showing disinterest in providing raw material
* Factory is managed through three offices in Delhi, Lucknow and Rae Bareli
* Everyday management of the factory is getting affected due to split offices
* Ancillary units have not started
* 1000-strong staff are underemployed at factory
* Major portion of annual budget of the factory goes in paying salaries

One Coach of Train No.12666 Kanyakumari – Howrah Express Derailed Between Sri Venkateshwarapalem and Kavali Stations on Gudur – Vijayawada Section of Vijayawada Division

There is a derailment of half portion of o­ne coach (ie 4 wheels of  Second Class Luggage Cum Brakevan Coach, next to Train Engine ) of Train  No. 12666 Kanyakumari-Howrah Express at around  02:40 hrs of today ie 22ndSeptember,2013, between Sri Venkateshwarapalem and Kavali Stations o­n Gudur - Vijayawada downline section of Vijayawada Division due to cattle runover.

No casualities / injuries reported to anybody. Medical Relief Train and Accident Relief Trains from Bittragunta  have immediately been rushed to the spot.  Around 25 passengers were found to be  travelling in the affected coach. Soon after the incident , they were adjusted in the other adjacent coaches of the train. The Rear portion of the affected train has been cleared to its rear station Kavali at 05:10 hrs for o­nward journey.

Through running of the trains o­n the Section is not affected as temporary single line working is being introduced till the Downline is cleared of obstruction. However, train Services o­n Gudur- Vijayawada section are likely to be delayed till normal working is restored. Senior Officers from Vijayawada, led by the Divisional Railway Manager / Vijayawada Division, have rushed by a Special train to the spot to monitor the restoration activities.

The following two passenger trains are cancelled due to this incident

1) Train No. 57277 Gudur-Vijayawada Passenger ,scheduled to depart Gudur  at 06: 10 hrs is cancelled.
2) Train No.57241 Bitragunta-Vijayawada Passenger, scheduled to depart Bitragunta at 04 :00 hrs is cancelled.

Kochi: A suburban rail service can become a reality in a mere two years unlike  the high-speed rail corridor and similar projects, but to be feasible it has to cover the whole of the state, strongly feels Mr C. Raju, a former Chief Engineer of Konkan Railways and General Manager,  Rites.“We would need to install Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) every one kilometer on the existing rail line to enable more trains to run on the same track. However, the current section selected  -Thiruvananthapuram-Haripad-Chengannur  - is not ideal as the Shoranur-Ernakulam section is the most congested in the state with six lines from Mangalore and Palakkad merging into two here,” he explains.Raju, who had first raised the demand for a suburban service over a decade ago, suggests the feasibility study should cover all three metropolitan cities of Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, and not  just the section running upto Chengannur. In his view, going in for ABS technology may prove cost effective. “The cost could be around Rs 25 lakh per km  and not Rs 20 crore as is being suggested. The main expense will be for converting the level crossing into a RoB or subway. This has to be executed  anyway considering  future traffic,” he adds.

G. Kesava Chandran, DMRC Chief Engineer and former General Manager of Rail Vikas Nigam , who is credited with the construction of the Edappally-Vallarpadam bridge, too feels the ABS system will not take much time to execute as it requires no land acquisition.

“The ABS system can be implemented in a year, although much depends on the agency entrusted with the work. Raising the height of platforms to level with the  suburban trains can be done in another year,” he adds.

Reliable, cost-effective rail plan has many takers

K.P. Sethunath

Kozhikode: The Rs 3,000 crore suburban rail proposed  for the Thiruvananthapuram- Chengannur and Thiruvananthapuram-Harippad sections has received a thumbs up from rail passengers' associations, who see it as the most realistic and suitable mass transport system the government has come up with for the state in recent years.

But they feel it should cover the entire state from Parassala to Kasargod as the project is both affordable and easy to execute with no major land acquisition required.

“The cost of Rs 20 crore per km makes the suburban rail system one of the most cost-effective mass transportation proposals  the government  has come up with in the past few years,” said Mohanan Manalil, a senior engineer with the Kerala State Electricity Board in Kozhikode and secretary of the Malabar Rail Users’ Forum.

“Compared with the proposed high speed rail project, which will cost Rs 230 crore per km to execute, the suburban rail project is realistic and feasible. It is the right model for the state which is short of both economic resources and  land,” he added, however, suggesting that besides studying the feasibility of the project for the Thiruvnananthapuram-Chengannur and Harippad sections, the government should consider taking it to other parts of the state too.

“We could broadly classify the state into three geographical areas - Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Malabar - and do feasibility studies for each taking their local needs into account,” he maintained.

C.E. Chakkunni, general convener of the Malabar Rail Users’ Association too believes the government should consider extending the suburban rail to the Malabar and Kochi regions while the work on the Thiruvananthapuram-Chengannur and Harippad sections continues.  

“If an existing double line track can be used for running a suburban system on the stretches selected, this could be done in Kochi and the Malabar as well,” he argued. Pointing out that the doubling of the Shornur-Kannur section was scheduled to be completed in the next one month, he said this could open the door for a feasibility study for a suburban rail system in the Malabar region.

Also, in his view, the project should encourage the state to come out with a holistic transportation policy for the state. “The government currently has no comprehensive policy or vision document covering  transportation by rail, road, water and air for the state, ” he noted.

NASHIK: The pre-launch run of the Rajdhani-like, fully air-conditioned train from Mumbai to Delhi via Nashik, on Central Railway, has been scheduled for Tuesday.

The bookings for the train - announced as a special train running between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) Kurla and Hazrat Nizamuddin, New Delhi on Tuesday and running back to Kurla on Wednesday (September 25) - will begin on September 21. No schedule has been announced for the train in the following week yet.
Central Railway official said that it is likely that the train - promised in the 2013 railway budget - could be inaugurated formally on its way back to Mumbai on Wednesday.

The rake is equipped with a first AC coach, three second AC coaches, 10 third AC coaches and two end-on-generation (EoG) coaches, quite like the configuration of the Rajdhani Express, to cover the 1,520km journey in 19.5 hours from Mumbai to Delhi. The train will have six intermediate halts - at Nashik Road, Bhusawal, Bhopal, Jhansi, Gwalior and Agra Cantonment - before reaching its destination.

Given that the originating station of the train is LTT and the rake will have to be taken to New Delhi for a formal inauguration, it is likely that this will be utilised as a special train (02109 Dn) during the journey, railway officials said.

"Though there is no confirmation, it is likely that the train will be inaugurated at the Hazrat Nizamuddin station in New Delhi. This may be announced on Monday, after which the number of the train from Delhi to LTT - 02110 Up - may be upgraded, with a regular number and announcement of further schedules," a Central Railway official said.

The train would halt at Bhopal station for 10 minutes on both its journeys, while the duration of its halt in other stations would be from 2 to 5 minutes.

The train will be the fourth direct train to the capital via Nashik and the first Rajdhani-like train on the tracks of Central Railway. Central Railway has been lacking in a train that would reach New Delhi in the shortest possible time period. Western Railway runs the Rajdhani Express that leaves Mumbai Central at 14.30 to reach Delhi at 8.30 the next day.

"This train will be beneficial to commuters from Nashik and Bhusawal areas travelling to Gwalior and Agra Cantonment," the official said.

भागलपुर/ बांका: झारखंड के सरैयाहाट के पास 14 सितंबर को स्थानीय लोगों ने हॉल्ट को लेकर ट्रेन पर पथराव किया. लोगों ने चालक व गार्ड को बंधक बनाया व यात्रियों के साथ अभद्र व्यवहार किया. इस घटना पर डीआरएम ने इस मार्ग पर रेल सेवा रोक दी थी.

Dehradun: Uttarakhand is taking up Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway project on priority and will shortly appoint a Nodal Officer for the project.This was disclosed by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna at the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway project meeting. He also asked Satish Agnihotri, Managing Director, Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, to ensure that the project is completed within the stipulated time.Bahuguna said the state government was fully committed to see that the project was undertaken speedily and completed well within the given time. All the problems and challenges being faced by the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited should be brought to the state’s knowledge for their early redressal, he added.He said the government officials had been directed to ensure close coordination with the Nigam officials. The CM also held that the land transfer cases linked to the project must be dealt on priority.

One Coach of Train No.12666 Kanyakumari – Howrah Express Derailed Between Sri Venkateshwarapalem and Kavali Stations on Gudur – Vijayawada Section of Vijayawada Division

There is a derailment of half portion of o­ne coach (ie 4 wheels of  Second Class Luggage Cum Brakevan Coach, next to Train Engine ) of Train  No. 12666 Kanyakumari-Howrah Express at around  02:40 hrs of today ie 22ndSeptember,2013, between Sri Venkateshwarapalem and Kavali Stations o­n Gudur - Vijayawada downline section of Vijayawada Division due to cattle runover.

No casualities / injuries reported to anybody. Medical Relief Train and Accident Relief Trains from Bittragunta  have immediately been rushed to the spot.  Around 25 passengers were found to be  travelling in the affected coach. Soon after the incident , they were adjusted in the other adjacent coaches of the train. The Rear portion of the affected train has been cleared to its rear station Kavali at 05:10 hrs for o­nward journey.

Through running of the trains o­n the Section is not affected as temporary single line working is being introduced till the Downline is cleared of obstruction. However, train Services o­n Gudur- Vijayawada section are likely to be delayed till normal working is restored. Senior Officers from Vijayawada, led by the Divisional Railway Manager / Vijayawada Division, have rushed by a Special train to the spot to monitor the restoration activities.

The following two passenger trains are cancelled due to this incident

1) Train No. 57277 Gudur-Vijayawada Passenger ,scheduled to depart Gudur  at 06: 10 hrs is cancelled.
2) Train No.57241 Bitragunta-Vijayawada Passenger, scheduled to depart Bitragunta at 04 :00 hrs is cancelled.

Kochi: A suburban rail service can become a reality in a mere two years unlike  the high-speed rail corridor and similar projects, but to be feasible it has to cover the whole of the state, strongly feels Mr C. Raju, a former Chief Engineer of Konkan Railways and General Manager,  Rites.“We would need to install Automatic Block Signalling (ABS) every one kilometer on the existing rail line to enable more trains to run on the same track. However, the current section selected  -Thiruvananthapuram-Haripad-Chengannur  - is not ideal as the Shoranur-Ernakulam section is the most congested in the state with six lines from Mangalore and Palakkad merging into two here,” he explains.Raju, who had first raised the demand for a suburban service over a decade ago, suggests the feasibility study should cover all three metropolitan cities of Kozhikode, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, and not  just the section running upto Chengannur. In his view, going in for ABS technology may prove cost effective. “The cost could be around Rs 25 lakh per km  and not Rs 20 crore as is being suggested. The main expense will be for converting the level crossing into a RoB or subway. This has to be executed  anyway considering  future traffic,” he adds.

G. Kesava Chandran, DMRC Chief Engineer and former General Manager of Rail Vikas Nigam , who is credited with the construction of the Edappally-Vallarpadam bridge, too feels the ABS system will not take much time to execute as it requires no land acquisition.

“The ABS system can be implemented in a year, although much depends on the agency entrusted with the work. Raising the height of platforms to level with the  suburban trains can be done in another year,” he adds.

Reliable, cost-effective rail plan has many takers

K.P. Sethunath

Kozhikode: The Rs 3,000 crore suburban rail proposed  for the Thiruvananthapuram- Chengannur and Thiruvananthapuram-Harippad sections has received a thumbs up from rail passengers' associations, who see it as the most realistic and suitable mass transport system the government has come up with for the state in recent years.

But they feel it should cover the entire state from Parassala to Kasargod as the project is both affordable and easy to execute with no major land acquisition required.

“The cost of Rs 20 crore per km makes the suburban rail system one of the most cost-effective mass transportation proposals  the government  has come up with in the past few years,” said Mohanan Manalil, a senior engineer with the Kerala State Electricity Board in Kozhikode and secretary of the Malabar Rail Users’ Forum.

“Compared with the proposed high speed rail project, which will cost Rs 230 crore per km to execute, the suburban rail project is realistic and feasible. It is the right model for the state which is short of both economic resources and  land,” he added, however, suggesting that besides studying the feasibility of the project for the Thiruvnananthapuram-Chengannur and Harippad sections, the government should consider taking it to other parts of the state too.

“We could broadly classify the state into three geographical areas - Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Malabar - and do feasibility studies for each taking their local needs into account,” he maintained.

C.E. Chakkunni, general convener of the Malabar Rail Users’ Association too believes the government should consider extending the suburban rail to the Malabar and Kochi regions while the work on the Thiruvananthapuram-Chengannur and Harippad sections continues.  

“If an existing double line track can be used for running a suburban system on the stretches selected, this could be done in Kochi and the Malabar as well,” he argued. Pointing out that the doubling of the Shornur-Kannur section was scheduled to be completed in the next one month, he said this could open the door for a feasibility study for a suburban rail system in the Malabar region.

Also, in his view, the project should encourage the state to come out with a holistic transportation policy for the state. “The government currently has no comprehensive policy or vision document covering  transportation by rail, road, water and air for the state, ” he noted.