ProUI

प्रतापगढ़। जनरल टिकट काउंटर के कंप्यूटर से तमाम स्टेशन गायब हैं। ऐसे में जनरल टिकट लेने वाले यात्रियों को भारी दिक्कत होती है। टिकट काउंटर पर ऐसे स्टेशनों के टिकट मिलने में कठिनाई का सामना करना पड़ता है जबकि फ्रेंचाइजी काउंटर से यह टिकट बन ही नहीं पाते हैं।
मैनुअल टिकटों को बंद हुए कई साल बीत गए। आरक्षण के साथ ही जनरल टिकट भी कंप्यूटर से प्रिंटेड मिलता है। वर्षों बीतने के बाद भी रेलवे ने ऐसे कई स्टेशनों को अपने कंप्यूटर रूट में फीड नहीं किया जहां से चर्चित ट्रेनें भी चलती हैं। इन स्टेशनों तक पहुंचने के लिए जनरल टिकट पर यात्रा करने वाले यात्रियों के लिए मुश्किल खड़ी हो जाती है। ऐसे यात्रियों को काफी देर इंतजार करना होता है। जब लिपिक खाली होता है तो वह रूट चार्ट निकालता है। इसमें स्टेशन की दूरी तय की जाती है। इसके बाद किमी के हिसाब से टिकट बनाया जाता है। कभी-कभी तो किमी भी तय कर पाना लिपिक के बस में नहीं रह जाता। ऐसे में यात्री जब उच्चाधिकारियों तक पहुंचता है तो उनके निर्देश पर 10 से 50 किमी का ज्यादा किराया लगाकर टिकट बना दिया जाता है। यह ऐसे स्टेशन भी नहीं हैं जो नए बने हों या फिर छोटे हों। यहां से बाकायदा ट्रेनों का संचालन होता है। नवतनवा स्टेशन से दुर्ग एक्सप्रेस चलती है। इस स्टेशन का नाम कंप्यूटर में फीड नहीं है। इसके अलावा प्रतापगढ़ से फतेहपुर वाया कानपुर जाना हो तो उसकी फीडिंग नहीं है जबकि प्रतापगढ़ से फतेहपुर वाया इलाहाबाद जाना हो तो उसकी फीडिंग हैं। इसके अलावा होशियारपुर, उधना, जालना, चकिया, जैसलमेर, नालंदा, करधनी, तनवेल, दागलकोट व जम्मू के पास स्थित कटरा स्टेशन की फीडिंग नहीं है।
जनरल टिकट काउंटर पर होने वाली भीड़ को देखते हुए रेलवे ने शहर में ही दो लोगों को टिकट बनाने की फ्रेंचाइजी दी है। यहां एक रुपया अधिक देकर टिकट लिया जा सकता है। जिन स्टेशनों की फीडिंग नहीं है वहां के टिकट इन काउंटर से नहीं बन सकते। रेलवे के टिकट काउंटर से तो बाबू किमी के हिसाब से टिकट बनाते हैं लेकिन यहां यह व्यवस्था नहीं है।
जनरल टिकट लेने वाले यात्री यदि किसी कारण से यात्रा कैंसिल करते हैं तो उन्हें तीन घंटे के अंदर तक पैसा वापस हो जाता है। जिन स्टेशनों की फीडिंग कंप्यूटर में नहीं है वहां के टिकटों की वापसी संभव ही नहीं है। इसका कारण है कंप्यूटर में स्टेशन शो नहीं होता है। इससे टिकट रिफंड के लिए नहीं डाला जा पाता। यात्रा करने वाले लोगों को इसके चलते चपत लग जाती है।

आजमगढ़ : आजमगढ़ विकास संघर्ष समिति के अध्यक्ष एसके सत्येन के नेतृत्व में मऊ से आजमगढ़ होते हुए दिल्ली जाने वाली आनंद बिहार एक्सप्रेस का रेलवे स्टेशन पर रविवार को पहुंचने पर भव्य स्वागत किया गया। इस दौरान कार्यकर्ताओं ने ट्रेन को फूल-मालाओं से सजा दिया। मऊ के साथ ही जनपदवासियों के दिलों को छूते हुए आनंद-विहार ट्रेन दिल्ली के लिए रवाना हो गई।
ट्रेन अपने निर्धारित समय से 20 मिनट विलंब से प्लेटफार्म नंबर एक पर जैसे ही पहुंची कार्यकर्ताओं ने जमकर नारेबाजी की। इस दौरान ट्रेन के पायलट महेंद्र चौरसिया एवं सहायक अशोक राम को फूल-मालाओं से लाद दिया गया। इस दौरान दोनों पायलट को मिठाइयां खिलाकर स्वागत किया गया। इस अवसर पर एसके सत्येन ने कहा कि आनंद विहार एक्सप्रेस ट्रेन ने मऊ के साथ ही जनपदवासियों का दिल जीत लिया है।
अब दिल्ली जाने के लिए कैफियात के अलावा एक और ट्रेन भी हो गई है। इससे लोगों को काफी सहूलियत मिलेगी। अकेले कैफियात ट्रेन के चलने से लोगों को काफी दिक्कत हो रही थी। पंद्रह-पंद्रह दिन तक आरक्षण ही नहीं मिल पाता था। उन्होंने रेल मंत्रालय से इस ट्रेन को प्रतिदिन चलाने की मांग की। इस अवसर पर विनोद सिंह, नवीन श्रीवास्तव, पपलू, ज्ञानेंद्र सिंह, हकीम बेग, परमात्मा शरण पाण्डेय, अभिषेक जायसवाल, कृपाशंकर पाठक, राजीव सिंह, चंद्रमौली सिंह, आनंद गुप्ता, राजेंद्र आदि उपस्थित थे।

प्रतापगढ़। रेलवे स्टेशन पर अब बिजली के लिए कर्मचारियों व यात्रियों को और परेशानी उठानी पड़ेगी। बिजली जाने के थोड़ी देर बाद चलने वाला जनरेटर अब घंटों बाद चलेगा। आरक्षण व सीटीई कार्यालय में यूपीएस लगाए जाने की व्यवस्था की जा रही है।
स्टेशन पर बिजली देने के लिए रेलवे, विद्युत विभाग से बिजली खरीदता है। इसके साथ ही बिजली न रहने पर जनरेटर से विद्युत आपूर्ति की जाती है। खासतौर से आरक्षण काउंटर और सीटीई कार्यालय में विद्युत आपूर्ति जरूरी हो जाती है। कंप्यूटर बंद होते ही जनरेटर चलाने का फरमान आ जाता है। इसका लाभ कई अन्य विभागों के साथ प्रतीक्षालय के यात्रियों को भी मिल जाता है। खर्च बचाने के लिए अब रेलवे आरक्षण काउंटर व सीटीई कार्यालय में यूपीएस लगाने जा रहा है। इसमें लगी बैट्री आरक्षण काउंटर को कम से कम चार घंटे का बैकअप देगी। उधर सीटीई कार्यालय में भी यूपीएस के माध्यम से यात्रियों को ट्रेनों के आने जाने की जानकारी दी जाएगी। इन दोनों कार्यालयों में विद्युत की व्यवस्था सुनिश्चित होने के कारण जनरेटर चलाने की जरूरत बहुत ही कम पड़ेगी। विशेष परिस्थितियों में जनरेटर चलाया जाएगा। इसके चलते अब स्टेशन के अन्य कार्यालयों को बिजली न रहने पर विद्युत आपूर्ति नहीं की जाएगी। यही नहीं प्रतीक्षालय में रुकने वाले यात्रियों को भी इसका लाभ नहीं मिलेगा।

Ticket booking system should be fast up-to cash transaction and ticket issue.Strictly ensure no delay before and after cash transaction to receive ticket.

Imphal : To assess the progress of the developmental works being taken up in the State including Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal Railway project, a team of Parliamentary Committee on Estimates comprising 25 MPs headed by Francisco Sardinha as chairman landed here today.A meeting to discuss issues related to the railway and textile projects in the State has been convened tomorrow where Chief Minister O Ibobi would also take part.
The 25-member team of the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates arrived in the afternoon after visiting various other States as a part of their study tour programme.
The team has started off their journey from Bhubaneswar on September 25. Inner Manipur MP Dr T Meinya is also part of the team. Other notable members in the team include  Bijoya Chakraborty, Khogen Das, Pramodh Panda, Dr Vinay Kumar, S. Semmalai, Radha Mohan Singh and Om Prakash Yadav.
The visiting Parliamentary penal would attend a meeting at Hotel Classic at around 10 am tomorrow where Chief Minister O Ibobi and other top officials of the State Government would also take part.
The meeting would discuss in detail the progress of the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal Railway project and also the amount of the funds being utilized for the project so far.
The officials of Northern Frontier Railway, who have already arrived at Imphal, would also take part in the meeting. Northern Frontier Railway is implementing the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal rail line project, which has been declared as a National Project. The Parliamentary panel is likely to study and question how Northern Frontier Railway is implementing the rail project in the State without obtaining the required forest clearance.
It has been reported that the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal Rail project is going to affect 491.67 hectares of forest land which fall under the jurisdictions of DFO Tamenglong, DFO Jiribam and DFO Northern Forest Division.
After discussion on the railway project, the meeting would informally discuss issues related to promotion of textile industry in the State.
Soon after the meeting is over, the team is also expected to visit Loktak Lake, Govindaji temple and Khwairamband Ima Keithel, before leaving Imphal, which is the last destination of their study tour programme.
During the course of their tour, the team members had earlier discussed issues related to digging of mines and its environmental impact with the Odisha Government. They have also discussed police modernization process in Jharkhand and the issues of preserving birds in Odisha Bird Sanctuary.

They will drive a goods train from Ichchangadu to Vriddhachalam
..
When 39-year-old Narayana Vadivu cranked the diesel locomotive to haul a goods train on Friday morning assisted by her deputy Jhansi Rani, it was indeed a moment to cherish for both women.

It was the first time in the history of Southern Railway that an “all-women loco crew” was deployed to pilot an empty freight train on the 55-km stretch from Vriddhachalam to Ariyalur falling within the Villupuram–Tiruchi chord line section.

Hours later, the same crew was deployed to pilot another ‘Alco’ type broadgauge diesel loco, this time to haul a fully loaded goods train, transporting cement, from Ichchangadu to Vriddhachalam (24 km) in the same section.

Upon accomplishing both assignments, the two women returned to Tiruchi from Vriddhachalam piloting a triple light engine (wherein one loco will pull two engines).

Appointed initially as a Track Woman in 2004, Ms. Vadivu became an Assistant Loco Pilot in 2006 assisting Loco Pilots in goods, passenger, and express trains. It was in 2011 that she rose to become a diesel shunter piloting shunting locos individually from the Tiruchi coaching yard to the platform and back.

The new assignment of piloting a goods train was entrusted to her for the first time after she was elevated to the category of “Goods Loco Pilot” recently. “Although my earlier stint as a diesel shunter gave me enough experience to operate a diesel locomotive, the new task of piloting a goods train carrying heavy load with greater speed and to a longer distance was really exciting,” said Ms. Vadivu, a mother of two.

“I felt really elated while piloting a goods train single handed in an open line although a Loco Inspector travelled along with us on the first day to guide us on the section,” added Ms. Vadivu, a native of Ramchandra Nagar village near Vadakkankulam in Tirunelveli district.

As a diesel shunter, Ms. Vadivu says, she can pilot the loco at a slow speed of 15 km per hour. But being a loco pilot of a goods train is different.

It is essential to know complete details of the section that you are assigned, including the number of signals it has and its gradient to increase and reduce the sectional speed accordingly, she said.

However, the transition from piloting a shunting loco to a goods train was smooth for Ms. Vadivu.

For Jhansi Rani, fresh out of induction training at the Diesel Traction Training Centre (DTTC) and at the Zonal Railway Training Institute (ZRTI) both in Tiruchi, it was her maiden mission as an Assistant Loco Pilot on board a diesel loco with the loco pilot also being a woman.

A senior railway officer here said Ms. Vadivu was put on the new job after she underwent hands-on training in learning the “roads” in the entire division and after requisite preparations. This is the first time in the history of Southern Railway that an “all-women loco crew” was deployed to pilot a goods train, the officer said.

Since it was the crew’s first assignment, a Loco Inspector was deputed to travel along with them in the ‘Alco’ type diesel engine to guide them in the section, the officer said.

Ms. Vadivu would henceforth be deployed for piloting goods trains regularly in different sections falling within the Tiruchi Division.

The officer said all Assistant Loco Pilots recruited in the Southern Railway zone are trained at the DTTC that is equipped with a diesel loco simulator and the ZRTI.

Refresher courses are conducted both for loco pilots and assistant loco pilots at periodic intervals to enhance their driving skills.

Convenience derailed by accessibility issues and dismal state of amenities at City station

Much has been written, and sung in our films, about the romance of a train journey. But look long and hard, and you’d still be hard pressed to find much that is pleasurable about the Bangalore City railway station.Thousands of passengers and at least 100 trains pass through the station every day. But the services and amenities at the station leave a lot to be desired. Passengers told The Hindu here about their experiences with non-functional display and public announcement systems, poor accessibility, dismal hygiene and poorly maintained facilities at the station.

Inconvenient

Shirley N., a passenger from Guntur, had a tough time with her injured foot. The ferry cart (a small four-seater vehicle) is offered as a free service to senior citizens and those with disabilities. But, said Ms. Shirley, “The cart driver asked me to pay Rs. 50. So I opted for a wheel chair. The porter demanded Rs. 600 in all for the wheelchair and transporting luggage. We eventually settled for Rs. 400.”

Some passengers asked for lifts to aid senior citizens. The authorities said four escalators would be installed in the next four months.

Lack of information

Passengers on platforms nine and 10 were bewildered by the non-functional public display system monitors. “I am not sure when my train is expected to arrive. I have to ask the police or the porters,” said Lalitha, a resident of Mandya.

Officials said the monitors had been in a state of disrepair for two months. However, Divisional Railway Manager Anil Kumar Agarwal said he had not received any complaint so far regarding the monitors. He promised that new ones would be installed by October-end.

Hygiene issues

Madhukar complained of filthy platforms and toilets. The Hindu found that taps in the toilets were leaking.

Mr. Madhukar, who says he is a frequent commuter, said of the Basava Express (Bangalore–Bagalkot) that leaves for Yeshwanthpur from the city station at 5 p.m.: “It used to be washed at the Yeshwanthpur station before proceeding to Bagalkot, but now is not cleaned on most days.”

People have to make do with only one cloakroom, which is on platform 1. Passengers said they would have liked more, especially at the other end of the station, on platforms nine and 10, so that they wouldn’t have to lug their belongings all the way.

Seating

D.R. Nagaraj, a senior citizen from Shimoga, voiced concern about the seating arrangements on the platforms. “I have been sitting here for an hour as the train doors have not yet been opened. On the platform, the seats are neither sufficient nor comfortable.”

COIMBATORE: Apprehensive about the proposed 15% hike in railway freight tariff from October 1, representatives from various industries in Coimbatore feel that the burden will be too much for them to bear. "The hike has come at a most inopportune time when the entire industrial scenario is down due to factors such as economic slowdown and lack of orders," Coimbatore District Small Industries Association (CODISSIA) president R Ramachandran said. Since industries in the region are going through one of the most difficult times, he urged the government to reverse the proposal."Diesel prices are being hiked on a regular basis and the proposed hike in railway freight tariff will be damaging to industry," he said. Industries are finding it difficult to work out the costs for their products due to these factors. According to him, the proposed hike is contrary to the efforts taken by the same government to implement various measures to boost the growth of MSMEs in the country. "Under these circumstances, chances for cost-cutting seem to be remote and ultimately the added costs are transferred to the consumers," he added.Representatives from MSMEs say that the proposed hike has come as a rude shock to them. "Government has now pushed us into yet another crisis and it will be difficult for the MSMEs to stay competitive," district president of Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises (TACT) J James said. Manufacturers here are mostly dependent on rail for transporting raw materials from northern states to Coimbatore and sending the finished goods to various markets.

"We are already struggling to compete against products made in northern states due to price difference and the proposed hike will have a telling effect on MSMEs here," said James. At a time when the price rise of most products affect the common man, it is feared that the proposed hike in railway freight tariff is expected to result in further increase in prices of commodities. "Such revision of tariff should be announced only in the railway budget and this is not a healthy trend," said K Kathirmathiyon, secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause.

The railways has started to revise tariff along the lines of oil companies that hike the prices of fuels regularly. "What is the need for the railway budget when the railways are taking liberty to revise the tariff during the financial year?," he questioned.

270 rubber trees have to be felled to make way for station

Uncertainty over a political decision to fell 330 trees comprising rubber, coconut and areca on railway land near Aryankavu in Kollam district is further delaying the already limping Punalur-Sengottai gauge conversion work being carried out by the Madurai Division of the Railways.The land on which the trees stand is required by the Railways for constructing the yard for a new railway station, tentatively named “New Aryankavu”, which is a mandatory requirement for completing the gauge conversion between Bhagawatheepuram and Thenmala. The trees stand on railway land encroached by local people.The encroachers resist felling of the trees on grounds that they had planted and nurtured them as a means of livelihood. The trees targeted to be felled comprise 270 rubber trees.Though the Railways have agreed to provide financial compensation for the trees, a political decision remains elusive.As per a 1905 agreement between the then Maharaja of Travancore, Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma and the Railways, all trees standing on railway property along the forest portion of the Sengottai-Punalur railway section will be the property of the Forest Department and can be felled only with permission from the Forest Department even if it is for any railway development work. It was part of the Maharaja’s concern for the environment and the need to protect trees.

In fact there were 485 trees on the area earmarked by the Railway for constructing the yard for the new railway station. The felling of 155 of these trees comprising teak and other valuable timber were given clearance by the Forest Department. These were tendered for Rs. 25 lakh and felled six month ago. But there is resistance when it comes to felling the other trees.

Last week, the Forest Department submitted a report to the State government giving clearance for felling the remaining trees. But a final decision is not being taken. H. Anantharaman, Deputy Chief Engineer (Construction), attached to the Madurai Division told The Hindu that the Railways had been waiting for the clearance since the past one year.

Funds for constructing the new station and its yard are already in hand, he said. The old Aryankavu station will be retained for the convenience of the local people.

But the New Aryankavu station is being constructed 3 kms west of the old station as a crossing station which is a mandatory requirement, he said.

The old station area has a gradient of only 1 in 260 suitable to accommodate meter gauge trains. Broad gauge station yards require a minimum gradient of 1 in 400 and that could be achieved between Thenmala and Bhagawatheepuram only at the site earmarked for the New Aryankavu station, Mr. Anantharaman said.

For essential operating reasons a crossing station is required between Thenmala and Bhagawatheepuram. If the gradient is incorrect, the Railway Safety Commission will not give the green signal for passenger traffic. Incorrect gradient will result in stationary trains rolling away. The trees marked to be felled are standing on the alignment of the yard.

Mr. Anantharaman said that even the railway land beyond the portion required for the yard has been encroached upon. But the Railways do not intend touching the trees planted on land which is not required for the yard alignment.

He said that a lot of work is involved for the construction of the new railway station and its yard. Delay in commencing that work will only further delay the completion of the gauge conversion work on the section, he said.

Ranchi: The CBI court has found all the accused in fodder scam guilty including RJD chief Lalu Yadav. The quantum of punishment is likely to be pronounced on October 3. With this, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad’s political career has gone into limbo. He now faces immediate disqualification as a Lok Sabha member. As per Supreme Court order, an MP or legislator would stand disqualified immediately if convicted by a court for crimes with punishment of two years or more.