ProUI

Train no. 16649 Mangalore Central-Nagercoil Parasuram Express and 12218 Chandigarh-Kochuveli Express will not be detained on Friday as announced earlier for the doubling of the railway track at Shoranur Junction. But 16345 Lokamanya Tilak Terminus-Thiruvanantha puram Netravati Express will be detained for two hours between Kozhikode and Tanur stations for work on an overbridge.

Anandpur Sahib:
Local Member of Parliament Ravneet Singh Bittu flagged off the Hazoor Saheb-Nanded Express train here today.The weekly train will depart from the Nangal dam at 4.20 pm every Thursday, halt at Chandigarh at 7:08 pm and reach Nanded at 11:45 pm the following day.The train will return on Saturday. It will start from Nanded at 11 am and reach the Nagal dam at 8:25 pm the next day.The train will halt at Anandpur Sahib, Ropar, Morinda, Mohali, Chandigarh, Ambala Cant, Panipat, New Delhi, Mathura, Gwalior and Basmat. It will traverse a distance of 1,870 km.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Rana KP Singh and Ambala Divisional Regional Manager (DRM) AK Kathpal were among those present on the occasion.Bittu said the train connecting two Takhts would facilitate Sikh pilgrims. He said it was on public demand that the Railways had agreed to provide a two-minute halt at the Morinda station.

He would now work for town's rail link with Amritsar, the MP added.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd will operate a ‘Yatra express’ from Chennai tracing the trail of Ganges from the point of origin in Devprayag in Uttarakhand to Gangasagar. The train named ‘Trails of Ganges’ will depart from Chennai on October 26 and return by November 7. The tour is planned in such a way to enable pilgrims to have ‘Ganga snan’ in Varanasi on Deepavali. The package classified as deluxe, comfort, standard and budget will include hotel accommodation at places of night halt, buses for transfers/sightseeing and on-board and off-board catering. For further details contact 044-6459 4959, 98409 02916 and 90031 40681 orwww.railtourismindia.com.

Hundreds of lorries trundle through the Rwanda-Tanzania border every hour, damaging Rwanda’s narrow hilly roads. A $13.5 billion railway project linking the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Kigali, the Rwandan capital, cannot come soon enough for Silas Lwakabamba, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure.“The trucks carry too much load, they end up spoiling the road,” he said. “Rail will be faster and can carry more. Maintenance of rail will be much easier.” The 2,935-km line is one of several big infrastructure projects on the continent, reflecting renewed global interest among policymakers after years of focusing on health and education. Besides the Mombasa-Kigali rail link, a seven-year initiative to connect Niger and Ivory Coast is to begin next year as part of efforts to improve rail infrastructure in west Africa.

The railway would link Niamey, the capital of landlocked Niger, with the Ivorian commercial hub of Abidjan, via the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, after the extension of mining activities in West Africa.

Dams are also back in fashion. Ethiopia is pressing ahead with its Grand Renaissance dam to the consternation of Egypt, which fears that the project will curb its water supply. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), work is scheduled to start on Inga III, a $20-billion project.

“Infrastructure is critical for development,” said Mr. Lwakabamba. “For the transport sector, we need roads, rail and air, they are all very critical for economic development. And we can’t do anything without energy.” Rwanda is also involved in the Rusumo falls hydroelectric project to increase power supply of electricity to the national grids of Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania, a project backed by the International Development Association, the World Bank’s soft loan arm, and the African Development Bank.

Africa accounts for just three per cent of global trade and African countries trade 10 per cent of their goods with each other, compared with 65 per cent between European countries. Landlocked countries are hit particularly hard by poor infrastructure, paying up to 84 per cent more to export their goods than a coastal country. Improving regional markets in Africa would have a significant impact on economic development and poverty reduction.

The continent’s infrastructure needs are huge, but financing levels are only half the estimated $93 billion needed annually between now and 2015 to sustain seven per cent growth rates. Infrastructure is the key issue around plans for a development bank by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, known as the Brics.

The Mombasa-Kigali link is getting attention at the highest level. Leaders from Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have been meeting regularly on the project and plan to discuss financing next month in Kigali. Funding has been secured from China for the $3.7 billion Mombasa-Nairobi section, a distance of 500 km, and construction is due to begin in November.

The 200-km Rwanda section will cost $1.5 billion and Rwanda is still lining up financing. The line will be used to carry coffee, tea and other agricultural products and minerals out of Rwanda and machinery into the country. The railway will be designed for freight but will be open for other passenger travel too.

The Mombasa-Kampala-Kigali railway project entails a 1,178-km rail from Mombasa through Nairobi to Malaba and branching to Kisumu (Kenya); an 1,392-km rail from Malaba to Kampala, Uganda and linking to four Ugandan towns before connecting to the main line to Rwanda at Mirima Hills; a 200-km rail from Mirima Hills to Kigali and 149-km rail to other towns in Rwanda.

The existing railway between Mombasa and Kampala dates to the colonial era, and has a small gauge. The new line will have a standard gauge, which is wider, and therefore faster and capable of carrying heavier loads. Rwanda will build its section from scratch.

The project is unlikely to receive support from U.K. taxpayers as the Department for International Development has withdrawn £21 million in general budget support, shifting it to sector support for health and education. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2013


The $13.5-billion line between Kigali and Mombasa in Kenya is one of several African projects aimed at improving infrastructure

BRUSSELS: Belgium today assured Indian President Pranab Mukherjee it would look into his suggestion for help in developing a new port near Kolkata as the two sides discussed cooperation in new areas like port management.

The President intervened during delegation-level talks with Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo and asked if an arrangement could be worked out for helping the Kolkata Port Trust develop port facilities at Sagar Island, located 80 nautical miles south of Kolkata.

The Belgian side it would consider Mukherjee's suggestion. New areas of cooperation discussed by the two countries included collaboration in ports given Belgium's expertise in managing riverine ports, officials said.

Shipping Minister G K Vasan asked Indian Ambassador Dinkar Khullar and P S Raghavan, Special Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry, to follow up the President's suggestion to see if Belgian dredging companies could be roped in for project near Kolkata.

Khullar, Raghavan and Venu Rajamony, Press Secretary to the President, told reporters that officials had been "asked to take the discussions forward".

Kolkata Port, India's only major riverine port, has two dock systems at Kolkata and Haldia. Both systems currently handle around 55 million tons of cargo but due to draft restrictions, large vessels have to offload at other neighbouring ports.

To attract more ships and to expand business in view of increased industrial activity that is expected to generate around 60 million tons of additional traffic by 2021-22, Kolkata Port Trust plans to develop port facilities at Sagar Island.

The Centre provides hundreds of crores of rupees to Kolkata Port Trust for maintenance and dredging operations. Despite this help, the port has been experiencing depleting drafts that have compelled shipping lines to reduce cargo loads, resulting in sizeable business losses.

India also sought movement on a project to upgrade three railway facilities - Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, a railway station in Nagpur and another in Dehradun.

This work will be executed by Belgian companies with expertise in upgrading railway stations without disrupting normal traffic, Raghavan said.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd will operate a ‘Yatra express’ from Chennai tracing the trail of Ganges from the point of origin in Devprayag in Uttarakhand to Gangasagar. The train named ‘Trails of Ganges’ will depart from Chennai on October 26 and return by November 7. The tour is planned in such a way to enable pilgrims to have ‘Ganga snan’ in Varanasi on Deepavali. The package classified as deluxe, comfort, standard and budget will include hotel accommodation at places of night halt, buses for transfers/sightseeing and on-board and off-board catering. For further details contact 044-6459 4959, 98409 02916 and 90031 40681 orwww.railtourismindia.com.

Hundreds of lorries trundle through the Rwanda-Tanzania border every hour, damaging Rwanda’s narrow hilly roads. A $13.5 billion railway project linking the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Kigali, the Rwandan capital, cannot come soon enough for Silas Lwakabamba, Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure.“The trucks carry too much load, they end up spoiling the road,” he said. “Rail will be faster and can carry more. Maintenance of rail will be much easier.” The 2,935-km line is one of several big infrastructure projects on the continent, reflecting renewed global interest among policymakers after years of focusing on health and education. Besides the Mombasa-Kigali rail link, a seven-year initiative to connect Niger and Ivory Coast is to begin next year as part of efforts to improve rail infrastructure in west Africa.

The railway would link Niamey, the capital of landlocked Niger, with the Ivorian commercial hub of Abidjan, via the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou, after the extension of mining activities in West Africa.

Dams are also back in fashion. Ethiopia is pressing ahead with its Grand Renaissance dam to the consternation of Egypt, which fears that the project will curb its water supply. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), work is scheduled to start on Inga III, a $20-billion project.

“Infrastructure is critical for development,” said Mr. Lwakabamba. “For the transport sector, we need roads, rail and air, they are all very critical for economic development. And we can’t do anything without energy.” Rwanda is also involved in the Rusumo falls hydroelectric project to increase power supply of electricity to the national grids of Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania, a project backed by the International Development Association, the World Bank’s soft loan arm, and the African Development Bank.

Africa accounts for just three per cent of global trade and African countries trade 10 per cent of their goods with each other, compared with 65 per cent between European countries. Landlocked countries are hit particularly hard by poor infrastructure, paying up to 84 per cent more to export their goods than a coastal country. Improving regional markets in Africa would have a significant impact on economic development and poverty reduction.

The continent’s infrastructure needs are huge, but financing levels are only half the estimated $93 billion needed annually between now and 2015 to sustain seven per cent growth rates. Infrastructure is the key issue around plans for a development bank by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, known as the Brics.

The Mombasa-Kigali link is getting attention at the highest level. Leaders from Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda have been meeting regularly on the project and plan to discuss financing next month in Kigali. Funding has been secured from China for the $3.7 billion Mombasa-Nairobi section, a distance of 500 km, and construction is due to begin in November.

The 200-km Rwanda section will cost $1.5 billion and Rwanda is still lining up financing. The line will be used to carry coffee, tea and other agricultural products and minerals out of Rwanda and machinery into the country. The railway will be designed for freight but will be open for other passenger travel too.

The Mombasa-Kampala-Kigali railway project entails a 1,178-km rail from Mombasa through Nairobi to Malaba and branching to Kisumu (Kenya); an 1,392-km rail from Malaba to Kampala, Uganda and linking to four Ugandan towns before connecting to the main line to Rwanda at Mirima Hills; a 200-km rail from Mirima Hills to Kigali and 149-km rail to other towns in Rwanda.

The existing railway between Mombasa and Kampala dates to the colonial era, and has a small gauge. The new line will have a standard gauge, which is wider, and therefore faster and capable of carrying heavier loads. Rwanda will build its section from scratch.

The project is unlikely to receive support from U.K. taxpayers as the Department for International Development has withdrawn £21 million in general budget support, shifting it to sector support for health and education. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2013


The $13.5-billion line between Kigali and Mombasa in Kenya is one of several African projects aimed at improving infrastructure

KOLHAPUR: The Konkan railway officials in a statement said that Konkan Railway has earned Rs 50.10 crore from its Roll on-Roll off service for transportation of loaded trucks from Mumbai area to southern states. The Konkan railway has started the service more than a decade ago. In last 15 years, the railways have earned Rs 205.60 crore so far. The Railways had offered a special service for the heavy commercial vehicles to transport the loaded trucks to the southern parts of the country. The offer proved to be economical as the railways is not charging very high amount while the trucks are saving heavy expenses on fuel and maintenance. It also reduces transportation time as the railway speed is faster. The annual transport figure is close to 35,000 and it is increasing every year as demand for goods is going up. The railways need more allocation of compartments to transport the vehicles while the vehicles also need a service like Ro-Ro to minimize their expenses over fuel costs and wages.

The proposed connection of Karad with Chiplun is also another aspect which may increase the number of vehicles going to south via train route. The survey is going on from Chiplun to Karad town, which will cover aspects like increase in potential revenue, growth in the business and infrastructure for the project. The railway officials also said that the survey was done by a private company and it will submit a detailed report about it soon.

In a letter addressed to the Haridwar Railway Station Superintendent, a man claiming to be the area commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba has threatened to blow up the Haridwar railway station and temples in the city on December 29. — PTI

Chennai: A civil court Thursday directed the Southern Railways to pay a compensation of Rs. 1.30 lakh to a person who sustained head injury after a wooden-sleeper fell from the railway track while he was riding his two-wheeler through a underpass six years ago.
Ramakrishna Rao, a designer with a private company in Parrys, was on his way to the office when the mishap occurred on November 1,2007. Even though he was wearing helmet, he sustained injury as the 40 kg sleeper came down crashing.He was unable to attend office for more than six months and filed a suit claiming Rs two lakh compensation from the Southern Railways for its negligence in maintaining the Railway Track. The Railways submitted there was no negligence on their part. Pronouncing the judgment, the Second Assistant City Civil Judge G. Vinobha said eyewitnesses said the sleeper fell on the head of the victim and directed the SR to pay Rs.1.30 lakh as compensation.