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  Indian Railways News  / SER carries record load of freight, commuters

Kolkata  : South Eastern Railway has carried some 262.90 million passengers during 2011-12, about 7.96 per cent more than the previous fiscal year, according to SER general manger AK Verma.With record number ferrying of commuters and loads to different parts of the country, SER's total earnings stood at Rs 9163.81 crore in 2011-12.However, the major share came from freight earnings of Rs 7796.34 crore, and Rs 1121.48 crore from passenger earnings, and parcel earnings stood at Rs 89.04 crore.As far as the sale of scrap was concerned, SER achieved a record sale of Rs 289.53 crores during last fiscal, which was 40 per cent more than the target laid down by the Railway Board.Addressing a gathering of railwaypersons and their family members to mark the 57th Railway Week at BNR Officers' Club Reach here today, Mr Verma said in the last financial year SER had also loaded 117.01 mt of originating freight despite ban on export of Iron ore, stoppage in loading by mine owners from various sidings and new regulatory measures which came into force as regards to iron ore.The Railway Week is celebrated every year to commemorate the running of the first ever train on Indian soil on April 16, 1853, between Bombay and Thane.

As many as 165 railway staff and officers were felicitated with Merit Certificates and Efficiency Badges in recognition of their outstanding services and devotion to work during the year 2011-12.

The overall efficiency shield was awarded to Chakradharpur division for the best all round performance.

In the area of punctuality of train services, SER recorded a remarkable improvement achieving 90 per cent in 2011-12 compared to 78 per cent the year before.

SER also achieved considerable improvement in safety performance with one accident happened in 2011-12 against 13 accidents the year before.

  Indian Railways News  / CR’s new tracks a bag of woes Fixed Structures Pose A Risk To Commuters Leaning Out With Backpacks

Mumbai: The laying of the fifth and sixth tracks between Thane and Kurla may promise more services but it has put Central Railway (CR) in a piquant situation: fixed structures like signal poles, though installed within permissible limits, are now much closer to the moving train. This means there’s an increased risk of accidents when commuters travelling on a train’s footboard lean out too much. The risk is enhanced further in case of commuters sporting bagpacks or other big-sized bags.
    On April 19, three people died and 31 were injured after being hit by part of a ladder hanging lose from a signal pole between Mulund and Nahur.
    Chief public relations officer of CR V A Malegaonkar sought to quell these fears, saying, “Indian Railways has schedule of dimensions (SOD) for broadgauge tracks and coaches. No fixed structure is allowed to infringe on the SOD. That is why commuters, whether standing on footboard or seated inside the compartment, on board a moving train are perfectly safe from external fixed structures.”
    SOD indicates an obstruction free zone within which railway coaches, wagons or engines travel. As per norms, a fixed structure should be located around 2.3m from the centre of the track. CR ensures that that fix structures are at a safe distance even from the maximum moving dimension of a running train.
    An official said, “When the suburban system had only four lines, fixed structures were located at a much safer distance than today. Even after laying additional tracks within the same area, we have been able to maintain the norms laid down in SOD for fixed structures.”
    But officials, on the condition of anonymity, concede that fixed structures, despite being installed as per norms, pose a risk to commuters who carry backpacks and lean out of moving trains. Malegaonkar said, “Travelling on rooftops and excessive leaning out can be risky as SOD does not take into account unsafe methods of commuting.”

  Indian Railways News  / No shunters at hand, train delayed

NAGPUR: The Jaipur-Secundrabad Express was delayed at Nagpur station on Sunday by over 90 minutes minutes for want of a shunter. The train reached Godhni, 4 kms from Nagpur, 17 minutes ahead of scheduled time of 4.40 pm.Passengers were waiting for the train to arrive on Platform No 2. However, it reached Nagpur at 6.15 pm, 91 minutes late. According to sources, shunters (engines that move trains from yard to station and vice-versa) were not available to displace the 22112 Bhusawal-Itarsi-Nagpur Express from Platform 2 to the yard.As there is shortage of shunters, the train remained stranded for two hours.P D Patil, PRO of Nagpur Central Railway, denied there was shortage of shunters. He said as the Kazipeth-Nagpur train arrived over an hour late, shunters were busy displacing it. A suffering senior citizen waiting for Jaipur express, P G Agashe (68), called up TOI. "After announcing that the train would arrive at right time, it did not. There was no announcement either about the delay," Agashe said. He was ailing and had been discharged from the hospital only a few hours ago.The Bhusawal-Nagpur Express was moved at 6.05 pm to clear the tracks.

  Indian Railways News  / ECoR to run summer special

Ministry of Railways has decided to run another summer special train through ECoR jurisdiction between Shalimar and Chennai.The Shalimar-Chennai-Shalimar summer special train will leave Shalimar at 12.20 p.m. on every Tuesday between May 1 and June 12 and arrive at Chennai at 5 p.m. on every Wednesdays. In the return direction, this train would leave Chennai at 4.15 p.m. on every Thursday between May 3 and June 14 and arrive at Shalimar at 9.30 p.m. on every Fridays.

  Indian Railways News  / Street play on level-crossing safety

A street play staged for creating awareness of safety at railway crossings was inaugurated by Piyush Agarwal, Palakkad Divisional Railway Manager at the Palakkad Railway Junction here on Saturday. C.C. Joy, District Chief Commissioner of Bharat Scouts and Guides, presided