RailEnquiry

  Indian Railways News  / Engine breakdown holds up traffic

Passengers on several South-bound trains reached their destination nearly three hours late after the engine of the Rameswaram Express broke down between Singaperumal Koil and Paranur and blocked rail traffic from 10.40 pm to 1 am on Tuesday night.
Those on board three Chengalpet bound EMUs were the worst affected as they were terminated at Singaperumal Koil station, forcing them to look for alternate modes of transport late at night.
Mr Naveen Kumar, a computer programmer who returns to Chengalpet from Guindy daily, says: “Many of us were season ticket holders and hence we carry little money while returning home.
Somehow I managed to hitch a ride home by hiring a taxi along with three others. But many people were stranded there as they had little money.”
“My house is a few kilometres beyond Chengalpet. Upon reaching the station by train, I normally cycle bac

Taxis demand more than `200 for the 10 km from here (Singaperumal Koil). I cannot afford that much. So I am waiting for a bus,” complained painter Mr Thangaraj.
Meanwhile, trains like the Mannargudi-bound Mannai Express, Rockfort Express bound for Kumbakonam and Trichy, Mangalore Express, Salem-bound Chennai Express and the Karaikal-Nagore Express, all departing from Egmore, were stopped midway owing to the engine breakdown.
An engine was finally brought from Tindivanam junction and subsequently the Rameswaram Express started from Paranur.
Normal traffic was restored on the Chennai-Villupuram route at around 1 am.
A similar incident had taken took place in June, when the engine of the Chendur Express had broken down between Othivakkam and Chengalpet, delaying the Madurai-bound Pallavan and Vaigai Express.

  Indian Railways News  / Verma is Ludhiana Metro MD

Chandigarh:The Punjab Government has set the ball rolling for the implementation of the Ludhiana metro project worth Rs 10,000 crore. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has approved the appointment of Rakesh Verma, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, as the Managing Director of the Ludhiana Metro Rail Corporation.Verma has been told to prepare a blueprint of the corporation at the earliest. Badal is keen to launch the project early next year. The Central Government, which has given its nod to the project, has directed the state government to send its feasibility report. The Centre is to pay 20 per cent of the total cost of the project and an equal amount is to be paid by the state government. The project will be built in the PPP mode. The major stake holder will be the private player to whom the bid would be allotted.For the project, Badal has also given his approval to two committees. One will be high powered committee headed by the Chief Secretary. The task of this committee will be to deal with inter-departmental issues. The other committee will be a group of officers and will be headed by the Principal Secretary, Local Government.

  Indian Railways News  / CCTV cameras to be installed in parts of Kottayam town

District Police Chief C. Rajagopal has said that closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras will soon be installed in select parts of Kottayam town. Participating in an interactive programme organised by Kottayam Press Club on Thursday, Mr. Rajagopal said the installation process was nearing its final phase. Such cameras would be installed at busy areas including bus stations, the railway station and major junctions.The project will be implemented with technological assistance from Kerala Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron) which is currently studying various options in this regard. He pointed out that such efforts would lead to a significant drop in the prevalence of unlawful and anti-social activities. The implementation of the project will ensure that the town comes under round-the-clock police surveillanceMr. Rajagopal also said that talks had been organised with various organisations representing autorickshaw drivers on the oft-repeated proposal of installing digital meters in autorickshaws. He, however, conceded that various concerns that were raised by drivers led to a roadblock in implementing the proposal. He expressed optimism that the system of metered fare could be implemented through legal options.

  Indian Railways News  / Land acquisition derailing pace of Pollachi – Podanur gauge conversion

The process of land acquisition for 20.5 km in six revenue villages along the Podanur – Pollachi section was derailing the pace of gauge conversion works, railway officials said.Senior officials from the Construction Wing of Southern Railway, Chennai, led by Chief Administrative Officer K. Vijayakumar inspected the ongoing works from Podanur to Pollachi.Mr. Vijayakumar said that Southern Railway was already on the job of co-ordinating with the State Government for expediting land acquisition in Kinathukkadavu, Chettipalayam, Nallattipalayam, Kodangipalayam, Solavampalayam and Arasampalayam.Operation of trains on the meter gauge section was suspended to enable gauge conversion works as early as 2009. The Coimbatore – Pollachi – Dindigul section gauge conversion for 160 km and Pollachi – Palakkad section work for 50 km were taken up at a cost of Rs. 568 crore.Officials said that works in respect of gauge conversion from Dindigul to Palani had been completed and after inspection by the Commissioner of Rail Safety, the line would be thrown open for passenger train traffic by September 2012.Gauge conversion works in respect of Palani and Pollachi sections have neared 70 per cent completion and the remaining work was being expedited.It would be completed before the end of this year. Works in respect of gauge conversion on the Pollachi – Palakkad section was getting delayed because of too many bridges and problems related to erection of pillars for the bridges. In addition to this, contractual failure and change of contractor for Mudhalamada section also contributed to the delay.

Mr. Vijayakumar said that the Commissioner of Land Administration, Chennai, and the Coimbatore District Administration were taking steps to expedite the land acquisition process in respect of the works relating to the Podanur – Pollachi section.

After an inordinate delay, the Southern Railway had earlier fixed March 2012 as the deadline for the completion of the gauge conversion for the entire 210 km. But owing to contractual failures, land acquisition delay and rains, the works were delayed.

  Indian Railways News  / Land acquisition derailing pace of Pollachi – Podanur gauge conversion

The process of land acquisition for 20.5 km in six revenue villages along the Podanur – Pollachi section was derailing the pace of gauge conversion works, railway officials said.Senior officials from the Construction Wing of Southern Railway, Chennai, led by Chief Administrative Officer K. Vijayakumar inspected the ongoing works from Podanur to Pollachi.Mr. Vijayakumar said that Southern Railway was already on the job of co-ordinating with the State Government for expediting land acquisition in Kinathukkadavu, Chettipalayam, Nallattipalayam, Kodangipalayam, Solavampalayam and Arasampalayam.Operation of trains on the meter gauge section was suspended to enable gauge conversion works as early as 2009. The Coimbatore – Pollachi – Dindigul section gauge conversion for 160 km and Pollachi – Palakkad section work for 50 km were taken up at a cost of Rs. 568 crore.Officials said that works in respect of gauge conversion from Dindigul to Palani had been completed and after inspection by the Commissioner of Rail Safety, the line would be thrown open for passenger train traffic by September 2012.Gauge conversion works in respect of Palani and Pollachi sections have neared 70 per cent completion and the remaining work was being expedited.It would be completed before the end of this year. Works in respect of gauge conversion on the Pollachi – Palakkad section was getting delayed because of too many bridges and problems related to erection of pillars for the bridges. In addition to this, contractual failure and change of contractor for Mudhalamada section also contributed to the delay.

Mr. Vijayakumar said that the Commissioner of Land Administration, Chennai, and the Coimbatore District Administration were taking steps to expedite the land acquisition process in respect of the works relating to the Podanur – Pollachi section.

After an inordinate delay, the Southern Railway had earlier fixed March 2012 as the deadline for the completion of the gauge conversion for the entire 210 km. But owing to contractual failures, land acquisition delay and rains, the works were delayed.