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  Indian Railways News  / BYJD submits memo to Governor on ‘raw deal’ to State in railway budget

Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) here on Saturday demanded restoration of budgetary allocation made to the State in budget of Union Railway Ministry for the year 2012-13.A 60-member BYJD delegation submitted a memorandum to Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare and drew his attention on Centre’s alleged step-motherly attitude towards the State.“Odisha contributes substantially to the earning of Indian railways to the tune of around Rs. 10,000 crores. However, the budget allocation to the State by Railways is not commensurate with the earning it receives from the State,” said Sanjay Das Burma, BYJD president said.Mr. Das Burma said against a demand of Rs. 2,345 crore for financial year 2012-13, a paltry sum of Rs. 723 crore was allocated for railway sector in the railway budget.“Subsequently, the budget allocation was reduced by Rs. 186 crore in June 2012. Once again the budget was further reduced by Rs. 34 crore in September 2012”President of the youth wing of Biju Janata Dal said the State was passing through a phase when it needed a good cooperation from the Central government.The BYJD also referred to several long-pending railway projects such as Lanjigarh-Junagarh, Khurda-Bolangir-Khurda and Lanjigarh-Junagarh railway lines development.

  Indian Railways News  / Special trains to Patna

PUNE: The railways will run two special trains between Pune and Patna for the festival season. The train (01001) will leave Pune at 10. 45 pm on October 22 and will reach Patna at 8 am on October 24. On the return, the train (01002) will leave Patna at 12.20 pm the same day and reach Pune at 4.05 am on October 26. The trains will have one AC 2-tier coach, two AC 3-tier coaches, 12 sleeper class coaches, five general second class coaches and two general second-class-cum guard's brake vans.

  Indian Railways News  / Nagpur Municipal Corporation mulls subway linking both sides of railway station

NAGPUR: Though this may sound an improbable task but if implemented, it has the potential to solve traffic problems witnessed around the Nagpur railway station. Keeping on hold its earlier proposal to construct a foot-over-bridge, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is now planning a subway which will link the western and eastern sides of the railway station. Municipal commissioner Shyam Wardhane has mooted the proposal in the meeting held with the divisional railway manager of Central Railway Brijesh Dixit.Confirming this, Wardhane told TOI that the plan is in very initial stage. "When I came to know about the proposal to construct the FOB, I thought constructing a subway on the lines of CST, Mumbai, would be an ideal option. NMC may ask the CST subway's consultant to prepare a feasibility report. The proposal would be prepared only if the subway plan is feasible," he said.Sources told TOI that NMC proposed the Central Railway to share expenses of the subway to make it feasible. "However, the railway officials expressed their difficulties. The NMC may not go for such a big expense unless it receives funds from one of the government's schemes like the JNNURM or other. The subway may be feasible if it is constructed on BOT basis or shops are allotted in the subway," said sources.

The Central Railway had urged the NMC to construct a FoB at Jaistambh Square for the convenience of passengers in April this year. Accordingly, NMC was preparing a plan to construct the FoB for connecting the DRM office and three roads, which meet at the square, with the railway station. The proposal to connect the FoB with the platforms was also under consideration. However, the entire plan was in initial stages.

Wardhane, who has worked in the state urban development department, has good knowledge about urban planning. He wished to replace the FoB with the subway. He is of the opinion that the FoB may be not feasible, technically as well as financially.

Instead, if the subway materializes it might solve many problems, feels Wardhane. The Jaistambh Square witnesses huge and haphazard traffic for most parts of the day as the flyover in front of the railway station, the railway over bridge (ROB) connecting Central Nagpur and Kingsway converge here. Besides, there is no easy connectivity between Santra and Cotton markets with Civil Lines due to which citizens have to either take route from Loha pul direction or use the ROB. The subway would connect these markets directly with the railway station's platforms and also to Civil Lines through Kingsway.

Meanwhile, the Central Railway has given approval for laying water pipeline at three stretches of its route at Godhani, Narendra Nagar and Kalamna.

  Indian Railways News  / For a change, migrant workers travel in comfort

CHENNAI: Several migrant workers got to travel 'first class' on Saturday, in an unreserved special train from Chennai to Santragachi on the outskirts of Howrah.This is the first time such a train has been operated for migrant workers heading home for Dussera and Bakrid. Almost all of them travelled sitting comfortably in 10 brand new general coaches. "Earlier, I used to stand wedged between seats or toilet doors all the way to my destination in a packed unreserved coach of Coromandel Express," said Farhad, who is returning home after completing his work in Kozhikode.More than 900 people travelled in the train that left Chennai Central at 11am."The idea came after we saw a huge crowd on a platform on Monday. The people, mainly migrant workers from West Bengal, said they could not board an overcrowded general compartment of Coromandel Express. So, we added two coaches to a Santragachi train which left at 11am the same day. We requested headquarters for permission to run this special train," said S Govindasamy, station manager, Chennai Central.The 10 coaches were ready to be dispatched to Eastern Railway after periodic overhaul. "As per rule passengers should not be boarded into new coaches being delivered to a particular railway zone. But, we got special permission for this," he added.

Several workers were taken by surprise. "I came from Farook (near Kozhikode) and reached Chennai this morning in a crowded general compartment, hoping to board a train for home. I am happy I will now be travelling comfortably. There is lot of space to sit and walk about," said Farhad.

All the workers were returning home because the farming season is round the corner. "I am not sure whether I will come back. I will work on farms for a few months at home and then go to any state in search of work. If there is work here I will come," said Abdul of Kolkata.

Most of the workers on the train are employed in parts of Kerala and Karnataka. "We always travel in general compartments because sleeper tickets are not available even if we book three months in advance," Abdul added.

There has been a surge in sale of unreserved tickets to Bahalpur, Guwahati, Gorakhpur and new Jalpaiguri. And majority of the passengers are migrant labourers.

  Indian Railways News  / Augmentation of Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Amritsar Express with 4 Coache

Central Railway

Press Release

AUGMENTATION OF            11057/11058      LOKMANYA TILAK TERMINUS - AMRITSAR EXPRESS.

     

Central Railway has decided to attach 4 additional coaches to            11057/11058      Lokmanya Tilak Terminus – Amritsar Express as under:-

   

BETWEEN LOKMANYA TILAK TERMINUS AND AMRITSAR (Total 17 Coaches) –

One AC-3 Tier & o­ne General Second Class  Ex Lokmanya Tilak Terminus from 23.10.2012 & Ex Amritsar from 26.10.2012.

BETWEEN LOKMANYA TILAK TERMINUS AND DHULE (Total 4 coaches) –

One Sleeper Class & o­ne General Second Class Ex Lokmanya Tilak Terminus from 23.10.2012 & Ex Dhule from 24.10.2012.

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Date: October 22, 2012.   

This news comes to you from Public Relations Department, Central Railway, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Mumbai.