INDIAN RAILWAYS

Delhi Metro Map

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:05:00 +0000

The Metro Railways

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:02:00 +0000

The Metro Railways � an Introduction

The Metro Railways in India is one of the smart ways to travel between two places in the metropolitan cities. In the hustle and bustle of city roads, The Metro Railways, run by Indian Railways, come as a wonder solution to the busy life of the metropolitan people. The Metro Railways usually run underground or on the elevated paths. As a result, there is no possibility ofThe Metro Railways to catch into the traffic. Therefore, these sort of transportation can run smoothly to reach it destination and hence save a lot of time to the commuters. Currently there are two metro railways in operation � the Kolkata Metro and the Delhi Metro.

The Kolkata Metro

The Kolkata Metro or the Calcutta Metro is the first underground rail network in India. Constructed between 1972 and 1995, the Phase � I was started in 1984 from Esplanade to Bhowanipur (which is now known as Netaji Bhavan), with a route length of 3.04 kms. The full length from Dum Dum to Tollygunje (16.45 km) came into operation from 1995.

The Kolkata Metro has 2 lines in its 1676 mm guage (Broad Guage) rails. Each train has 8 coaches, each of which can accommodate 278 standing passengers and 48 sitting passengers. The train can run at a maximum speed of 55 km/h with the average speed remains at 30 km/h. It takes 33 minutes to reach from it originating station to its final destination.

The Delhi Metro

The Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) or the Delhi Metro is the second metro rail network in India. Operated by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC), The Metro Railways in Delhi was inaugurated on 24th December, 2002. Delhi Metro has a combination of elevated, at-grade, and underground lines and the trains run at a maximum speed of 80 km/h. In its 3 lines, the Delhi Metro has a 68 km long network, with a total number of 62 stations including 13 underground, 48 elevated and 1 at-grade.

For more information on The Metro Railways, please go through the site www.headlinesindia.com.

Railway Budget 09-10: National and Regional Cuisines to be Introduced in ‘Janata Khana’

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:41:00 +0000

All the zones in Indian Railways have been instructed to ensure availability of

‘Janata Khana’.

Presenting the Railway Budget for 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha today, the Railway Minister, Kumari Mamata Banerjee said that national and regional cuisines would be introduced in the catering by the Railways.

All railway zones have also been instructed to give priority to provision of good quality food, drinking water and toilet facilities and ensure cleanliness on trains and stations.

A comprehensive policy including strict monitoring mechanisms would be developed soon for achieving these objectives.

Railway Budget 2009-10: 'Only Ladies' suburban trains in metros

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:39:00 +0000

NEW DELHI: To facilitate working women facing difficulties in travelling to thier workplaces, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday

announced introduction of 'Only Ladies' EMU train services.

Presenting the Railway Budget for 2009-10, she said that these train services will be introduced in Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata suburban routes on the pattern of Mumbai suburban lines.

Mamata prunes tatkal bookings charges from Rs 150 to Rs 100

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:37:00 +0000

NEW DELHI: Railway minister Mamata Banerjee has reduced the Tatkal charges from Rs 150 to Rs 100. The Tatkal fares will be a fixed percentage of

the actual fare.

Earlier, Railway officials had said the tatkal scheme, used by Lalu to earn railways more than Rs 1,000 crore in the past three years, has failed to impress Mamata and she may prune the scheme. But Mamata has let it stay. Originally, tatkal was about allocating a few berths to those who had not booked in advance, but needed to travel even if at a higher cost.

Under Lalu Prasad, the Tatkal scheme took on a big dimension, almost turning into a revenue spinner when the former railway minister, in keeping with his populist leanings, would not touch fares and had to rationalise freight to cope with the competition from truck operators.

Railway officials acknowledge that the scope of tatkal has far exceeded what it was supposed to be and they were dreading losing a source of revenue.

They say that under Lalu's scheme, the revenue shot up remarkably as the number of tatkal berths went up. While the number of berths in tatkal every day in all trains put together was a little over 40,000 in 2005-06, in the past three years, it reached almost a lakh.

During the same period, the revenue earned through tatkal has gone up from over Rs 200 crore in 2006 to over Rs 500 crore in the last fiscal. In 2007-2008, it was over Rs 350 crore. Initially, there would be a single, separate coach for tatkal, but Lalu's brainchild led to introduction of tatkal berths even in regular coaches.

Railway Budget 09-10: Kolkata Port may devise scheme for time-bound container movement

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:37:00 +0000

KOLKATA: Kolkata Port may look at devising a scheme based on premium service for container movement with assured transit time for time sensitive

cargo. This service of assured time bound container movement was announced by railway minister Ms Mamata Banerjee on Friday.

"Although we are yet to receive the fine print of the service announced, we may look at devising a scheme on its basis that will offer timebound movement of goods. At present, there is hardly any container movement through railroads in the region. The service may now create demand for container movement through railroads in the region," said a senior Kolkata Port official.

In addition, permission to access private sidings for containers will help attracting piecemeal traffic which at present is not being carried by the railways. This is also likely to create demand for container cargo in the region.

The concept of time bound container service has been welcomed by all segments of the industry. "At present, Container Corporation on India does not offer any time bound services through railroads. If the service is started, it is likely to result in faster turnaround of assets," said P V K Mohan, chairman, Committee of Containerisation, as well as chairman of Sea Way Shipping Ltd told ET.

"At present, one needs to wait indefinitely for railways to move containers since it waits for the entire rake to be loaded. This results in abnormal delays and losses to trade in some cases. We also assume this time bound movement will involve departure and arrival at a pre-defined time. However, the real success of this service will depend on consumer confidence," he added.

President, Indian Shipping Association, Mr Nopany said: "The railways have been introducing so many schemes as well as new trains and services on the existing infrastructure. The question that comes to mind is whether railways would be in a position to properly run these services and schemes. However, the idea of a time-bound programme is excellent specially for perishable cargo. Additionally, turnaround time for containers will be greatly reduced."

Railway Budget 09-10: Wagon makers revitalised by Mamata Banerjee

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:36:00 +0000

KOLKATA: Wagon makers have been truly revitalised by Railway minister Mamata Banerjee. Compared to 11K wagons per annum, the railway minister on

Friday announced that 18K vehicle units would be manufactured in 2009-10.

"There’s a huge demand for EMU/MEMUs and Metro coaches in the country and capacity addition is an immediate requirement," the railway minister announced on Friday.

What’s more, Indian Railways intends to set up a new coach manufacturing factory in the Kanchrapara-Halisahar Railway complex on existing railway land either through JVor PPP routes.

Railway Budget 2009-10 also stresses on modernisation of rolling stock through induction of high-end technology for new design, higher capacity wagons, higher horse power locos and stainless steel coaches & wagons.

On increased wagon procurement, Texmaco president & CEO Ramesh Maheshwari said: "The railway budget for ‘09-10 augurs well for wagon units with robust infrastructure and technology platform, and those engaged in the manufacture of special purpose, new design, high payload wagons. There will also be a huge requirement of special wagons because of the renewed emphasis on infrastructure development to spur economic growth and the railway’s programme to accelerate dedicated freight corridor."

Echoing similar sentiments, Titagarh Wagons vice-chairman & managing director Umesh Chowdhary said, "By increasing the number of wagons to be purchased, railway minister has ensured that there is adequate capacity available in the railway infrastructure to attract more traffic from the roadways. The emphasis on developing railway infrastructure including the dedicated freight corridor will also woo traffic from road to rail".

"Railway minister has shown commendable vision by putting the public private partnership route in focus. From the proposed EMU coach factory at Kanchrapara to upgradation of important stations to international standards, or developing multi-functional complexes, she has opened a new vista for using the resources and expertise of the private sector. This is going to bring in unprecedented growth in Indian Railways," Mr Pawan K Ruia, chairman, Ruia Group, pointed out.

Mr Maheshwari, however, is of the view that "there is a pressing need for the railways to review and energise the ‘liberalised wagon investment scheme’ to encourage procurement of wagons under the PPP model since the scheme has virtually remained inoperative compared to the earlier ‘wagon investment scheme’. The ‘wagon leasing scheme’ announced by the railways in April 2008 has also remained largely inert and calls for a review to remove a few irritants so that the scheme may take off at the earliest."

Railway Budget 09-10: Opportunities for cold chain infrastructure in West Bengal

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:35:00 +0000

KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee’s announcement that "the railways will encourage creation of cold storages for perishable goods at certain select

stations in partnership with the private sector" is seen as an opportunity for expanding the cold chain infrastructure in West Bengal. This was indicated by a top official in the state department of food processing industry and horticulture.

If the Railways really take such an initiative, the department in the first place wants creation of such facilities at Howrah, Sealdah, New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri stations, said the official who spoke to ET on the condition of anonymity.

Elaborating on the point, he said even as Howrah and Sealdah are not production centres per se of farm goods, they are important commercial hubs and gateways to multiple consumption centres in adjoining districts of Kolkata. If a cold chain infrastructure can be built near New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri stations, it will immensely improve the farm economy of north Bengal, which is slowly emerging as an important production centre for fruits, vegetables and flowers, he said.

Another official closely linked with the development of a flower hub at Mallickghat said if a cold storage comes up at Howrah, under the sponsorship of the railways, it can be integrated with the upcoming flower auction mart at the Mallickghat, construction of which is underway.

At present, the state has two large sized cold chains for perishable goods. Named as Centre for Perishable Cargo (CPC), one such chain has come up at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata and another at Bagdogra airport, which have been funded and implemented by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).

The railways minister’s announcement of involving the private sector in building cold storages at stations has been welcomed by the West Bengal Cold Storage Association. An official of the association said it will encourage private developers to venture into the cold storage building ventures. Plus, creation of multi-product cold chains, under the railways patronage, at important production centres, as announced by Ms Banerjee, will be of great help to vegetable growers and floriculturists in the state since 80% of the total cold storage capacity here is devoted to preserving potato, he said.

To link production centres with consumer centres through special trains for transporting handloom and handicraft products, as announced by the railways minister in her budget speech, possibilities can be explored linking some SSI clusters in the state, said an official of the MSME Development Institute. Initially, such linkages can be built at few of the state’s important traditional craft hubs like Shantiniketan, Bankura, Purulia and Khagra, he suggested.

However, site selections for setting up cold chains or for creation of new link routes for ferrying handicraft/handloom items rest entirely with the railways. The minister in her 2009-10 railway budget speech has clearly stated that the railways will tie up with professional agencies to identify locations and designing proper services while selecting such sites and routes.

Rail Budget 2009-10: 'Duronto' the non-stop train

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:33:00 +0000

KOLKATA: For the first time in the country, the Rail budget has introduced non stoprain services betwen key cities. Named ‘Duronto’, the new

service with AC and Non-AC sleepers will provide 12 new links across the country. These will provide point-to-point services between key cities. Some five out of the 12 links are from the East.

Four of these will be from West Bengal while one is from Orissa to Delhi. Depending on the success of this service, the minister promised to extend it to other cities.

The 12 new non-stop fast trains announced by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee in her rail budget speech between select cities will take less time than even the Rajdhani Express to complete their journey. The trains will clock maximum speeds of 120 km per hour.

"This has been made possible since these trains, unlike the Rajdhani Express, will have no intermediate stoppages and run in much the same speeds clocked by Rajdhani," Railway Board Member -Traffic, Shri Prakash said.
For example, he said, the new bi-weekly non-stop train between New Delhi and Howrah will take 16 hours to cover the journey, as against 17 hours taken by Rajdhani Express. All 12 trains have been announced between cities where the volume of passenger traffic and demand is high.

"We are targeting long-distance passengers from terminal points like Kolkata and Delhi for instance. On this route, this will lead to higher availability of space for passengers along the intermediate stations like, Dhanbad and Asansol for instance," he explained. "Our aim is also to target higher passenger revenue , apart from higher freight earnings," he said.

"The trains will, however, have technical stoppages at a few stations like Gaya and Kanpur for instance for facilitating staff but the "transit time will come down drastically ", he said. There will be no change in the locomotive.

Railways are in the process of adding more capacity in terms of new lines and also the Dedicated freight corridor which will be able to accomodate these new trains, he said.

Duronto services will run between:

Howrah-Mumbai (AC) Non stop (Bi-weekly)

Howarh-Delhi Non Stop (Bi-weekly)

Sealdah-New Delhi Non Stop (Bi-weekly)

Kolkata-Amritsar Non Stop (Bi-weekly)

Bhubaneswar-Delhi Non Stop (weekly)

Railway Budget 09-10: Minorities, women to get better representation in railway jobs

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:32:00 +0000

NEW DELHI: Minorities, women and the economically backward can now look forward to "better representation" in railway jobs with Minister Mamata

Banerjee today announcing to develop a new scheme for them.

The Railway Minister said separate special recruitment drives will also be conducted to fill up vacancies of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and physically challenged.

"It is proposed to develop a scheme to give better representation to minorities, women and economically backward classes of society in railway jobs," Banerjee said while presenting the Budget.

Noting that she had received some observations regarding the functioning of Railway Recruitment Boards, Banerjee said the recruitment policy and its functioning will be reviewed shortly.

"Special recruitment drives will be launched to wipe out backlog in filling up the vacancies of SCs/STs...A special recruitment drive will be launched for filling up the vacancies against physically handicapped quota," she said.

Banerjee also said that sports persons will also get "their share" in recruitment.

Railway Budget 09-10: Industry welcomes Mamata's `unique' Railway Budget

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:32:00 +0000

NEW DELHI: The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Friday welcomed the Railway budget presented by Railways Minister Mamata

Banerjee.

"This budget is unique in the way inclusivity and overall development has been the focus without losing focus on safety, technology adoption and commercialization while providing opportunities for industry though its capacity expansion programme and setting up infrastructure through PPP mode," said Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII.

"The move to not increase fares and yet undertake developmental and capacity expansion plans with revenue coming from commercial use of railway property is an innovative approach," he added.

Railway Budget 09-10: Youth and students

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:29:00 +0000

KOLKATA: The student and youth brigade gave a big thumbs-up to the Railway Budget 2009-10 on Friday as Mamata Banerjee announced a slew of

initiatives for Gen-Next.

Among the several proposals outlined by the union railway minister, one of the most appreciated was the Yuva air-conditioned (AC) trains dedicated to the young generation where one would have to pay Rs 299 for distances upto 1,500 km and Rs 399 for distances upto 2,500 km.

The new low-priced fast train service will be started to connect youth and low income groups in rural hinterlands to major metros/cities. The train will run from point to point for distances ranging from 1000 km to 2500 km. For starters, a weekly service will be introduced as a pilot service within three months in the Mumbai to Delhi and Delhi to Kolkata sections.

Priyadarshika Das who’s studying architecture in Cuttack, Orissa was all praise for the move. "That’s a huge discount from the current fares. Many students who are studying in other states can’t afford AC fares when they are travelling home. This is great for them," she said. At present, fares in a mail/express train’s AC chaircar for distances around 1500 km hover around the Rs 840 mark, while for distances of 2500 km, they come in at around Rs 1100.

Student concessions too, were aplenty.

The free monthly season tickets for second class travel between school and home for girl students up to graduation and for boy students up to 12th standard is proposed to be extended to students attending madrasa, high madrasa and senior madrasa.

This concessional monthly season ticket scheme has been extended for travel in the Kolkata Metro rail, Kolkata and would also be applicable to students attending recognised vocational institutions. Metro concession would be 60% of the regular fare. Scholarships will be introduced for the higher education of girl children of railways’ Group ‘D’ staff. Salma Khatun is delighted.

"This is a very welcome initiative by the railway minister. I only hope that all the measures are implemented and don’t just remain at the proposal stage."

Rohan Jaikishen, IIM Kozhikode’s Batch of 2010 was gung-ho about the Budget as well. "The initiatives taken by our railway minister are encouraging. While many may dismiss this as a political gimmick, I believe that the youth centric measures taken by Ms. Banerjee will benefit the student community immensely. I am particularly excited about the scholarships for higher education of girl children of group D staff and is a clear indication that the ideal of inclusive growth shall be implemented wherever possible. Even the Yuva trains initiative is very well thought out and will make urban colleges and schools accessible to the youth of rural India thereby providing them better education opportunities."

Railway Budget 2009-10: 50 railway stations to be of world standard

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:28:00 +0000

NEW DELHI: Presenting the Railway Budget 2009-10, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today said that about 50 stations are to be developed into

world class stations with international level facilities. (Watch )

Banerjee said that these stations would be developed through innovative financing and in Public Private Partnership mode.

Some of these stations are: CST Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Howrah, Sealdah, Bhubaneswar, New Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Amritsar, Kanpur, Guwahati, Jaipur, Chennai Central, Tiruvananthapuram Central, Secunderabad, Tirupati, Bangalore City, Baiyapanahali (Bangalore), Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Habibganj, Gaya Jn., Agra Cantt., Mathura Jn., Chandigarh, Kolkata, New Jalpaiguri, Majerhat, Mangalore, Porbandar, Anand Vihar, Brijwasan, Ajmer and Puri. Banerjee also announced the construction of Multi-Functional Complexes (MFCs) in station premises for providing rail users facilities like shopping, food stalls and restaurants.

The MFCs will also have book stalls, PCO/STD/ISD/Fax booths, medicine, budget hotels and underground parking.

She said that during this year, 50 such railway stations would be developed in places of pilgrimage, industry and tourist interest.

"The responsibility for development of Multi-functional Complexes would be entrusted to IRCON and Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA)," she added.

The 49 identified stations to be developed as MFCs are: Alipurduar, Allahabad, Anandpur Sahib, Banspani, Bikaner, Bilaspur, Cuttack, Darjeeling, Dehradun, Digha, Durg, Ernakulum, Gandhidham, Ganga Sagar, Ghatsila, Gwalior, Hajur Sahib, Hubli, Hyderabad, Indore, Jabalpur, Jammu Tawi, Jasidih, Jhansi, Jodhpur, Kanyakumari, Kathgodam, Katra, Khajuraho, Madurai, Manmad, Mysore, Nanded, Nasik, Palakkad, Parasnath, Raebareily, Raipur, Rajgir, Rameshwaram, Ranchi, Shirdi, Silchar, Tarapith, Tiruchirapalli, Udaipur, Ujjain, Vadodara and Visakhapatnam.

Railway budget 2009-10 focuses on fares, services

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:27:00 +0000

NEW DELHI: Railway minister Mamata Banerjee unveiled a mix of populist measures, including cheap tickets for the poor and no increase in freight

or passenger fares, as well as steps to boost the sprawling system's efficiency and finances. ( Watch )

Friday's railway budget speech underscored the Congress-led government's focus on "inclusive growth" after it was reelected by a wider-than-expected margin in May. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government will present its budget on Monday. "The old mindset of economic viability should be substituted by social viability," Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said in an address to parliament. (Watch )

Banerjee, looking to take advantage of the railway's vast property holdings, said land along the new freight corridor would be put to productive use, and also said the railway operator will resume issuance of tax-free bonds. ( Watch )

Over the five years through March 2009, Railways generated a cash surplus of about $18.8 billion.

She also said the group will build a 1,000 megawatt electricity plant -- India suffers from a severe energy deficit -- to power electric locomotives. She said the system would look to introduce double-decker trains, and take advantage of its fibre-optic communications network. "I visualise an eastern industrial corridor developing alongside the eastern dedicated freight corridor," she said in the ministry's annual budget address. ( Watch )

Arun Kejriwal, research strategist at broker KRIS in Mumbai, said the speech gave a clue to the government's policy leanings.

Railway Budget 09-10: 57 New Trains Introduced

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:24:00 +0000

57 new trains service are proposed in the Railway Budget for 2009-10. This was announced by the Minister of Railway, Kumari Mamata Banerjee in

Parliament today. These are:

1. Vishakhapatnam – Secunderabad – Mumbai Superfast (Bi-weekly).

2. Sriganga Nagar – Delhi – Nanded Superfast (Weekly)

3. New Jalpaiguri – Sealdah Superfast (Tri-weekly)

4. Bangalore – Hubli – Solapur Superfast (Tri-weekly)

5. Howrah – Bangalore Superfast (weekly)

6. Pune – Daund-Solapur Superfast (Daily)

7. Ranchi-Howrah (3 days via Ghatshila-Kharagpur and 3 days via Asansol) Intercity (6 days a week)

8. Kamakhya-Puri Express (Weekly)

9. Jabalpur-Ambikapur Express (Tri-weekly)

10. Gandhidham-Howrah Superfast (Weekly)

11. Delhi-Sadulpur Express (Tri-weekly)

12. Ajmer-Bhopal Express (by intergration of 9655/56 Ajmer-Ratlam and 9303/04 Ratlam- Bhopal express trains) (Daily)

13. Bilaspur-Tirunelveli Jn. (Thiruvananthapuram) Superfast (Weekly)

14. Mumbai-Karwar Superfast (Tri-weekly)

15. Durg-Jaipur Express (Weekly)

16. Dibrugarh Town-Chandigarh Express (Weekly)

17. Delhi-Farakka Express (Bi-weekly)

18. Hazrat Nizmmudin-Bangalore Rajdhani Express (Tri-weekly) via Kacheguda

19. New Jalpaiguri-Delhi Express (Bi-weekly) via Barauni

20. Mumbai-Varanasi Superfast (Daily)

21. Mysore-Yesvantpur Express (Daily)

22. Koraput-Rourkela Express (Daily) via Rayagada

23. Agra-Ajmer Intercity Superfast (Daily)

24. Mumbai-Jodhpur-Bikaner Superfast (Bi-weekly)

25. Agra-Lucknow Junction Intercity (Daily)

26. Hapa-Tirunelveli Jn. Superfast (Bi-weekly) via Thiruananthapuram

27. Gwalior-Bhopal Intercity Express (5 days a week) via Guna

28. Kanyakumari-Rameshwaram Express (Tri-weekly) via Madurai

29. Howrah-Haridwar Superfast (5 days a week)

30. Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Superfast (Daily)

31. Gorakhpur-Mumbai Superfast (Daily)

32. New Delh-Guwahati Rajdhani Express (Weekly) via Muzaffarpur

33. Veraval-Mumbai Link

Service (Daily)

34. Ranchi-Patna Jan Shatabadi Express (Daily)

35. Jhansi-Chhindwara Express (Bi-weekly) via Bina-Bhopal

36. Mumbai-Jodhpur Express (Weekly)

37. Jamalpur-Gaya Passenger (Daily)

38. Jhajha-Patna MEMU (Daily)

39. Kanpur-New Delhi Shatabdi Express (6 days a week)

40. Bhopal-Lucknow-Pratapgarh Superfast (Weekly)

41. Lucknow-Rae Bareli-Bangalore Superfast (Weekly)

42. Shimoga-Bangalore Intercity Express (Daily)

43. Mdurai-Chennai Express (Bi-weekly)

44. Guwahati-New Cooch Behar Express Intercity (Daily)

45. Balurghat-New Jalpaiguri Express (Daily) via Kishanganj

46. Alipurduar-New Delhi Jalpaiguri Express Intercity (Daily) via Siliguri

47. Dharmanagar-Agartala Fast Passenger (Daily)

48. Rewari-Phulera Passenger (Daily) via Ringus

49. Shoranur-Nilambur Road Passenger (Daily)

50. Coimbator-Shoranur Passenger (Daily)

51. Mathura-Kasganj Passenger (Daily)

52. Farakka-Katwa-Azimganj-Nawadwip Dham Express (Daily)

53. Bangalore-Kochuveli Superfast (Weekly)

54. Kolkata-Rampurhat Express (Daily)

55. New Jalpaiguri-Digha Express (Weekly)

56. Purulia-Howrah Express (Bi-weekly)

57. Kolkata-Bikaner Express (Weekly) via Nagore

Mamata's railway budget 2009-10 makes common man smile

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:24:00 +0000

NEW DELHI: The man on the street appeared happy with Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday and also a trifle relieved that she had not

announced a fare hike in her rail budget.

Raju, 28-year-old daily wage labourer, was all praise for her new scheme that makes a monthly season ticket of Rs.25 available fortravel up to 100 km for those in the unorganized sector with monthly incomes not exceeding Rs.1,500.

"I have to travel from one place to another as and when work comes up. So this scheme is of great use to me," said Raju, who hails from Bihar, lives in Delhi and often goes to Haryana for work.

Homemaker Sushila Sharma pointed out that at a time when everything was becoming more expensive, Banerjee had at least spared train travel.

"With the prices of everything skyrocketing, the freezing of passenger fares is a real highlight. For the middle class it will be a relief in such times," said Sharma who travels by train at least twice a year for family holidays.

People have also given a thumbs-up to Banerjee's decision to make unreserved tickets available at 5,000 post offices across the country.

"Now we will not need to go to the railway station for tickets. I can buy a ticket from a nearby post office," said 80-year-old Dayanand Arora, who lives in a Haryana village.

Sahil Makhija, a 23-year-old Delhi based professional, also welcomed the installation of 200 automatic vending machines at key stations.

"Though we have online ticketing, everybody is not comfortable using it. The automatic ticket vending machine will surely take away the rush from booking counters."

Railway Budget 09-10: The politics of Mamata's Rail Budget

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:23:00 +0000

KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee has used the railway budget very deftly as a powerful tool to woo the tribal and minority population in West Bengal in

the run- up to the 2011 assembly elections. Interestingly, both the tribals and the minorities had dumped the CPIM-led Left Front in the last Lok Sabha elections and had backed the Trinamool Congress to help Mamata win 19 of the total 42 parliamentary seats in the state.

Mamata’s latest proposal to set up a 1000 mw power venture in Adra in the Purulia district is being seen as a calculated move to send a clear signal to the over 55 lakh-strong tribal population about her intentions to deliver even more benefits if her party is voted to power in the assembly elections. Adra is in the heart of a tribal belt bordering Jharkhand and not too far from trouble-torn Lalgarh where the Buddhadeb government continues to face strong resistance from the tribal population.

"We won’t take much time to implement the railway minister’s plans to set up a power project at Adra. We will soon launch a massive campaign for this project," opposition leader in the state Assembly and Trinamool Congress MLA, Partha Chatterjee, said.

Trinamool Congress too said that with her half-a-dozen ministers of state in the Union government including 19 MPs, Mamata won’t find it too difficult to implement the project. She’ll get more than one-and-a-half years to implement the project as elections to the state assembly are likely to be held in March-April 2011.

About half a dozen West Bengal officials are camping in Lalgarh and busy hearing about tribal problems even though police action against the Maoists continues. The state government also plans to issue ration cards to the Lalgarh tribals on the spot. Such measures are being made to neutralise the tribals’ misgivings against the state government. There’s no doubt that Mamata is also aware of the Left Front government’s effort to woo the tribals and intended to counter the same.

In order to appease the minority population, Mamata has also included the students of madrasas, high madrasas and senior madrasas to obtain railway concessions. Students belonging to minority community will also enjoy concessions while using the Kolkata Metro Railway. Mamata’s move is being seen as a move to counter the Left Front government’s very recent move to set up a separate school service commission for minority community.

Mamata also intends o express her solidarity with the people of Singur and Nandigram who had played a very crucial role in her fight against the forcible land acquisition by the CPI-led government while drafting her budget. She has announced a rail connectivity project between the two apart from connecting Salboni and Jhargram via Belpahari and Lalgarh.

Mamata has announced in her budget 53 rail connectivity proposals of which 22 are in West Bengal. In fact, Mamata has attempted to implement some of her promises she made in her election manifesto for the just-concluded lok sabha polls.

For example, she had promised to develop Digha as much more attractive tourist spot and for the purpose, she has proposed to set up a rail connect between Digha and Puri via Jaleswar. Similarly the proposed railway links between Bishnupur and Mukutmanipur, Namkhana-Bakkhali, Kakdwip-Sagar-Kapilmuni temple; Chalsa-Jaldhaka and Mirik-Gangtok will certainly boost tourism in West Bengal.

Mamata has also proposed to set up a land bank, but made it very clear that she would not require to acquire land for the purpose. The railway minister who had spearheaded her agitation against the Left Front government by making the forcible land acquisition the key issue, is well aware about the fact that acquisition of land for her projects might trigger political controversy.

There is no doubt that the ruling Marxists in West Bengal will find it hard to regain their lost ground once Mamata manages to start implementing her projects in the state.

Railway Budget 2009-10: Mamata Banerjee's Bengal bonanza

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:21:00 +0000

KOLKATA: Mamata Banerjee’s gravy train for Bengal was predictably loaded with goodies. New manufacturing units, a 1000 mw power plant, a boost to

the Eastern Industrial Corridor and creation and utilisation of Railways land bank.

In one masterstroke, she has managed to project a ‘pro-industry’ image not just in her home state, but pan-India. That will perhaps be the lasting impression of her 2009-10 budget proposals, long after the euphoria about new non-stop trains fade out.

To start with, Ms Banerjee has proposed at least two new big projects for the state as part of her move to boost railway infrastructure. Setting up of a new factory at the Kanchrapara-Halisahar Railway complex with annual capacity of 500 EMU/MEMU and Metro coaches per annum in joint venture in public-private partnership mode. One big advantage is that railway land is already available for this project, she said.

She also proposed a plan to set up a 1000 mw thermal plant at Adra with the power ministry, to avail of traction supply at economical rates. The plant would come up in an under-developed tribal zone near the Jharkhand-Bengal border. She said, this project would help provide employment and bring the tribal people into the mainstream.

The railway minister dwelt at large on what is clearly the Railway’s most ambitious project -- the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors. The project may have been proposed during her predecessor Lalu Prasad’s regime, but she clearly stole the thunder by dedicating a substantial part of her speech to it. This and her overall reliance on PPPs seem to have gone down well with industry.

Reactions and Reviews on Rail Budget 2009-10

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:19:00 +0000

The interim Rail Budget for the fiscal year 2009-10 was unveiled in Parliament by the Railway Minister Sh. Lalu Prasad Yadav on 13th. February, 2009. There has been mixed reactions to this years Rail Budgetwhere some sections of the society have welcomed people-friendly announcements like introduction of new trains and a cut in the passenger fares by 2%, at the same time the Railway Minister has got condemned in his approach to the Rail Budget as an election gimmick.

Read the latest comments on Rail Budget

“By stepping up spending for financial year 2009-10 to Rs 37,900 crore and by proposing a massive investment for the eleventh plan period, the railways could set the growth trigger for certain sectors like steel, engineering and construction.”
said Mr. Harish Pati Singhania, President FICCI

“I am not happy that the budget did not roll back the freight hikes imposed on coal and cement transportation recently. Also its disappointing that the cause of the environment was not helped by extending freight concessions to fly ash, slag and green products”
said Mr. Sumit Banerjee, CEO, ACC Cement

“Lalu's rail budget is an election gimmick”
said Ms. Mamta Banerjee, Trinamool Congress chief

“We were expecting reduction in railways freight as only then would we have been able to export more. Since the last budget, freight rates have been increased by over 50 percent.”
said Mr. RK Sharma- Secretary General, Federation of Indian MineralIndustries

“The Interim Rail Budget has been pretty flat one, there haven't been any direct benefits for the industry as such but certain indirect benefits are looking bright.”
said Mr. Ankit Miglani, Director (Commercial) at Uttam Galva Steels

“It is a positive move that the dedicated freight corridor on the Ludhiana-Kolkata route would be inaugurated by the end of this month. The rail freight sector is expected to get a boost, with the railways deciding to introduce new high-capacity wagons.”
said Mr. D.P. Agarwal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Group TCI, a freight container company

“The announcement of Rs 37,900 crore investments in 2009-10 is not encouraging enough. Many railway projects just get inaugurated. Project implementation is a far cry.”
said Mr. RD Sharma, Chairman, Kalindee Rail Nirmal (Engineers)

Rail Budget (2009-10- Presented By Ms. Mamta Banerjee

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:16:00 +0000

Rail Budget 2009 - India Looks upto Ms. Mamta Banerjee

Amidst huge expectations Ms. Mamta Banerjee is all geared up to present her third Rail Budget on 3rd July, 2009. People of India look upon the new Railway Minister to present a people-friendly budget, introduce new trains, improve the services inside trains and railway stations, connect to new routes and most importantly refrain from a hike in passenger fairs. for more reviews

"We are proud of the Indian Railways" ~ Mamta Banerjee

Unique Ways of Mamta Banerjee

Mamta Banerjee arrived in parliament on her personal Maruti Zen instead of the official car alloted to her.

Mamta breaks away from the 'briefcase' tradition and brings the budget papers in a jhola (cloth-bag).

Live Updates On Rail Budget

Mamta Bonanza: No change in Passenger Fares.

Freight Rates untouched.

One Doctor to be available on long distance trains to attend to passenger/staff medical emergencies.

Ticket booking services to open in 800 new locations.

5000 Post Offices pan India to provide Railway ticket booking facility.

'Turant AC' sleeper trains to be introduced between major metros.

Rs 1750 crore to be spent on Gauge conversion.

Students to receive a 60% concession on train tickets.

Non-stop trains to be operational soon on select routes.

50 Railway Stations to be built at par with international standards.

Extension of 'Ladies Special' trains to major metros like Delhi,Kolkata Chennai.

50% concession for Scribes.

Rs 81685 crore to be the estimated working expenditure.

Kachrapara, Bengal to get new coach factory.

Scholarship schemes for Girl child of Group B Railway employees.

Women commandos to be increased in key routes.

Physically challenged passengers to be accomodated in specially designed coaches.

Increase in utility stores such as PCO/STD/ISD booths and book stores.

Increased emphasis on security (platform and train).

Catering facilities to be upgraded in order to address growing number of passenger complaints/feedback.

SMS updates for waiting list status.

Tatkal booking scheme reduced from 5 days to 2 days.

Setting up of ATMs on 200 stations identified.

High capacity double decker AC trains to be introduced on select routes.

Railwas will no longer be guided by economic viability but social commitment said Mamta Banerjee.

Cold storage facilities to be developed for farmers storing vegetables and fruits.

New Hospitals to be Opened up for Hospital Staff.

Indian Railways to lease out land for commercial purposes to increase revenue.

Mamata eyes electoral gain through Rail Budget

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:13:00 +0000

In the first Railway Budget of its second term, the Congress-led UPA has clearly given precedence to politics, with an eye on forthcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh New Delhi: From targeting key political constituencies like women, youth and minorities to deviating from predecessor Lalu Yadav’s vision for the sector and paying special attention to her home state, Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday presented the first railway budget of the newly elected government with an eye on gaining electoral strength and political supremacy.

In the first Railway Budget of its second term, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has clearly given precedence to politics, with an eye on forthcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh.

“It is purely a populist budget with a clear political message which is loud and clear,” said Kamal M Chenoy, political analyst and professor at the Jawahar Lal Nehru University. “The railway minister seems to have gone as far as she could. Monthly passes for unorganized sector workers would have clear implications but the challenge for the government, which is manifested in the budget document, is to do a balancing act,” he said.

The Rail Budget aims at tapping youth — a constituency the Congress has been focussing on and which Nehru-Gandhi scion Rahul Gandhi lays special emphasis on, by introducing special trains for ‘gen-next’. With youth being the flavour of the season, the railway minister has introduced low-cost, air-conditioned ‘Yuva Trains’ dedicated to it. The trains, with only sitting accommodation, will also benefit low-income groups — yet another critical section of the votebank.

Riding on its social sector programmes, the Congress came back to power in the general election in May with a resounding victory, winning 206 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats on its own, while the UPA won 263 seats. Continuing with this mandate, the government has decided to cater to minorities, women and the economically backward in the Railway Budget, with inclusion being the underlying theme.

According to the railway minister, better representation will be given to these sections in railway recruitment. A ladies’ special will be introduced in suburban trains during peak hours.

In an obvious attempt to woo minorities and re-capture the political space that had come to be occupied by regional parties like the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Party or Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), this Rail Budget has offered sops that also cover students of Madrassas — Islamic religious schools, to whom students concessions will now be extended.

Targetting the farming community, railways will develop cold storages for farmers to store vegetables and fruits.

Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee who is also the Trinamool Congress chief and was responsible for the Left front’s rout in West bengal in the Lok Sabha election, has designed the budget according to her own political concerns as well, say experts.

By doling out special sops to her home state, Mamata Banerjee has laid the ground for the 2011 assembly elections in West Bengal. A new coach factory with state-of-the-art facilities, exclusively for manufacturing 500 coaches per annum to be set up at Kanchrapara in West Bengal. Concessional monthly season tickets to students in Kolkata will be applicable for travel in the Kolkata Metro Rail also.

CHENNAI TRAIN ACCIDENT IN INDIA APRIL29,2009

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:23:00 +0000

Police officers and firefighters gather at the site of a train accident in the suburbs of Chennai, India, Wednesday, April 29, 2009. Two unauthorized persons ran an electric train unnoticed for about seven kilometers (4 miles) before ramming it into a goods train, killing themselves and four others and injuring eleven others on Wednesday morning, according to a news agency.

At least seven people were killed and 20 injured when a local passenger train collided with a goods train in Chennai's northern Vyasarpadi Jeeva suburb Wednesday. Railways Minister Lalu Prasad said an inquiry will be conducted into the incident.

'An unidentified, unauthorised person operated the local train with 35 passengers from Chennai Central Rail Terminal around 5 a.m. and rammed it into a stationary goods train at the northern Vyasarpadi suburb,' a Southern Railway spokesperson told IANS.

'The unidentified train operator and six others died in the accident. Four bodies have been recovered so far. Other casualties, if any, would be known after the mangled remains of the trains are separated by oxy-acetylene torches,' he added.

The goods train's motorman Arumugham, his assistant Gilbert and guard Satish jumped out to save themselves and suffered multiple fractures.

Police sources said a case has been registered and 37-year-old S. Karunanidhi, the scheduled motorman of the local train, is being questioned on how an unauthorised person managed to operate the train.

'We will conduct an inquiry into the train accident in Tamil Nadu,' Lalu Prasad told reporters in Patna.

Of the 20 injured admitted to the General Hospital in this Tamil Nadu capital, seven are women. The deceased are yet to be identified.

'We heard a loud noise and then saw several railway compartments in flames. The smell emanating from bodies retrieved from the mangled coaches was nauseating,' said M.N. Selvi, who lives near the Vyasarpadi railway station.

Platforms at the Vyasarpadi Jeeva railway station have been rendered almost unusable and overhead electric cables supplying power to trains and engines have been torn off their poles and tractions. Restoration work is underway, officials said.

All local and long distance trains coming from Arakkonam (over 30 km north of Chennai) towards Chennai Central were stopped enroute, the railway spokesperson said, adding that services would resume by about 3 p.m.

'I'm going to miss my important meeting for negotiating a letter of credit worth Rs.110 million and tying up supplies,' said N.S. Veeraraghavan, an executive stranded at Perambur, - some 5 km north of the Chennai central rail terminal.

The family of S.K. Vimalanathan, who was scheduled to be married Wednesday, was stuck at Pattathiram 12 km further north.

'Forcing my aged parents and relatives to alight on the tracks with luggage is out of question. We will have to delay the entry into the marriage hall beyond 3 p.m., when the next auspicious hour begins,' said S. Krishnamurthy, the groom's father.

Latest News Stories for INDIAN RAILWAY

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:38:00 +0000

Lalu Prasad releases book on disaster management in Railways
New Delhi, Feb 24 - A new book explaining how the second largest railway network in the world is managing disasters - both man-made and natural - was released here Tuesday. Railways Minister Lalu Prasad released the book, titled 'Disaster Management in the Indian Railways', written by Minister of State for Railways R. Velu. Congratulating Velu for his book, Lalu Prasad said the Indian Railways ... read more

Railways to execute three big-ticket projects
New Delhi, Feb 23 - The cabinet Monday gave its approval to the Indian Railways to execute on its own three big-ticket projects, including a rail coach factory at Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, due to lack of suitable partners for joint ventures. Besides the Rae Bareli factory, approval was also given to the Madhopura Electric Locomotive Factory in Bihar and the Mohowra Diesel Locomotive Works in ... read more

Kapil Dev to market South African street lights in India
Bangalore, Feb 23 - Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev Monday entered into a commercial agreement with former South African skipper Clive Rice to market energy efficient street lights in the Indian sub-continent. Kapil's newly formed company Berget Buildcond Ltd signed a MoU - here with Rice's marketing firm Enviro-Light Technologies of South Africa to sell eco-friendly and energy-saving street lig ... read more

UPA government neglecting small scale sector: Buddha
Durgapur -, Feb 21 - Coming down heavily on India's ruling United Progressive Alliance for neglecting the recession-hit small scale sector, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Saturday said the central government seemed only concerned with big companies like Satyam. 'The small scale sector is very badly hit. They need relief. But the government seems only concerned with the proble ... read more

Bankruptcy to billions: Turnaround saga of Indian Railways
New Delhi, Feb 21 - The turnaround saga of the world's second largest railroad network, scripted by an unlikely candidate, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, first caught the attention of the best-known management schools. This amazing story of the 156-year-old Indian Railways over a short span of just five years has now been captured in a book. The book, titled 'Bankruptcy to Billions', takes the re ...read more

Lok Sabha passes interim railway budget
New Delhi, Feb 19 - The Lok Sabha Thursday passed the interim railway budget for 2009-10 by a voice vote as Railways Minister Lalu Prasad outlined plans to step up railway security in view of terror threats. Lalu Prasad, in his reply to the debate to pass the budget, said the ministry has sought AK-47 rifles from the home ministry for the Railway Protection Force to ensure the safety and securit ... read more

170,000 posts vacant in Railways
New Delhi, Feb 19 - Around 170,000 posts are vacant in the Indian Railways, the government said Thursday. The vacancies include some 32,600 posts reserved for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other backward classes, Minister of State for Railways R. Velu said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. 'Filling up the vacancies of reserved as well as unreserved posts is a continuous process. Some vac ... read more

Case against Lalu Prasad, officials after bridge collapse in Bihar
Patna, Feb 17 - A case was filed in a Bihar court Tuesday against Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and five officials of Indian Railway Construction Corporation - following the collapse of a bridge under construction over a rail line in Muzaffarpur district Monday. Three people were killed and four injured Monday when the bridge under construction collapsed at Amgola in the district, 70 km from the ... read more

Three killed as bridge under construction collapses in Bihar
Patna, Feb 16 - Three people were killed and four injured Monday when a buiridge under construction over a rail line collapsed in Bihar, an official said. The incident took place at Amgola in Muzaffarpur district, about 70 km from here. The three people died on the spot as the bridge collapses all of a sudden. Police fear some more people may be trapped under the debris. The bridge was being bui ... read more

Probe begins into Orissa rail accident
Bhubaneswar, Feb 16 - Indian Railways has begun its probe into the train accident in Orissa that claimed nine lives and injured about 150, an official said Monday. 'Balbir Singh, the commissioner of railway safety, has arrived here. He visited the spot on Saturday, met railway staff and examined the tracks,' said J.P. Mishra, chief public relations officer of East Coast Railway. 'He is likely to ... read more

Indian Railways Online Ticket Booking Services

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:35:00 +0000

Booking Indian Railways Tickets Online is generally not recommended because most of the times the indian railways website goes down and the customers lose their money because the payment gateway approves the funds and while transferring the data from their end to the railways website, the connection gets cut. This has happened to me twice while i used once my ICICI Gold Credit card and second time i used ICICI Direct Bank Payment, both the times the transactions failed because the connection could not be established and later we get a message saying we need to make the payment again.

On the other hand the railway department offers a PNR Enquiry toll free number which you can use in order to contact and get details about your latest transaction, and when you do the same you are told that they have not recieved any funds from ICICI nor Credit Card Company. When you contact the payment processing company they claim that the payment is made from their end and they you cannot do anything about this and we need to contact the railway officials.

There were recent cliams from the Indian railways that the online tickets booking has increased from 3% to 10% but wonder how many passengers are losing their hard earned money because of their useless backend software. Even if you check out the official railways website its full of google adsense ads which may be the IT department is using to fill in their pockets. Last time i checked out their website the ads turned out to be for premium publishers and this would be obvious with the huge traffic and now high income for the railways department.

Just check out the Passenger Reservation Enquiry website Here and compare to any other Airlines website, you can find the difference. The Airlines websites are mostly meant for business and customers which is the reason they have professional looking websites and also offer guides and tutorials on how to book a ticket, but the Indian railways website offers less information and more ads. May be if these guys upgrade their whole system they could make a lot more money from the online ticket booking service than what they make from these ads.

Related Info:

Indian railway news

noreply@blogger.com (dhiraj09) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:33:00 +0000

India is such a vast country that is cannot be covered by roads alone. The primary mode of transport in India is train. Indian railway is one of the world’s biggest networks. It has a very strong network and extremely frequent and high number of trains. It covers nearly 100% of the country. The Indian railway, being such an important body, is always in news for some or the other reason.

Indian-Railway news covers information on the latest trains, schedules, fares, rules and regulation, services, facilities, announcements, change in policies and other relevant information about the system. To gather Indian railway news one can tune into television news channels, programs, radio, or then read through the newspapers, magazines, railway booklets, time tables issued by the railway ministry, railway offices, etc.

http://www.indianrail.gov.in/pnr_stat.html

Official website of the Indian railways

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